IcyNene @ PCBC

Tali talks with Patrick of IcyNene about their insulation products.  IcyNene produces a 1/2lb spray-foam insulation manufactured on-site called LD-R-50.  Part of the chemistry of LD-R-50 includes castor oil, in substitution of polyol. This allows moisture to pass through the insulation, but blocks air, vapor, and sound, resulting in a great insulating product that reduces the risk of mold.  Furthermore, as a result of the usage of water as a blowing agent, IcyNene foam does not offgas.

This product won the Cool-Product-Award for “Contributes to a Healthier, Safer Living Environment”!

Many building materials and products used in interiors, including the foams used in furniture construction, are required by the building code to be treated with fire retardant chemicals – even those products used in the residential environment. In addition, many fabrics are required to be treated with these chemicals, including clothing and bed linens, and all textiles used in the commercial environment.

There is a tremendous and growing body of evidence that these chemicals accumulate in the body and cause a number of major medical problems including cancers and neurological, reproductive, thyroid, and developmental problems, as well as genetic mutations. Studies have shown that many marine mammals and household pets are dying as a result of the accumulation of these chemicals, and children in particular are becoming seriously ill as a result – many more than would likely die in the fires these products are intended to mitigate. It is inevitable that many of the increasing medical problems that we are all experiencing in this day and age are a result of these widespread practices as well.

Obviously, this is a major public health issue of incalculable proportions that affects not only people living today, but will affect future generations because of the genetic mutations and impossibility of getting rid of these chemicals. And yet, because these products are actually required by the building codes, we either cannot buy products for buildings or interiors without these chemicals already impregnated, or we as designers and architects must actually actively and deliberately specify them separately.

Yes, we are actually required by law to use products in your homes and businesses that are known to put the health and safety of every person who ever enters a building at clear and obvious risk every single day.

This is particularly ironic in light of the arguments that ASID and other pro-legislation groups are putting forth about how designers who go through their mandated educational, experience, and testing pathway are specially trained to protect the health and safety of the public, how this particular training pathway is necessary for us to know how to do that, and how no one who doesn’t have this particular cocktail of experiences could possibly know anything about protecting the public. This is one of their primary arguments for why interior designers should be licensed – but they are obviously basing the requirements on “knowledge” and codes that actually cause considerably more harm to people and the environment than it could ever prevent!

And what’s more, the harm resulting from these chemicals is happening even without them burning. Once they do ignite in a fire (and eventually, they will still burn), then even more toxic chemicals are released into the environment. All burning materials do this, but when you burn nasties like these compounds, you get even more and nastier gasses released into the air.

I wonder how many interior designers actually know anything at all about these issues, especially those who do have professional training? I know that I was certainly never taught about them in design school at either of the two prominent schools that I attended. Sure, they taught us about the codes requiring these chemicals and testing procedures, but definitely not about the hazards inherent in them (or how the tests for flammability don’t actually translate to real life conditions and are therefore themselves invalid as predictors of safety, but that’s a topic for a separate post).

And needless to say, this sure as heck isn’t a very green practice, either – and yet we are required to even apply these toxic chemicals to the most green of materials.

Please read the article below from the Green Science Policy Institute website for more details.

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From the Green Science Policy Institute website:

The Fire Retardant Dilemma: Should Green Buildings Contain Toxic Fire Retardant Chemicals?

Polystyrene, polyisocyanurate, and polyurethane are highly energy efficient insulation materials whose use in green buildings is increasing. However, due to their flammability, fire retardant chemicals (FRs) must be added to meet building codes. Many of the FRs currently in use are halogenated organic chemicals, meaning that they contain chlorine or bromine bonded to carbon. Most of these FRs have not been adequately evaluated for their impact on human health and the environment. When tested, many are found to be persistent, bioaccumulative, and/or toxic. Being persistent means that they do not break down into safer chemicals in the environment over months or years. Being bioaccumulative means that they accumulate in plants and animals, becoming more concentrated as they move up the food chain. Additionally, some of these FRs are carcinogens, mutagens, and/or reproductive, neurological, thyroid, and/or developmental toxicants.

The impacts of exposure to fire retardant chemicals upon workers, human and animal health, building occupants, wildlife and the global environment should be considered when selecting insulation materials.

* All polystyrene foam insulation used in building insulation (both XPS, such as Styrofoam, and EPS) is treated with hexabromocyclododecane, (HBCD), a persistent, bioaccumulating, and toxic fire retardant. This chemical was recently nominated for the first EU list of sixteen “Substances of Very High Concern” and will likely be banned in Europe. It has been widely detected in household dust, sewage sludge, breast milk and body fluids as well as wildlife and the global environment. HBCD is also used with fabrics and plastic; however 85% is used with polystyrene insulation, which is likely the primary source of the global contamination.

* Polyisocyanurate (polyurethane) board often contains TCPP (tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate). While its toxicity in mammals appears to be limited, the effects of long-term exposure are unknown, and it is toxic in aquatic environments. Triethyl phosphate (TEP), a non-halogenated FR used in the EU, is a safer alternative.

* Polyurethane boards can contain up to five percent “blowing agents“, which are usually volatile hydrocarbons or halogenated hydrocarbons. Polyurethane spray foam formulations can contain both blowing agents and proprietary FRs with unknown composition and health effects.

* For example, Dow THERMAX(TM) Insulation board contains a maximum of ten percent of TCPP and five percent 1-Bromopropane. The MSDS states that this blowing agent can cause central nervous system effects in humans and harm to male and female reproductive organs and the liver as well as interference with reproduction and fertility and toxicity to the fetus in animal studies. The sheet also states that “normal handling and cutting are unlikely to result in exposure levels of 1-bromopropane sufficient to cause the listed effects.”

The impact of long term and cumulative exposures to mixtures of such chemicals upon the health of workers, inhabitants of homes, and the environment is not known.

Halogenated fire retardants are becoming widespread in the environment
Halogenated fire retardants (FRs) can migrate out of furniture foam, electronics, fabric and other consumer products as well as foam insulation so humans are exposed to a “cocktail” of such toxins. Levels of FRs are increasing rapidly in household dust, human breast milk, and wild animals. The chemicals are widely distributed in the outdoor environment with the highest concentrations in the Arctic and marine mammals. Certain classes of brominated fire retardants, the polybrominated diphenyl ethers, have been banned for most applications, but other brominated compounds have taken their place in consumer products without adequate studies to determine their health and environmental safety.

How to reduce the health and environmental hazard from FRs in insulation

* Develop design guidelines, green building credit systems, and codes to encourage designers to:
o Consider the toxicity of insulation options when selecting insulation types.
o Consider alternate pathways to attaining needed levels of fire safety, such as designing with fire barriers or other materials to reduce flammability.

* Encourage research and use of alternative, non-halogenated fire retardant additives such as sodium borate and triethyl phosphate (TEP).
* Support governmental programs to require full health testing of all chemicals and use of safer alternatives where available.

Energy Efficiency of Insulation

Insulation Type R-value per Inch of Thickness Fire Retardant

Fiberglass blanket or batt 3.2 non-flammable
High performance fiberglass batt 3.8 non-flammable
Loose-fill fiberglass 2.5 non-flammable
Loose-fill rock wool 2.8 non-flammable
Loose-fill cellulose 3.5 sodium borate 20%
Dense-pack cellulose 4.0 sodium borate 20%
Expanded polystyrene board (EPS) 3.8 HBCD 2.5%
Extruded polystyrene board (XPS) 4.8 HBCD 0.7%
Polyisocyanurate board, unfaced 5.8 TCPP 5% – 10%
Polyisocyanurate board, foil-faced 7.0 TCPP 5% – 10%
Spray polyurethane foam 5.9 ?? 15% – 40%

Reference: Article by Paul Fisette – © 2008
http://www.umass.edu/bmatwt/publications/articles/cellulose_insulation.html

More information:
Green Science Policy Institute: Presentations from past conferences

Health Care without Harm fact sheets:
Flame Retardants: Alarming Increases in Humans and the Environment
Brominated Flame Retardants: Rising Levels of Concern

There are so many influencers that can cause sleepless nights. It can be anything from stress during the day to that bite of chocolate you had at dinner. But one of the most common factors that keeps us awake at night are outside noises, which can be eliminated or at least softened by a few home remedies or better insulation.

Whether you live in the city, suburbs or country, there are always noises like trucks driving by, barking dogs, road construction or noisy neighbors that wake us up in the middle of the night. There is the old trick of using heavy curtains and heavy rugs to help deaden the outside noise. You can also add soundproof windows to your existing windows, creating an extra barrier between you and the noise.

Another challenge is living in an apartment or home with pre-existing thin walls. An easy, do-it-yourself option is QUIET BARRIER™ sound blocking material, which is an extra layer of foam placed over your wall. After hanging the foam layer, apply the drywall over it and the project is complete. If you’re renting you’ll want to get your landlord’s permission first.

For those who consistently are interrupted by loud noises at night and have tried a few homemade fixes, the next step may be investing in new insulation to help quiet your home. Insulation companies, like Minnesota-based AAD Foam Insulation, LLC, use a foam that attaches itself to the inside of homeowners’ walls. The foam is sprayed into wall cavities and expands to fill any space. The foam doesn’t shrink, sag or settle, so walls are strengthened and quiets room environments. The spray foam also acts a wind and air barrier making your home more energy efficient.

Maybe noise is not a factor when you’re sleeping comfortably at home, but rather when you’re traveling and staying at a hotel. Noise made by your neighbors is out of your control, but you can try to prevent it by choosing hotels that offer a quiet stay. For example, AmericInn hotels use a patented process called AmericInn SoundGaurd™ construction that uses masonry blocks, sound deadening foam and concrete slabs to eliminate noises between the rooms.

Did you know that there is a class action lawsuit at this time against the Ontario government regarding. a product called retro foam. In fact if a company is installing it they can even be charged. Retro foam is one off many insulation’s in Canada that was approved by the Ontario government.

There is more than just a few insulation’s that carry these poor quality’s like zonolite and many other asbestos materials. In fact is that if the material carries formaldehyde as retro foam does it is not allowed to be used in Canada.

There has been a lot of home across Ontario and the rest of Canada that had retro foam installed because of the government of Canada had approved this product.

If an inspector came to your home and recommend it and you did in fact install it you should be calling your lawyer. Fast before your claim will be null and void.

The class action Lawsuit is for retro foam that has been installed over a certain amount of years and you do have a claim if it was installed recently. within the last 5 years I do believe. put retro foam in any search engine and you will find the lawsuit against the companies that installed this product.

Abba’s Service is the proud installer of Tiger spray foam and there is a difference between all of the products on the market today! Tiger foam is not a water based product and is used to seal boats roofs and is fire rated and mold and mildew resistant. in fact Tiger foam is one of only a few spray foams that is not water based.

There are no harmful agents in it and it is made with soy. Some of the other products are made with a water blown in agent that will break down over time. In fact most drum type applications are water based and there is a lot of insulation companies that are scrambling to sell there trucks at this time.

The Ontario and Canadian Government will be on the hook for millions of dollars and Abba’s Service will be reaping the benefits from it! In fact also we will remove these products for you. In order to remove retro foam you would need a specialists and Abba’s Service is just that a true Quality home renovation Specialists! visit are website http://abbasservice.ca today so we can help!  or drop us an email at abbasservice@gmail.com

I don’t know about anybody else, but I find the depth of this Cladmate more exciting than The Dark Knight.

So, the Cladmate is now finished on the exterior. That’s really neat, I’m quite happy about it – when you see that go up it just makes you feel good. Particularly on the window detail because the nailing flange of the window goes over top of the Styrofoam, so there’s a really nice thermal break where there’s a lot of bridging on the studs. Even though it’s less than R4, it still plays quite a dramatic role in keeping energy in the house.

We won’t get around to doing the wiring before the winter, so we can’t insulate the studs, and yet I think the house will still be usable. The roof is done, the basement walls with the Eco blocks are done, so now it’s just the walls that need to be spray foamed. But having this three quarter inch Styrofoam on the outside should make it pretty livable. I’m going to go up there when the weather gets cold and see how it performs as it is now without the insulation in the walls. It’ll be interesting to see.

In other news, during my last game of golf I got two birdies and two pars on the front nine! But… on the back nine it all went to pieces.

I was talking with my Roofing friend Matt Espinosa the other day and the inevitable subject of High Gas Prices came up. He told me about a new program he developed for his potential customers and showed me the email he was about to send out . . .

I thought it was very cool . . .

*Matt wrote: “Lately, whenever I gas up my Truck, I am shocked at how much gasoline prices have gone through the roof ! . . . no pun intended (even though recently prices have come down just a bit) . . . So, I’ve been brainstorming with my wife, my roof repair customers, and my business associates trying to come up with a simple way to avoid passing these increases along to our customers. I just don’t think it’s fair that YOU, the customer, have to cover ALL of those added expenses.

So here’s one way I have come up with for you to lower your roofing costs:” more click here

*Matt Espinosa of A+ Roofing Solutions, Inc. (with offices in Albuquerque & Santa Fe, New Mexico 505-350-7710)

This blog is dedicated to commercial low-slope roofing professionals.  It is geared toward questions, answers and industry trends and standards relating to low-slope roofing materials and systems.

Plenty of rain has fallen this July 4th, 2008 Holiday Weekend in the Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos areas . . .

This might be a good time to check for roof leaks!
Local roofing Contractor Matt Espinosa says to look inside closets, around pipes that penetrate the roof, and check out old water stains on ceilings or walls. Why old water stains?

In the last couple of weeks while going out to inspect homes for roof leaks Matt found the same problem shared by several homeowners. Multiple roof repairs for the exact same area where a leak had reappeared at least 2-3 times. Supposedly “Fixed” each time by several DIFFERENT ROOFING CONTRACTORS . . . What’s Going On?

Its the classic “Patch and Run” routine performed by low-ball roofers who will quote a low price just to get the job and then do a quick cover up, inferior fix job, then run away with the $250 – $900. The homeowner thinks they got a “DEAL” . . .

But all they really received was a “DELAY”. A slight delay . . . until the leak reappears usually within a year or less. And by that time the leak reappears it has gotten worse, requiring even more materials and cost to fix it correctly.

Don’t be fooled by these “Patch and Run”,Low-Ball, Low Life characters. If the quote to fix your leaky roof seems to-good-to-be-true . . . (remember what your grandpa/grandma told you) it probably is . . . or in the case of roofing repair . . . IT IS!

IF a quote is lower by at least 25 -30% or more than the other quotes you received pitch it in the round file and save yourself some time and in the long run . . . lots of money. Your roof is to important an asset to try and scrimp on . . . Fix it Fast! Make sure you get with an experienced roofing contractor that will be on the job site making sure YOUR job is done right.

Any questions? . . . Call Matt (20+ Years in the Roofing business) : ASK MATT: 505 350 7717

(Roof Repair Santa Fe) Is now the best time of the year to fix my leaky roof?

After examining a skylight leak in my parents roof (and

not wanting to risk my life to examine it further) I

spoke with a friend of mine in the Santa Fe

area who recommended I talk with Matt Espinosa

a local Professional Roofing Contractor.

Matt says “In over 20 years in the Roofing Business

here in New Mexico I have fallen, or almost fallen

through an older Roof at least eight times . . .

and I know what to look for!”

Matt says: “If you have an older roof (7 Years or older)

you should avoid walking on the roof as much as possible

because an older roof can become brittle (like the dashboard

of car with too much sun exposure). If the Leak is old enough (tell tale

signs of an older leak are significant staining and dry rot) it

it could create a very dangerous and even deadly situation.

“If at all possible avoid going up onto an older roof completely.

Simply call A Professional Roofing Company to come

to your home or business. They will examine your

roof and present you with a free estimate of the repairs.”

Its just not worth the risk and any reputable Roofing

Contractor will offer you a free estimate.” There is no

reason to risk your life for a leaky roof!”

Matt offers 5 safe ways to spot roof leaks

without risking your life going up on that old roof.

1. Inside Walls: Look for discoloration or bubbled paint.

2. Examine in and around pipes/plumbing especially where pipes

are penetrating the roof. Look for ceiling stains or

stains on the floor below the pipes as water will follow

your pipes into your home or business and create floor stains.

3. Check around Skylights for ceiling bubbles or ceiling discoloration.

4. AC or Swamp cooler pans can rot and cause water to leak in places

often you might not think to look. (inside a closet or around duct work etc.)

5. Don’t know where that leak is coming from? Try this if you have a

shingled roof. If your home is without gutters water can wrap around

the overhang and come in through the eaves. Check around the area

where the outside wall and ceiling meet.

During a storm if the wind is blowing in just the right

direction water can get up under those shingles

and cause the leak.

Got a Leaky Roof question for Matt?

You can reach him at either: Santa Fe 505 455 2667 or

in Albuquerque: 505 350 7717 or by email

at: aplusroofingsolutions@gmail.com

More of Matt’s info:aplusroofingsolutions.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=495NYoaJA1w

(Santa Fe Roofing Contractor)

My sister found an artist who specializes in Custom Paintings for Nursery’s. You can find it in this video . . . Its in the blue room. She loves it . . . and so does baby Mia.

jessevere.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/designer-nurserythefinaltouch-2/

If you have not already joined Technorati or one of the many social networking bookmark sites . . . You need to Get busy!

<a href=”http://technorati.com/claim/jt2wjxh8a” rel=”me”>Technorati Profile</a>

A good Roofer is hard to find.  But a good Exterior Spray Foam Artisan that can make a 30,000 Square foot new home look Santa Fe style authentic is much harder to find.  You see most Spray foam applicators are not well trained and most do not stay in the profession very long.  However, there are a few veterans who are experts at the profession and have been doing it for more that 15 years.  These are the Artisans you want to cover the exterior of your new Adobe Dream home.  Check out this video.

 . . .  roof repair .  . .  now thats an idea for video on Google!

RIo Rancho, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos are home to some of the most Beautiful Adobe style Dream/Vacation homes in the US. Ever wonder who makes those homes look like real Adobe

Check out this video.

More information click on this link or : Call Matt at 505 795 2974 or 505 350 7717

Creativity is often not seen in this type of business.  But . .. .  

Roof Repair?  I don’t think about it much . . .  but this video is very creative.

Some of the most authentic looking southwest Adobe home exteriors are Watertight . . .  But look like the real thing . . .  check out this video , , ,

This Video is from Dailymotion: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5k0mp_santa-fe-adobe-custom-

This is a great example of Southwestern Adobe Exteriors.   

(Santa Fe Adobe Custom Home Contractor)*Southwest*Exteriors

Nice to find a company who has experience like this. 

Warmroof will be exhibiting their Rigid Foam at the NATIONAL CARAVAN, BOAT & OUTDOOR SHOW at the NEC in Birmingham next week.

Taking place over 6 days and across 6 halls of the NEC (equivalent to 24 football pitches!), it’s the biggest show for outdoor leisure in the UK.

The show is a great value day-out for the whole family. As well as a huge selection of products to buy, there are loads of things for the kids to enjoy too, with free canoeing and kayaking lessons, archery and climbing (all included in the entry price!).

Warmroof’s stand can be found in hall 4 on stand number 4040 or alternatively find out more about our Rigid Spray Foam Loft Insulation by visiting our website by clicking here.