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Author	Comments
Mark Wilson Posted: May 21, 2012 11:10 PM	Help Help Help!! Hi from New Zealand, I’m in a bit of a pickle! SPF is not really used New Zealand, fibreglass batts reign supreme. So I have purchased a machine and shipped it here to do my own home. Well the local council will not allow me to install SPF as the supplier of the chemicals here has not had its products tested and verified by a third party. So I’m stuck! Do you know of any suppliers who have had their products tested by an internationally recognised testing body? Do you know of any University of research papers on the performance of SPF which I can submit to bolster my claim? Any and all help would be much appreciated! Cheers Mark
SprayFoamSupply.com Posted: May 22, 2012 07:57 AM	What brand of foam is available to you local? Will the local council recognize US testing proven by as an ICC-ES report? Or are they going to want testing to NZ standards? George
mason Posted: May 22, 2012 08:22 AM	When I worked with Gusmer running their sales department and technical department, we had an equipment distributor in Australia who also covered New Zealand. They were foam suppliers. Gusmer was purchased by Graco a few years ago. I would contact their sales department for some help. I am sure they have contacts in the country that might be able to help you out. You might also try PMC as the same folks who run that company also ran Gusmer at the time.
mason Posted: May 22, 2012 11:38 AM	Also, most foam sold in the US is tested in accordance with ASTM international test procedures to ASTM C 1029 specifications. ASTM is a recognized international specification standard making organization, so just having that behind the foam might be enough.
Mark Wilson Posted: May 24, 2012 12:07 AM	Hi, The problem I have is that the council people are completly inflexible! Unless it is approved by BRANZ or BEAL it does not exist for them. NZ is earth Quake prone and because of poor insulation there are considerable health issues. But will the even look at somthing else? No! I will approach them again with the standards you have quoted but I have that sinking feeling! Cheers mark
maurice richter Posted: May 26, 2012 11:49 AM	Governing bodies can be difficult. When a normal person does research, a decision can be easy. Sometimes it helps to think like a beaurocrat. That government is probably using a written code so that the employees don't have to think. Search through that codebook to find a loop hole. A loop home might be that your home can be the test that proves it works. A loop home might be that another city, town, state - or province, or NZ governmental body has agreed to let your foam be used. All the above answers are great, however, if I look at my own USA, our governmental agencies are probably going to be "territorial" enough that just because NZ, France, Australia, or China approves something, USA will re-test it. Why do they deny it? Chemical smells/out-gassing? Strength in an earthquake? So keep digging and find a way around the blockade! Good luck!
John Shockney Posted: May 27, 2012 08:28 AM	Mark. I think we all have had challenges with local code officials and it is their local discretion to decide if a product can be used or not. Spray foam is new to them and they don’t want to be legally responsible if something happens. What I have seen with code offices here is that if a local architect or engineer will take the liability by approving or recommending the product and then inspecting it, they will approve its use. If you are earth quake prone and I would assume prone to tropical storms also, I would think that you are required to build shear walls into your buildings. I would point out that there is a structural rating to 2# closed cell foam that adds to the shear rating of the wall. Also a wall with closed cell foam meets the Miami, FL hurricane code requirement that requires that walls pass a 100mph 2x4 test to prevent storm damage. Check the TSD’s for major foam manufactures that have international sales like BASF, Bayer Chemical (bay systems) and there are others, for their approvals. Hope this helps and good luck! Airpro

Author

Comments

Mark Wilson

Posted: May 21, 2012 11:10 PM

Help Help Help!!

Hi from New Zealand,

I’m in a bit of a pickle! SPF is not really used New Zealand, fibreglass batts reign supreme. So I have purchased a machine and shipped it here to do my own home. Well the local council will not allow me to install SPF as the supplier of the chemicals here has not had its products tested and verified by a third party. So I’m stuck! Do you know of any suppliers who have had their products tested by an internationally recognised testing body? Do you know of any University of research papers on the performance of SPF which I can submit to bolster my claim?

Any and all help would be much appreciated!

Cheers

Mark

SprayFoamSupply.com

Posted: May 22, 2012 07:57 AM

What brand of foam is available to you local? Will the local council recognize US testing proven by as an ICC-ES report? Or are they going to want testing to NZ standards?

George

mason

Posted: May 22, 2012 08:22 AM

When I worked with Gusmer running their sales department and technical department, we had an equipment distributor in Australia who also covered New Zealand. They were foam suppliers. Gusmer was purchased by Graco a few years ago. I would contact their sales department for some help. I am sure they have contacts in the country that might be able to help you out.

You might also try PMC as the same folks who run that company also ran Gusmer at the time.

mason

Posted: May 22, 2012 11:38 AM

Also, most foam sold in the US is tested in accordance with ASTM international test procedures to ASTM C 1029 specifications. ASTM is a recognized international specification standard making organization, so just having that behind the foam might be enough.

Mark Wilson

Posted: May 24, 2012 12:07 AM

Hi, The problem I have is that the council people are completly inflexible! Unless it is approved by BRANZ or BEAL it does not exist for them. NZ is earth Quake prone and because of poor insulation there are considerable health issues. But will the even look at somthing else? No! I will approach them again with the standards you have quoted but I have that sinking feeling!

Cheers

mark

maurice richter

Posted: May 26, 2012 11:49 AM

Governing bodies can be difficult. When a normal person does research, a decision can be easy. Sometimes it helps to think like a beaurocrat. That government is probably using a written code so that the employees don't have to think. Search through that codebook to find a loop hole. A loop home might be that your home can be the test that proves it works. A loop home might be that another city, town, state - or province, or NZ governmental body has agreed to let your foam be used.

All the above answers are great, however, if I look at my own USA, our governmental agencies are probably going to be "territorial" enough that just because NZ, France, Australia, or China approves something, USA will re-test it.

Why do they deny it? Chemical smells/out-gassing? Strength in an earthquake?

So keep digging and find a way around the blockade! Good luck!

John Shockney

Posted: May 27, 2012 08:28 AM

Mark.

I think we all have had challenges with local code officials and it is their local discretion to decide if a product can be used or not.

Spray foam is new to them and they don’t want to be legally responsible if something happens. What I have seen with code offices here is that if a local architect or engineer will take the liability by approving or recommending the product and then inspecting it, they will approve its use.

If you are earth quake prone and I would assume prone to tropical storms also, I would think that you are required to build shear walls into your buildings. I would point out that there is a structural rating to 2# closed cell foam that adds to the shear rating of the wall. Also a wall with closed cell foam meets the Miami, FL hurricane code requirement that requires that walls pass a 100mph 2x4 test to prevent storm damage.

Check the TSD’s for major foam manufactures that have international sales like BASF, Bayer Chemical (bay systems) and there are others, for their approvals.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Airpro

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