Rising energy costs, a struggling economy and a volatile housing market have all forced homeowners to realize the importance of maintaining and improving the quality of their homes. This has also resulted in many people taking a money-saving, do-it-yourself approach to maintaining investment value or enticing potential buyers. Because of its affordability and low cost, foam is one material that has proven to be incredibly valuable in home improvement, particularly for the DIY crowd. And with the wide variety of foam types and customization services Foam Factory, Inc. provides, they can help keep your home in showroom shape.
One of the most basic but important improvements to make in a home is water pipe insulation. Not only can this help lower energy costs, it also can assist in preventing damage caused by extreme external temperatures. Adding insulation wrap introduces thermal resistance to the pipes, reducing how easily they can transfer heat or cold away from the water. Reducing the amount of energy lost through the pipes means water systems use less energy keeping the water at the correct temperature. During summer, pipe wrap insulation can guard against condensation and damaging moisture and in the winter, hot water pipe insulation can help prevent frozen or burst pipes. Foam Factory manufactures insulation from closed-cell foam, which resists moisture and has strong R-Values, a measure of thermal insulation. Polystyrene foam pipe insulation is made of two identical sections with interior grooves that surround the pipe and can be secured with glue* or tied together. Polyethylene roll or polyethylene sheeting is another foam wrap option that can provide the necessary amount of pipe insulation without wasting material or not using enough. Polyethylene foam also can be cut thick enough to cover pipes in a similar fashion to polystyrene. Another benefit of pipe insulation wrap is that while effective, it isn’t truly permanent and can be easily removed for work or repairs.
Foam can be an integral part of interior decorating and home design as well. Foam is an excellent material for painting, able to be cut into nearly any design for stamping. From animals, dinosaurs or night sky patterns for a child’s room, to intricately detailed designs for creating personalized wall border accents, open and closed-cell foam is an outstanding stamping product. Foam Factory’s computer-programmed manufacturing capabilities make producing designs that would be nearly impossible to create by hand, easy, quick and affordable.
Foam weather stripping is a home addition that can produce major dividends by saving energy. By creating tight seals around windows and doors, conditioned air in the house is unable to escape through the cracks and outside air is unable to enter the house or create drafts. This helps reduce the stress on heating and cooling systems. The seal also prevents moisture from entering the home, as well as insects. Resilient, closed-cell foam like neoprene will withstand the constant compression of shut doors and windows but spring back against the surface to create a tight seal. Foam rubber weather stripping’s excellent shock-absorbing properties also make shutting doors and windows quieter and can help reduce the wear on joints and frames that are constantly slammed shut.
Gutter guards are another way foam can help a home resist the elements. Using porous filter foam, these custom-fit foam sections are placed into gutters to keep them from being clogged by leaves, needles and other debris. By sealing the entrance from solid material but leaving an open channel in the gutter’s interior, water drains without obstruction after easily passing through the leaf gutter guard. Because there is nothing to actually become trapped within, these guards rarely need to be cleared, as opposed to the almost constant work required of people with unprotected gutters in wooded areas.
Whether remodeling or building a new home, a polystyrene wall niche is another easy way to save on the costs and materials required to create a personalized touch in the home. By using polystyrene for a wall cutout in the shower or a shelving nook in the kitchen, a permanent foundation for attaching tiles or other covering materials is created that will not rot or degrade over time, even when mounted in damp areas. Crown molding is another traditional product that has been modernized with foam.
Home improvements can not only add value to your residence, they also make living there much more enjoyable. Foam Factory offers the ability to customize, safeguard and increase the efficiency of your home with their range of foam materials and services, helping you get the most out of your investment.
*Note: The two sections of foam are to be glued to one another, not the pipe.
I want to wrap 8″ cast iron sewer pipes that are exposed above ground. What would be the best kind of closed cell foam to use?
For this application, our Polyethylene Rollwould likely be the best option that we carry.