Guardian Building Products Manufactures GuardFoam 55 Product Line

Although Guardian Building Products is primarily known for their fiberglass insulation, the company also manufactures high quality spray foam in the form of their GuardFoam 55 product line. With headquarters in Greenville, SC, the company operates over 100 regional offices, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities to service its global market. This comprehensive operational framework enables GBP to provide a vast assortment of products and services to over 30,000 customers in the residential and light commercial construction industries. As their corporate website points out, “Guardian has established a signature brand of quality and customer service in the building materials industry” and they have brought this high standard to their spray foam products.

Gary Romes, VP of Business Development, explains that “Guardian wants to provide our customers with GuardFoam 55 so they can expand their product offering to builders and homeowners. We look at spray foam as a complementary product to fiberglass insulation. Both products have unique characteristics and their own advantages based on the application. We have always looked at Guardian Building Products as an insulation company, not necessarily a fiberglass manufacturer.”

Guardian offers both Open Cell (OC) and Closed Cell (CC) versions of their GuardFoam 55 product. With an R-value of 3.9 per inch, GuardFoam 55 OC forms a completely sealed air barrier in wall cavities and can be used to fill 2” x 6” stud wall construction in a single application. It adheres well to most building materials and provides a barrier against air infiltration. As a component of a “systems approach” to proper building envelope construction in both residential and commercial construction, GuardFoam 55 OC provides exceptional performance in reducing heat transfer.

GuardFoam 55 CC recently passed the stringent Modified NFPA 286 for Attic & Crawl Requirements. This certification allows the closed cell product to be installed in attic and crawl space applications without the use of a thermal or ignition barrier. With an impressive R-value of 6.3 per inch, GuardFoam 55 CC spray foam provides exceptional performance in reducing heat transfer and moisture gain when used as a component of a “systems approach” to proper building envelope construction.

Romes goes on to point out the company’s competitive advantages. “In addition to the high quality of our products and our exceptional customer service, we are able to leverage our expansive operations to benefit our spray foam customers. We ship the GuardFoam 55 on trucks of fiberglass to reduce freight costs and lead times for the customer. It does not even have to be a full truckload order of fiberglass; Guardian customer service representatives pair partial truckload orders for our customers within 1-2 days. Additionally, our training and support for customers new to the foam business is excellent. We provide guidance to our customers who are entering the industry on what type of equipment they need and also help them secure the equipment.”

Looking to the future, Romes explains that the company’s overarching goal is to help their customers succeed in the spray foam business. “Guardian is looking at a number of different promotions and marketing incentives we can offer our customers to help them grow their business in 2010.”