Re-occupancy Guidelines Established for Spray Foam Installation
SPRING, TEXAS, October 13, 2010 — BaySystems™, the global polyurethane systems business of Bayer MaterialScience, continues to help lead the spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation industry with the recent development of building re-occupancy guidelines based on rigorous methodology.
The development of the guidelines reinforces BaySystems’™ commitment to safety by providing product-specific analysis for Bayseal® OC (open-cell) and Bayseal® CC (closed-cell) SPF insulation.
The methodology confirms industry rule-of-thumb re-occupancy guidelines and has many similarities to the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) / Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance SPF Insulation Emissions Testing Protocol currently in draft form. A team of BaySystems™ technical and industry experts presented the methodology at the CPI Technical Conference in Houston on October 12, 2010.
“While we have always recommended our customers to follow the industry-suggested guidelines, we felt it was important to test our specific Bayseal® products using a rigorous methodology for an added level of safety,” said Renee Zierden, general manager, BaySystems™. “As the SPF industry continues to refine the methodology, we will re-evaluate our re-occupancy guidelines accordingly. Our priority remains to implement best practices that will ultimately help to ensure the health and safety of building occupants.”
Based on extensive data developed through the BaySystems™ methodology, the following re-occupancy times are prescribed for both Bayseal® OC and Bayseal® CC:
- 12 hours following the end of spraying for trades workers,
- 24 hours following the end of spraying for all others (e.g., residents, tenants, etc.)
The longer re-occupancy time for populations other than trades workers is recommended because such groups can include sensitive individuals, such as children and elderly people. It is also important to note that the 24-hour re-occupancy guideline assumes there will be at least 0.3 air changes per hour in the structure following the ventilation period.
Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with approximately 14,300 employees at 30 production sites around the world and 2009 sales of 7.5 billion euros. The company manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries. Sustainability is central to Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s business and is based around the key areas of innovation, product stewardship, excellence in corporate management, social responsibility and respect for the environment.
BaySystems™ manufactures spray polyurethane foam systems for residential and commercial buildings and provides a complementary family of roofing, insulation, coatings and primers.
Contact:
Carrie Stallwitz, Phone: 713-320-8165
E-mail: carrie@witzpr.com
Alex Keane, Phone: 281-825-4771
E-mail: alex.keane@bayer.com
For more information about spray polyurethane foam product families from BaySystems™, call 1-800-289-8272 or visit www.BaySystemsSpray.com.
For more information about Bayer MaterialScience materials, call 1-800-662-2927, e-mail naftainfo@bayerbms.com or visit www.bayermaterialsciencenafta.com.
