Air Sealing Tip for a Healthy, High-Performance Home
If you’re building a new house, you need to perform air sealing before your insulation contractor arrives. Selecting the right foam plays a critical role in your home’s indoor air quality. Today, we’re examining Handi-Foam Fireblock, a GreenGuard Gold-certified product designed as a low-VOC option that doesn’t jeopardize your indoor air quality.
What Is Handi-Foam Fireblock?
This spray foam, labeled FireBlock, from Handi-Foam, is used in Type 5 construction. It’s easy to spot—it’s orange for a reason. Fireblock foam is designed to stop the spread of flames between wall cavities, floor cavities, and from stud bay to stud bay. It limits air movement, which reduces the risk of fire spreading rapidly through your home.
What’s more, Handi-Foam Fireblock is GreenGuard Gold certified and a low-VOC foam, making it ideal for any high-performance or healthy home project. We supplied this product ourselves for this project because the insulator was unable to obtain the required foam with the necessary certifications. Always double-check your subcontractor’s materials and specs.
Where to Apply Fireblock Foam
You’ll typically see fireblock foam at wire penetrations, wall cavities, and floor-to-ceiling transitions. Code only requires this every 10 feet horizontally, but we’ve applied it in every bay for added safety. While this adds more foam to the house, it offers better protection against fire spread.
Here are some examples of where we’ve used it:
- Stud bays under windows
- Holes with MC cable penetration
- Pipe penetrations through subfloors
- Electrical chases going from the first to the second floor
- Ceiling cavities and attic wall penetrations
All of these help isolate fire-prone areas and delay the spread of fire from cavity to cavity.
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Avoid Using Non-Certified Spray Foam
We’ve also seen foam that shouldn’t be used indoors. For example, Great Stuff Big Gap Filler is not GreenGuard Gold certified, has higher VOC levels, and is commonly found in big box stores. Avoid this product if you’re focused on building a high-performance, low-toxic environment.
Even though it’s widely available, it’s not suitable for healthy homes. Always look for the proper rating and certification when selecting air-sealing products.
Spray Foam for Windows and Doors
Also from Handi-Foam, their Window and Door Low-Expansion Foam is essential for use around windows and doors. Using high-expansion foam in these areas can cause your window frame or door casing to warp, potentially leading to bowing or malfunction. This can lead to serious operational issues.
Always use low-expansion foam specifically rated for windows and doors to avoid damaging frames during installation.
Use Foam Backer Rods for Air Sealing Flexibility
Another option for air sealing is a foam backer rod, which is available in various diameters. This is useful for retrofits and areas with small gaps. The benefit of using backer rods is that they can be easily removed and replaced, unlike hardened spray foam, which must be cut out.
Backer rods also provide a quick solution for sealing around window frames when the reveal is appropriate.
Application Tips and Fire Safety Notes
When using fireblock foam, make sure you seal around every wire and pipe penetration thoroughly. Spray around all sides of the cavity to ensure a tight seal and added fire resistance. This not only supports your air sealing strategy but also slows down the spread of fire through your home’s framing system.
Some examples of where we’ve applied FireBlock:
- HVAC and electrical penetrations between floors
- Electrical chases for low-voltage wiring, like Smurf tube
- Pipes passing from walls to attic cavities
- Porch block lines and attic transitions
Also, consider mineral wool insulation in these same cavities. It offers additional fire protection and is extremely difficult to ignite.
Final Thoughts
Making informed material decisions, such as choosing Handi-Foam Fireblock, helps improve your indoor air quality and supports your mission of building a healthy home. Be intentional about selecting low-VOC, GreenGuard Gold-certified materials for a healthier home environment for your family.
If you need help building a custom home, ADU, or whole-house remodeling, request a project consultation with us. We have offices in Ramona, California, serving the San Diego County area, and Middleton, Idaho, serving the Boise Metro area. You can also explore our comprehensive collection of similar videos on our YouTube channel, The Real Property Show.
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