Did you know that in a medium-sized house with standard size openings, the perimeter of doors and windows can have up to 250 to 300 linear feet of joints where drafts can enter?
In fact, some experts in building energy efficiency say that the contours of poorly sealed door and window frames can increase heating costs by more than 30%. When installing new doors and windows, it is essential to ensure a good seal all around the frames.
Application of polyurethane insulating foam can be very effective for this purpose, as long as you choose a quality product, specially designed for the job.
In this article, discover the characteristics of a good insulating foam for doors and windows as well as two Adfoam insulating foams that have them.
Characteristics of the best insulating foams for doors and windows
Before buying a can of insulating foam, it is important to know the characteristics you should look for that make some foams more suitable than others for insulating around doors and windows.
Adhere easily to several substrates
Door and window frames can be made of many different materials (aluminum, PVC, wood, etc.). It is therefore better to opt for insulating foam that will adhere easily to these substrates.
Also, a good polyurethane insulating foam for doors and windows should be able to firmly adhere to most exterior wall materials.
Easy to apply
Foam insulation must be applied precisely to achieve the desired performance. You should therefore choose a product that is easy to apply, even when the outside temperature drops below freezing.
Choose a foam sold in a container that can be applied with a foam gun, since this tool will ensure that you apply the right amount of polyurethane foam with precision, even in hard-to-reach areas.
Excellent thermal and acoustic insulation
Not all insulating foams offer the same performance. Choose a foam with a thermal resistance factor of at least R5. An insulation with this performance will increase your comfort level and reduce your energy consumption.
For even more comfort, take the time to check that the foam you are considering buying offers good sound insulation.
Expand significantly and retain their volume over the long term
Most insulating foams will increase considerably in volume once applied. This makes them particularly effective in filling gaps in a building envelope.
However, the most effective foams will form a large percentage of closed cells (at least 70%) as they expand and will not shrink when subjected to moisture and freeze-thaw cycles.
Adfast Adfoam PRO 1875: the insulating foam designed for door and window installers
At Adfast, building energy efficiency is a priority we share with building contractors and window and door manufacturers.
Our Adfoam PRO 1875 insulating foam for doors and windows is specially designed to insulate and seal door and window frames and casings. It is also effective for filling holes that allow pipes or cables to pass through or voids between exterior walls and the frame of a building.
Of course, it has most of the characteristics presented above, in addition to several others that make it 100% suitable for window and door insulation:
- It contains no CFCs
- It meets CAN/ULC and ASTM standards for surface combustion of construction materials.
- It can be applied on materials whose temperature is between -5°C and 35°C.
Adfast Adfoam 1825: the insulating foam for doors and windows that can be applied at -25°C
Many polyurethane foams cannot be applied when the temperature drops below 0°C. However, this type of weather is common during much of the year and it is sometimes necessary to install windows in the winter when the temperature is well below this limit.
To overcome this problem, Adfast has developed Adfoam 1825 cold temperature insulating foam. This formula has most of the characteristics of Adfoam PRO 1875, in addition to being applicable at temperatures as low as -25°C.
This is why it has become one of the best choices for construction projects that carry on despite the arrival of the cold weather.
Ensure the energy efficiency of your construction projects with Adfast polyurethane foams
In conclusion, foam insulation for windows and doors should have certain specific characteristics to provide good performance and be easily applied.
That said, even though the insulating foams presented in this article will certainly meet your needs, why not ask our specialists for advice on whether another one of our foams might not be even better suited to your intended use?
