Q&A
Patching Icynene
Insulation
Q.
What is the best material
to use to patch Icynene spray foam insulation? Sometimes
it’s necessary to remove a substantial amount of the
stuff after it has been installed.
A.
David Ballantyne, project
engineer at Icynene, Inc., responds: The best way to patch a
hole in Icynene insulation will depend on the size of the
repair. For small and medium-sized patches, a can of spray
urethane foam (one-component foam from the lumberyard or
hardware store) works very well. There is no compatibility
problem with using other foam insulation products directly
against Icynene.
However, a large patch would require many cans of
one-component foam, so it would be better repaired by
installing more Icynene, or another two-component foam product
applied by a professional applicator.
Fiberglass batt insulation would be an option of last resort,
since it will not be as resistant to air leakage as
Icynene.