Bill,
I assume you are referring to the air krete. I spoke with Ecosafe Insulation in Northfield (485-9119) about air krete for an article I wrote for Efficiency Vermont's Spring/Summer 2003 Builder Newsletter. I have no first-hand experience with it. What we published at the time was:
Cementitious Foam
Quoting the manufacturer's literature, "air kretea is an ultra-light insulating foam consisting of a patented combination of an inorganic cementitious stabilizer, a microscopic cell generator, a catalyst, and compressed air."
Application in walls is performed by spraying air krete through a retention fabric of aluminum screening or other sufficiently porous material rigid enough to prevent deformation and to allow curing. In ceilings, it can be applied through screening for sloped applications or from above in ceiling flats. Installation requires that the temperature at the point of application is at least 40œ F or higher during application and for a 48 hour initial curing period. The manufacturer touts it as fireproof and supplies the appropriate supporting test evidence.
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We listed it as having an R-value range of 3.9 per inch at a density of 2.07 PCF, as an air barrier and vapor permeable. Applications it could serve included: wall cavities and rim-band, vaullted or flat ceilings and for strengths we listed: Blocks air movement, zero flame spread/smoke development - non-ozone depleting.
Kind regards,
Jeff Gephart
Vermont ENERGY STAR Homes
A service of Efficiency Vermont & Vermont Gas Systems
LEED for Homes
A U.S. Green Building Council program
800-893-1997
802-767-3861 fax
----- Original Message -----
From: William C Badger AIA
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 3:10 PM
Subject: Re: [VGBNTALK] not natural building products?
Interesting material. Has anyone in the group tried it and does anyone locally install it? We tried damp applied cellulose in a new house a couple of years ago with disastrous results. Black mold grew on the outside of the plywood sheathing and the back side of the Typar house wrap. The siding had to be stripped off and things dried out. A series of unusual circumstances that created a perfect storm? Perhaps, but until it is perfectly clear what to do to guaranty that doesn't happen, we are staying away from it.
Bill Badger
Brian McCarthy wrote:
There are some "flowable" green alternatives that we know about. Here's an example:
www.airkrete.com
Brian D. McCarthy
Marketing + Business Development
The McKernon Group
(888) 484-4200 office (802) 247-8501 fax (802) 342-7760 cell
www.mckernongroup.com
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From: VGBN Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Suzy Hodgson
Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 1:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: not natural building products?
cellulose insulation made with recycled paper is a good green option with performance - high R value and low ghg emissions
On 11 Dec 2008, at 12:55, Robert Riversong wrote:
Icynene vs straw is a good example of the difficulty in making appropriate choices of "green" materials.
While I don't think that spray foams should be used in new construction, stuffing straw into existing walls for a retrofit/upgrade is not a sensible option and with a limited wall cavity Icynene may be the best alternative for renovation. Even for new construction, straw bales - with their low R-value per inch (—1.45, about the same as lumber) may not be the best choice.
Besides having no global warming or ozone-depleting installation by-products, Icynene has only a little more embodied energy per cubic foot than fiberglass (not that I would recommend fiberglass for anything), typically less installed embodied energy (since framing bays are not generally completely filled) and better efficiency payback.
Best use of remaining fossil energy and petrochemicals? Not so simple to discern.
--- On Thu, 12/11/08, Michelle Smith Mullarkey <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Point taken. I admittedly was thinking of products like Icynene vs. straw, but it seems fossil fuels really are part of our entire world.
On 12/10/2008 6:21 PM, Robert Riversong wrote:
--- On Wed, 12/10/08, Michelle Smith Mullarkey <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Fossil fuel is still used to manufacture and transport the majority of green building products (not natural building products such as straw bales)...
I'm afraid that fossil fuels are used for the production of most straw and since some of it is coming from Canada, there's also transportation costs. "Natural" building materials are not necessarily immune from the environmental costs of other materials.
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