The Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA), the educational and technical resource to the spray polyurethane foam (SPF) industry, today announced the winners of the 18th Annual SPFA National Industry Excellence Awards. Winners of the program, which is again sponsored by Arkema and Evonik, are contractors recognized for having some of the spray foam industry’s recent, outstanding projects.
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The time has come! Holster those tools, have a cup of coffee, and embrace a well-deserved break. The eagerly awaited moment has arrived—the unveiling of the 2023 Contractor of the Year. In this Show Issue of Spray Foam Magazine, our spotlight turns to the resilience and resurgence of SPF industry contractors. These individuals have navigated challenging times and emerged not only stronger but more resolute than ever.
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Performing to a high standard and being an inspiration to others takes ability, self-confidence, and most of all a big heart. Spray Foam Magazine’s Luminary Award winner ticks all those boxes and more. Each person in the spray foam industry is driven by something different depending on their needs and wants. However, the one mutual factor behind all those who succeed in this business is someone at some time who inspired them.
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Spray foam insulation is a crucial component in modern construction, offering superior insulating properties compared to traditional insulating materials. However, the environmental impact of the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) as blowing agents raised significant concerns and created a focus on transitioning from HFC-based blowing agents to those with low global warming potential (GWP).
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In the world of building insulation, the concept of economic thickness plays a crucial role in determining the most cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions. Economic thickness refers to the optimal thickness at which the cost of adding more insulation is balanced with the resulting energy savings. This delicate balance between upfront costs and long-term benefits is pivotal in making informed decisions regarding insulation strategies.
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Life aboard a houseboat evokes images of endless sun tanning, cold beverages, and floating leisurely from one beach to the next as the captain of one’s own ship. In modern houseboats, there’s endless relaxation potential—with massive, luxurious, custom-built vessels available with all the comforts of an on-land home, such as multiple rooms, stories, solar panels, and interior living quarters impeccably sealed, insulated, and sound-proofed with spray polyurethane foam.
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Carla Airey Colinares has a reputation for being a mentor, cheerleader, and inspiration for many in the SPF industry. The Spray Foam Magazine team sat down with Carla and over a cup of coffee, discussed the importance of building a stronger community, listening to others, and how she is supporting women who pursue a career in the spray foam industry.
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Spray Foam Magazine decided to check in with Danny Walker, our 2021 Contractor of the Year Runner-Up. Walker is the owner of Colony Insulation situated in Algonac, Michigan and has a determination, passion, and faith that we can all aspire to. These attributes came in handy on one of his recent projects. Fascinated and wanting to hear the details of this unusual job, we caught up with Walker to find out more.
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Gaco SprayFoam | SES spray foam contractors know that a sale means nothing if the equipment doesn’t work, the installation goes poorly, or someone is hurt on the job. The actual installation of spray foam starts long before the installer pulls the trigger on the gun, and mastering this preparation is as much an art as spraying the foam.
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Each contractor’s journey to the spray foam industry is unique. In the case of Spray Foam Magazine’s second runner-up for Contractor of the Year Winner 2023 from Canada, this remarkable contractor’s road to success was pitted with a fight against the odds. Living in a region that was suffering an economical and logistical nightmare, this person took his dream, knocked down any preconceptions surrounding SPF, and headed for success.
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Before a contractor or applicator can begin the necessary work of applying a polyurea elastomeric coating or spray foam system, some guidance or direction must be provided for the project. This information must be correct and understood as well as applicable to the current scope of work. While it seems that much of the information being provided in the polyurea industry is verbal or short written instructions, this is not the norm for the general coating and lining industry.
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I’m sure many of you are members of the Facebook group Spray Foam World Wide (SFWW). What’s one of the most popular questions you see at least once a week but never want to hear on the job? How do you get overspray off this? There are so many answers, and it seems like there’s a new surface and new technique each time.
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Each year, from June 1st to November 30th, residents living along the east coast of the United States, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Islands closely monitor hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean. This six-month window, known officially as Hurricane Season, represents the annual period when conditions are most likely to form a potentially catastrophic storm event.
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Since 1987 Elastochem, a family-owned Canadian company started making, distributing, and selling quality products like spray foam, waterproofing membranes, coatings, adhesives, cast polyurethane, and tailor-made chemical solutions, to their Canadian customers. Elastochem has an outstanding reputation for innovation and customer care, but what do we really know about this Canadian company, and how can we as an American market learn from their success?
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Franchising a company may help the owner focus on the bigger picture and grow a valuable business. The Spray Foam Magazine team was eager to speak to a man who has recently taken the plunge into franchising and asking him why it is the right move for him and his company.
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Picture a small southern town with a picturesque backdrop and that could easily be Benton, Tennessee. Known for its friendly locals, sense of community, and breathtaking rural scenery, it’s easy to see why someone would set up shop there, and that’s exactly what one contractor did. This family man puts a lot of hard work and countless hours into his business and has even been awarded Associate Contractor of the Year by his local building association.
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Suspended 4,000 feet above the Grand Canyon’s floor is the West Skywalk; a horseshoe-shaped observation bridge with a clear glass floor where visitors can marvel at the wonders of the canyon and the surrounding desert landscape. As one of the world’s largest cantilever glass bridges, the Skywalk itself is a feat of modern architecture upstaged only by the astonishing view it overlooks. But the scorching desert environment is harsh enough to corrode even the toughest structures over time.
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The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is arguably the largest change in building codes to date. I’m dating myself, but when I started my career in construction, the energy codes required R11 in walls and R19 in attics. With the updated 2021 IECC, minimum energy requirements have increased to R49 for ceiling insulation in climate zones 2 and 3, and R60 for ceiling insulation in climate zones 4 and higher.
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Just as the weather changes from season to season in North America, so the economy cycles through better and worse times. It always has and always will. A major economic indicator is residential and commercial construction and within that sector, insulation plays an important role, but we can’t always look only to housing starts or new permits to gage our industry.
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