Success of Closed-Cell SPF Insulated Home Sets Contractor On A Mission

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – October 8, 2013 – Recent flooding throughout the state of Colorado left many homes severely damaged and even uninhabitable due to water infiltration. Some residents that did not have flood insurance were left having to deal with standing water in their basements and living areas, with no quarter when it came to repairing their homes. A newly renovated home on Hansen Lane street was able to withstand the flooding, as no water infiltrated the house because the exterior had been previously insulated with closed-cell spray polyurethane foam.

The SPF project was included in the complete makeover of the 100-year old house featured in the September/October 2013 Issue of Spray Foam Insulation & Roofing Magazine.

The house was located only a few feet away from Cheyenne Creek, which rose approximately 18 feet and overflowed the banks. According to Patrick Godfrey, who completed the home's SPF application, there were six to eight inches of rain surrounding the Hansen Lane property at the time.

"Without the exterior SPF application, the house would have experienced severe flood damage," said Godfrey. "Since the box sill is located eight inches below grade, I applied SPF a foot above floor level. No water entered or damaged the structure."

Closed-cell SPF was applied to a foundation of CMU blocks and rubble rock, which was the same foundation nearby homes had, but those homes suffered water infiltration because they didn't have SPF insulation to protect them.

"Rubble rock foundations typically do not have vapor barriers or any insulation in them," said Godfrey. "Not only does flood water infiltrate a home, but it brings in the toxins sitting in the open spaces of the floor joists into the home, which definitely affects the indoor air quality."

According to Godfrey, the renovation of the house, which included new additions and "green" installations, would have been in vain if it wasn't for the closed-cell SPF that acted as a barrier for the incoming floodwater.

Godfrey explained that closed-cell SPF is fundamental when it comes to flooding and other natural disasters because it is sustainable insulation that provides a water, vapor, air, and thermal barrier. He mentioned that it is important for the Colorado community members to be educated on the benefits of spray foam, otherwise homeowners rate likely to replace their basement and crawlspaces with the same vinyl or fiberglass insulation they had before the flooding occurred.

"There are approximately 18,000 homes that are either destroyed or damaged homes and are going to need remediation," said Godfrey. "Our community needs to be aware of the sustainability of SPF applications in flood zones. We have an opportunity to rebuild our communities using a FEMA-approved building product, and not just replace the failed solution with the same failed solution."

After reading pages of FEMA and National Flood Insurance program reports, Godfrey has embarked on a mission to bring public awareness to the available solution of closed-cell SPF to yield a permanent fix for afflicted homeowners.

"I want to try and have SPF and possibly polyurea coatings provide sustainable solutions for the Colorado flood rebuilding process," said Godfrey.

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