Product Comparisons

Other Head to Head Comparisons
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Icynene vs. Open Celled Foam

Icynene vs. Fiberglass Batt

Icynene vs. Cellulose

Icynene vs. Closed Celled Foam

Icynene vs. Fiberglass Batt Insulation

Icynene	Fiberglass Insulation
3.6 R-Value per Inch.	3.3 R-Value per Inch for Standard Batts, 3.8 R-Value per Inch for High Density batts in a still-air laboratory conditions.
Icynene has same R-Value in laboratory and installed in the field.	Performing R-Value may decline from the lab tested rating by as much as 50% in some applications. Air can leak through it and free convection occur in it.
Creates its own air seal	Requires taping, caulking, sealed-vapor barriers, and building wraps to keep out air.
Adheres to building materials, filling cracks and voids.	Pressure-fits only
Semi-flexible to adapt to building movement.	Can Sag
Virtually non-air permeable.	Fiberglass allows air to pass through it quietly it quite easily, as evidenced by the fact that fiberglass is also the most widely used material for furnace filters. This high air permeability results in lower R-performance whenever air leakage occurs. Air permeability for fiberglass is 37 times higher than for Icynene.
No detectable emissions hazardous to human health	Inhalation of fibers by installers suspected of being carcinogenic.
Is manufactured on site for a perfect fit. Since foam expands nearly 100 times its liquid volume, a perfect fit is assured every time.	Manufactured plant and transported to site, where it is cut or ripped to fit (the quality of the installation varies from installer to installer).
Adheres to ceilings and floors over unheated areas such as garages, porches, and crawl spaces.	Difficult to install overhead so that it gives satisfactory performance.
One trade required for installation to insulate and air seal.	Several trades required to install batts, apply building wraps, caulk, tape, etc. to air seal.

Icynene vs. Cellulose

Icynene	Cellulose Insulation
Self supporting. No net or adhesive required. Fast installation	Must be supported by netting or cardboard trays for wall applications, sprayed wet with adhesive, or with a Story Jig- relatively slow labor intensive process.
No delays to production schedule. Icynene is cured in minutes and can be covered immediately	Wet systems may require days to dry before they can be enclosed.
Icynene expands into any size or shaped cavity, crack or perforation. Foam expands for complete, tight air seal.	May not fill small spaces completely, or fill behind ductwork, electrical boxes, outlets, etc. Cannot insulate and seal blind corners, lintels, or tapered studs.
Icynene is 3 to 4 times less air permeable than cellulose, and incorporates all components into an air barrier. Since it is an air barrier, it does not require one.	Requires protection from air infiltration from both inside and outside.
Airborne moisture won't penetrate Icynene.	Airborne moisture may accumulate in the recycled paper and damage insulation.
Won't sag, settle or shrink.	May settle over time, leaving voids which have little if any R-Value.
Icynene is a Class-A foam, with no change in flamespread rating occurring with age.	Fire retardants may leach with timeand change combustion properties.
Performance maintained under all normal conditions. No air infiltration occurs.	Air infiltration can reduce thermal performance (R-Value) below that measured in laboratory.
Can be sprayed onto underside of exposed floors, such as over unheated garage. Will fit perfectly and needs no support.	Cannot be applied to underside of exposed floors.
No food value for termites and carpenter ants.	Cellulose fiber is attractive food source for termites and carpenter ants.
Icynene is water repellent but if soaked will drip dry with no loss of fit or performance	Cellulose absorbs water, if it gets wet it is slow to dry, will compact and lose its fit and damaging its performance.
The density of Icynene is always absolute, it will always maintain its original R-Value.	Cellulose can be fluffed by installer producing lower density/higher yields. A lower density has a reduced R-Value

Icynene vs. Close-Celled Foam Insulation

Icynene	Urethane Spray
Low flame-spread rating	Generally higher flammability
No detectable emissions in application or service which could be harmful to the world and the environment.	Emits chlorofluorocarbons, ( CFC's, of HCFC's ) which decrease its R-Value and is believed to cause a depletion of the earth's ozone layer.
Constant dimensional stability.	Dimensional change in presence of high humidity can exceed 10%.
Low density (0.5 lb/cu. ft. )	Generally has density of 1.5 to 2.0 lb/cu. ft.
Low air permeability, but still permits the building to breathe, and moisture to escape.	Lack of air permeance does not allow the building to breathe, and can entrap moisture.
Semi-Flexible, can move with building without loss of adhesion, and will not crack.	Rigid, when building expands or contracts during the seasons the air seal can be broken.
Does not wick water.	Will absorb water under extended exposure to humidity or condensation.
Being open celled, it will take on water under pressure but gives it off readily and restores to its original performance.
Low density gives it a price advantage, generally less than urethane per given R-Value	Generally more expensive for comparative R-Value.