Cold as Ice

Spray Foam Magazine – Dan Grimes is the owner of Cincinnati RetroFoam (CRF), a family-owned insulation business serving Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southern Indiana since 2015. With the help of his wife Pam, they oversee a staff of 15 employees and emphasize their commitment to quality, service and community. General Manager Danny Dishroon recently shared the details about a project completed at IMI Concrete in Hebron, Kentucky.

In the fall of 2021, a RetroFoam crew was working at IMI Concrete, spraying foam insulation at their pumping station. Keeping a constant temperature at a concrete mixing plant is critical for the consistency of the product. The CRF crew originally sprayed two containers at the pump station. As the crew was doing their work, IMI staff brought up an issue they were having with maintaining proper water temperature over at the water tower that feeds the pumping station tanks. They asked if CRF might be able to help. Danny and his crew didn’t hesitate, “I said, absolutely. We can do it. We can weatherproof it.”

IMI had an insulating issue. Danny explains, “The water in that tower needs to maintain a certain temperature to keep from freezing so it can go in the trucks. That way they can pour concrete through the winter.”

When it came to installing the foam on the water tower, a two man crew did the job which needed little prep. Both CRF crew members wore PPE equipment with masks from Allegro with 3M filters. A boom lift elevated them along the tower where they sprayed a three inch thick layer of FOAM-LOK 2000 closed-cell foam using a Graco E30 spray gun. A sealer coat was sprayed over top for weather resistance. FOAM-LOK, previously manufactured by Lapolla, is now a Huntsman product. CRF continues to use Huntsman products for their spray projects.

Danny’s crew took special precautions for overspray. At the base of the tower there were several other tanks nearby that they covered up with plastic, as well as mechanical gauges and outlets. At the top of the tower, they had enough distance from other equipment, so no special precautions were needed.

Before CRF sprayed the water tower, water was getting too cold and IMI had to keep too much heat on the tower. Extra heat caused water to burn off inside the container. After CRF spray foamed the tower, the temperature was constant with less fluctuation, even when bitterly cold outside.

It was a sure-fire fix for IMI Concrete and a coup for CRF. “We’re actually slated to do several more of their other locations the same way.” As for work beyond IMI, Danny says, “We do barns, houses, existing construction, new construction. We do the whole gamut.”  

Retrofoam Pays it Forward

Dan and Pam Grimes are also passionate about Cincinnati RetroFoams role in the community. Through their local church, Landmark Baptist Temple, the couple became strong supporters of an organization called Juliette’s Hope, a ministry that helps women get off the streets, get off of drugs, and get back to work in their community. With every job Cincinnati RetroFoam completes they support Juliette’s Hope.

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