While we believe that spray foam is the best roofing system on the planet, we know it’s not right in every scenario. Even Michael Jordan wasn’t great at baseball. Spray foam is a premier roofing system, but there are times when other systems should be used. However, this post isn’t about those situations. This post is about when spray foam can perform and does perform, better than any other system. When should you absolutely make sure you use spray foam? When is it a sure thing that it’s the best choice? These 4 scenarios are the best applications for spray foam.
Why You Should Choose Spray Foam For Your Roof
You know you need a new roof, perhaps yours is out of warranty or is starting to fail. You know you’re going to have to replace your roof as repairs just won’t be able to salvage it. But you just don’t want to tear off your roof and deal with everything that comes with it: Additional cost, additional sound pollution, additional waste generated, and additional time on your project. When you read it that way, tearing off your roof doesn’t sound very good. Not to worry; spray foam installation doesn’t require tear-off. There are cases where some tear-off is required, but it is generally less than 5% of the total roof that needs to be torn off. We do many projects in which we spray foam directly to the outer surface of the roof. If tear-off sounds miserable to you, spray foam is a great option.
1. You Can’t Shut Down Your Operation
Let’s say the tear-off itself doesn’t really bother you, but exposing the inside of your building isn’t an option. Do you have machinery that needs to run 24 hours a day? Do you have medical grade equipment that absolutely cannot be exposed to an uncontrolled environment? Are communities depending on you, such as a school, hospital, or training facility? You can’t afford to have issues arise in your roof that expose your building to the elements and force a shutdown. We know this is a real issue for many facility managers and we can help. Just as in the case of avoiding tear-off because it is expensive or a hassle, spray foam can keep your operation up and running 24/7 thanks to its retrofit methodology.
2. You Want to Save Money in the Long Run
Many people are afraid of spray foam because it has a higher price tag than many other roofing systems. This is a misguided viewpoint for several reasons, though. 1. Spray foam is more expensive, but you’re also getting a far superior product. Better wind uplift resistance, longer life-cycle, better insulation, better waterproofing, just to name a few. 2. Spray foam pays for itself during its life. A study carried out by Texas A&M University determined that their spray foam roofs had completely paid for themselves through reduced energy expenses in under 5 years. That means for the remaining 20 years of roof life, the roof was making them money, not costing money. If you want to make an investment in your building, think spray foam. If you just want a roof that is the lowest cost right now, spray foam probably isn’t for you.
3. Have a Unique, Challenging, or Rare Roof Setup
The fourth and final best application for spray foam is a roof that is unique, has strange challenges, or is a rare setup. Roofs with many different sections and levels. Roofs with multiple substrates that have been built throughout the years. Roofs that have a large number of penetrations. All of these scenarios are great for spray foam because it adheres to everything, it’s extremely flexible around penetrations, and can easily be installed on multiple levels or sections by simply moving the hoses around. On top of being a great fit for spray foam, complex roof layouts are also great for IRC because we specialize in the more difficult projects. We have on-staff architects and hundreds of man-years of experience installing spray foam. If you have a challenge associated with your roof, we can help to fix it.
There are many more scenarios in which spray foam can outperform other systems, but these four and the best applications for spray foam. They each allow foam to really exhibit it’s best qualities and allow the building owner to get the most benefit.
