Open Minds Open Doors

 By: Stephanie Marie Chizik

“We’re always looking to find solutions to problems,” Jack McTiernan of Wilson Insulation said. As a full-service insulation company — located in Decatur, Georgia — they were used to working on jobs using fiberglass, retro foams, open- and closed-cell spray polyurethane foam (SPF), and cotton batts. So, when the Catalyst Software Company asked Wilson Insulation to find a new high-tech solution, they decided on Fi-Foil’s Flash & Foil Hybrid Insulation System.

“We’re always looking for the best solution for the customer,” McTiernan continued, “and if that means we’re going out on a limb for that, we’re willing to do that.”
 

The job was a 12,000-square-foot commercial building in Atlanta. The Catalyst company was looking to insulate the OSB board in its new building. Once they were introduced to the option of using SPF and reflective insulation, the Catalyst company was hooked.

In a Flash

Because they planned on doing this job with the Flash & Foil, they sent in one crew to install the flash, or SPF, and another to install the foil, or reflective insulation. McTiernan and his three-man SPF crew arrived at the site for the first stage of the job.

To prep the one-room building, the first crew came in on the first day to protect the outlets, windows, and doors from overspray. They used six mils of poly and duct tape to cover these areas. They then sprayed a one-inch layer of closed-cell SPF from NCFI, using a Graco reactor spray rig with a Graco Fusion gun and 150 feet of hose. 

Because the building was shaped like a large rectangle, the crew’s job was fairly straightforward. They picked a wall to start spraying, and then worked their way around the building, from right to left. Having a ready jobsite also helped Wilson Insulation get the job done easily.
 
“The job site was clean. It was in great condition for us to come out and spray,” McTiernan said. “Wish they were all that way. I would have to say it was because of the General Contractor (GC).”
 
McTiernan’s first insulation crew stayed on the job about nine hours that first day. They worked on six-foot-tall ladders to reach all of the ten-foot-tall walls. They wore 3M respirators, Tyvek suits, and steel-toed boots.
Before they went home, they sprayed approximately 1,500 board feet of the Catalyst interior. On their second day, they were able to complete the foam. Using the same method as the day before, they finished insulating the wall cavities with a one-inch layer of SPF before heading home.
 
On the third day, the foam crew returned to clean up any overspray. It took them about two hours to remove all the extra foam. Because they took their equipment home with them each night, they didn’t need to take any extra time to clear that out of the building. With the spray foam crew on their way out, the radiant barrier crew could come in to do their job.

 
Nothing but Foam
“The foam crew’s job is more of a technical job and specialty that not everybody could do,” McTiernan said. And that’s why they “do nothing but foam.” On the other hand, installing a reflective insulation is similar to installing insulation batting, so they could use a common crew. 
 

“There wasn’t a big transition,” McTiernan said. “They understand all of the principles; it’s more in their line of work.” Although the reflective insulation crew installs batting more often, when Wilson Insulation got this Flash & Foil job, they could handle the change. 
 
When the reflective insulation crew came in that third day, they headed straight to the walls. On stilts, they stapled the VR Plus Shield Reflective Insulation to the wall studs. They made sure that there was no debris on the ground so that they could safely walk around the room. Once the reflective insulation was applied over the SPF, another crew came in to install drywall.
 
They worked for about 10 hours, installing the VR Plus Shield reflective insulation. During the second stage, the crewmen didn’t need to wear special safety gear because of the nature of the solid insulation. The crew found that this combination allowed not only an efficient installation, but also an efficient insulation. With an R-value of 6.7 for the SPF and seven for the VR Plus Shield, McTiernan expects the Catalyst company to have a final R-13.7 for the Flash & Foil System.  

Open-Ended

The job went very smoothly. There were no hiccups or other trades that got in the way of the two crews. On the final day, the crew finished installing the last pieces of the reflective insulation. They cleaned up any debris and headed out with their ladders and stilts in tow.

 
The hardest part about a job like this one, as far as McTiernan is concerned, is getting the client to consider a different type of insulation. Luckily, Wilson Insulation and the Catalyst company were willing to listen.
 
“I like the product,” he said. “I like the company.” Hopefully, more companies will be as open as the Catalyst company was with an insulation option other than the usual. It goes to show that sometimes open minds will open doors.

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