NCFI InsulStar Tests for Florida Building Code Using OSB
With the state’s climate and propensity for major storms and high wind events, it’s no wonder Florida is known for having one of the nation’s highest standards for building products. InsulStar, a spray polyurethane foam insulation adhesive made by U.S. company NCFI Polyurethanes, recently became the first and only to test for wind uplift resistance on Oriented Strand Board (OSB).
The independent testing by Certified Testing Laboratories, Orlando, FL, proved InsulStar exceeded their 190 psf design rating of testing on plywood with a score of 200 psf on OSB with no additional fasteners holding the deck in place. This makes NCFI the only manufacturer to meet the most stringent level of plywood/OSB roof deck attachment prescribed in the Florida Wind Mitigation Inspection Program (182 psf) when using just 3 inches of foam applied directly to the junction of the roof deck and roof rafter/truss top chords.
“We’re thrilled with the results,” says Jason Hoerter, P.E., senior product manager for InsulStar. “We developed the product to our highest standards, and we’ve been doing this since 1964, so we knew it would perform well in independent testing. We first focused our attention on the Miami-Dade area where plywood is required as roof deck material, but in the remainder of hurricane prone areas along the Gulf Coast, and up the entire East Coast OSB is a common roof deck material, and recognized we needed to provide structural engineers, architects, and builders with design data for the use of InsulStar on that roofing material.”
Roof damage caused by wind occurs when the air pressure below the roofing assembly is greater than the air pressure above the building's roof. As wind flows over the building, the pressure directly above the surface of the roof decreases. At the same time, internal air pressure increases due to air infiltration through openings, cracks, etc. The result is an upward force on the roofing system. This force is referred to as wind uplift.
Mitch Clifton, a director with NCFI says, “The 200 psf number is extremely important to builders and homeowners whether in new construction or when upgrading and renovating, because the higher the psf number the greater the discount an insurance company allows. A little InsulStar can save a great deal.”
InsulStar is a spray applied, closed-cell SPF insulation and adhesive and is applied by a qualified spray foam applicator trained in the proper processing and application of SPF systems as plural component dispensing equipment.
To learn more about NCFI please visit www.NCFI.com.