I first heard about  Heatlok Soya sprayfoam insulation when I visited The Rosedale House back in May. I was intrigued by it because, coincidentally, I’d just read an article byBuilding Green that stated that extruded polystyrene and hydroflurocarbon based sprayfoam insulations are so energy intensive that a homeowner could never reap the benefits of energy efficiency these types of insulation because of how much energy is used to produce the products! Meanwhile, Terrell was adding not the usual 3 3/4″ inches building code demands, but rather 5 inches of foam for a projected R value of 30. When I asked her about the product, she said that the insulation was made from vegetable oil, recycled plastic bottles and soy.

This product deserved some further investigation.

Heatlok Soya Sprayfoam is the latest insulation product made by Demilec a manufacturer based in Quebec. According to its website, Heatlok is made from renewable and recycled materials and is the first sprayfoam to meet the Montreal Protocol for ozone depleting substances as it contains no hydroflurocarbons.

The advantage of sprayfoam insulation versus rigid boards or batts of insulation is that it can seal corners and joints more effectively than the latter two making a structure more airtight. In addition, sprayfoam can act as a vapour and air barrier, as well as an insulator, meaning that fewer materials are needed on a jobsite. The sprayfoam consists of 40% recycled plastic bottles, which according to the website means there are about 1000 plastic water bottles in every tank of sprayfoam.

Sprayfoam and R value: According to Rich Krechowicz of  Callrich Eco Services, who is a Heatlok installer, only the Demiliec soya insulation product is a “type 2” sprayfoam with  a long term R value of 6. As he explained to me, there are two types of sprayfoam, type 1 and type 2. When measuring R value for sprayfoams, it is measured in three stages : initial (just after it’s sprayed), aged, (after 180 days) and long-term (after six months). In the US, sprayfoam manufacturers are allowed to use the aged R value term when advertising a sprayfoam, in Canada, they must use the long-term number, so if you’re doing your research and wondering why the same product has two different R values, it might be that you’re looking at American and Canadian sites. All other sprayfoams fall into the type 1 category with a long-term R value of 5.

Cost: Rich said it’s hard to estimate cost because it really does depend on how big the job is. Set-up costs are the same whether you’re spraying 200 or 1000 square feet. If you’re interested in using this product it’s best to call for a quote.

Note: It turns out I have written about this product before, but under its other name, Polarfoam PF 7300-Soya. Demilec is the manufacturer of this product but it is distributed under two different names: Heatlok and Polarfoam PF 7300-0 Soya.

For other installers of this product, please visit the Polarfoam and Heatlok websites.