Spray foam insulation is a form of home protection that provides a high level of insulation. However, the properties of spray foam insulation also tend to make it a fire hazard. If there is a fire in a building, the spray foam insulation tends to reflect heat back to the fire, and in some cases, worsening the fire. To take care of such fires caused by spray foam insulation, review the code requirements for thermal barriers, which are certain types of material that help prevent spray foam insulation fires.
Thermal Barrier
The International Residential Code requires that buildings that use spray foam insulation have a thermal barrier that separates the insulation from the inside of the building. The IRC lists gypsum drywall of .5 inch as acceptable material for a thermal barrier. If builders want to use other materials, they will have to get them tested.
Thermal Barrier Standards
For the IRC to accept any material as a thermal barrier, it will have to meet some specifications. To qualify as a thermal barrier, the material must limit the spray foam insulation's increase in surface temperature to 250 degrees, after 15 minutes of exposure to fire. It must also pass another test to ensure that it will stay in place during a fire incident.
Thermal Barrier Exceptions
There are some exceptions to the need to put up a thermal barrier to protect against fires caused by spray foam insulation. For example, if the foam insulation covers concrete or masonry of one-inch thickness, the IRC does not require a thermal barrier. Spray foam insulation can be used without a thermal barrier on sill plates and headers as long as the spray foam meets certain requirements. For example, it has to be of a maximum thickness of 3.35 inches. Also, attics and crawl spaces do not need a thermal barrier, according to the IRC code.
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