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INSULATION INSPECTIONS
Insulation Material Identification Guide
Insulation Materials
  Asbestos Identification in Buildings
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    Icynene Spray Foam
    R-values of Icynene® vs. Polyurethane Foam
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    Open-celled vs. Closed-cell Foam Insulation
  Insects & Foam Insulation
  Mineral Wool/Rock Wool Insulation
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  Mold in Foam Insulation
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Insulation R-Values & Properties
LIST of Asbestos Containing Products
Mold Growth Resistance of Foam Insulation

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Insect Damage & Foam Building Insulation Products: Termites, Carpenter Ants, Contaminants MoldAPedia © Enter your search terms Submit search form   Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com

• Risk of insect attack on buildings with foundations insulated using foam boards or foam spray insulation
• Recommendations for termite shield and insect shields on buildngs
• How to prevent insect damage to wood structures

This page illustrates and describes the causes of risk of wood destroying insect attack (like termites or carpenter ants) on buildings using foam foundation or wall insulation. Sketch of common foam insulating board details courtesy of Carson Dunlop. Note that the insect risk associated with foam insulating board details (or any building design and product) varies by geographic location and the types of insect pests that are or are not present. Therefore good construction details to avoid insect damage must suit local requirements and meet local building codes.

© Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Foam Insulation Products and Risk of Wood Destroying Insect Damage: termites, carpenter ants, etc.

The following comments pertain regardless of whether the foam insulation prodcuts we are addressing are sprayed foam insulation or solid foam insulating boards or panels.

• Wood destroying insect effects of foam insulation: foam insulation is not an insect barrier; while these materials do not provide food for termites, they are easily penetrated by termites or carpenter ants (as are other insulating materials). For this reason our opinion is that it is bad design to bring foundation insulating foam panels up into contact with building wood framing materials unless an approved insect barrier has also been installed. What can we do to improve the insect resistance of buildings where solid foam board or foam spray foundation insulation are being applied?
  • Chemical barrier that resists insect attack: is applied around and under the building. Chemical barriers for termites and other wood destroying insects used to work very well, but modern chemicals may be less effective/less durable over time due to changes in pesticides to make these chemicals less of an an evironmental hazard.
  • Mechanical barrier that resists insect attack: a metal shield is set atop all wood sills, extending an inch or more past the building interior and exterior wall surfaces, bent on an angle downwards to shed water, with exact details specified by a pest control officer and installed during construction. A termite shield may be effective but remains a risky approach to bug-proofing if the shield is not inspected and if not kept visually accessible on both inside and outside of the buildings for periodic check - a termite mud tube might bypass a metal shield.
  • Good architectural design to resist insect attack: the best wood destroying insect resistant-building design is to keep wood and other insect-friendly materials at least 8" above ground, provide no protected path for insect entry into the structure (such as behind solid insulation boards)
  • Building maintenance to resist wood destroying insect attack: keep surface water and roof spillage away from the building perimeter. Do not pile up leaves, organic debris, wood piles, or mulch against building walls. Hire a professional to inspect the building, especially at high-risk points.

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

IDENTIFICATION of ASBESTOS in BUILDINGS

INSULATION INSPECTIONS
How to Identify Building Insulation Materials
Asbestos-Free Insulation Materials
Insulation Materials
  Asbestos Identification in Buildings
  Asbestos Pipe Insulation
  Asbestos-Free Insulation Materials
  Balsam Wool Batt Insulation
  Cotton Insulating Batts
  Cellulose loose fill insulation
  Fiberglass Insulation
  Foam Board Insulation
  Foam Spray Insulation
    Icynene Spray Foam
    R-values of Icynene® vs. Polyurethane Foam
    Mold Resistance of Foam Insulation
    Open-celled vs. Closed-cell Foam Insulation
  Insects & Foam Insulation
  Mineral Wool/Rock Wool Insulation
  Mold in Fiberglass Insulation
  Mold in Foam Insulation
  Paper Duct Insulation
  Perlite Insulation
  Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation UFFI
  Vermiculite Insulation
HEAT LOSS CALCULATIONS
Insulation R-Values & Properties
LIST of Asbestos Containing Products
Mold Growth Resistance of Foam Insulation
Table of Properties of Insulating Materials
IDENTIFICATION of ASBESTOS in BUILDINGS

Technical Reviewers & References

Particular thanks are due to experts and also consumers who read these articles and suggest corrections, changes, and additions to the material. Content suggestions, technical corrections and content critique are invited for any of the content at our website.

• Daniel Friedman - principal author/editor of the InspectAPedia ^TM Website
• Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education, publications, report writing materials, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
• Icynene Corporation maintains a website with information about Icynene® foam insulation products, applications, etc. and is located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Tel: 905.363.4040 Toll Free: 800.758.7325
• Icynene Foam Insulation Spray MSDS
• Icynene Foam Insulation Pour formula MSDS
• Spray Foam Systems (urethane foam insulation products)
• API Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry Fire Safety Guidelines for Use of Rigid Polyurethane and Polyisocyanurate foam Insulation in building Construction (.pdf file)
• Technical reviewers are invited to comment or ask questions - contact us

More expert information on Asbestos Identification, Recognition, & Testing

More Information on Asbestos Contamination, Other Airborne Fiber Hazards, & Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• Asbestos: How to find and recognize asbestos in Buildings - visual inspection methods, list of common asbestos-containing materials
• Asbestos HVAC Ducts and Flues field identification photos and guide
• Fiberglass: Indoor Air Quality Investigations: Health Concerns About Airborne Fiberglass: Fiberglass in Indoor Air from HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
• Enviro-Scare: Electric Power Lines, Electromagnetic Fields, Cancer Risk, & "Enviro-Scare" - The Normal Curve Cycle of Public Fear of Environmental Issues
• Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the 9/11/01 attack: the lower floors of this building contained spray-on fire-proofing asbestos materials.
• Asbestos Information Links: Asbestos Detection, Testing, Recognition, Hazards, Field Photos, and Information Sources, including health-related links such as legal services and information about mesothelioma and other cancers.
• Asbestos Identification and Testing References
• Asbestos Identification, Walter C.McCrone, McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL.1987 ISBN 0-904962-11-3. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories.
• Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
• Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone

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