OPEN CELL VS CLOSED CELL
Light Density Open Cell – More>
- Spray in place insulation and air barrier
- Vapor permeable. There the material is allowed to breath
- Will accommodate long term creep and seasonal movements
- Does not sustain mold
- Rejects bulk water
- Drains water through
- Typical R-Value of 3.6 per inch
- Water commonly used for blowing agent
- Suitable for interior applications only
Key Advantages of Open Cell
- Soft, flexible and highly adhesive texture allows the product to retain a tight air seal during the normal structural movement/shifting over the lifetime of the building
- Vapor permeable permits bi-directional drying of assemblies
- When applied to the underside of a roof deck, will allow for bulk water to pass through and visibly expose the location of an exterior roof leak
- Soft open cell structure allows for greater sound absorption versus closed cell structure
- Using a water-based blowing agent instead of a synthetic blowing agent reduces the environmental impact
- Lower cost
Medium Density Closed Cell More>
- Spray in place insulation and air barrier
- Low vapor permeance
- Vapor barrier (class II VDR)
- Rigid design adds structural reinforcement
- Does not sustain mold
- Rejects bulk water (even submerged)
- Deflects water path
- Typical R-Value of 6.0 per inch
- Blowing agent increases R value
- Suitable for both interior and exterior applications
Key Advantages of Closed Cell
- Higher R-value per inch, easier to accommodate higher R requirement in narrow spaces or thinner wall capacity
- Hard, rigid texture provides increased wall racking strength (if necessary)
- Also suitable for exterior and below grade applications as it rejects bulk water
- Lower vapor permeance, can be a class II VDR
- Impact resistance