New Addition at Animal Shelter is Insulated, Strengthened With Closed-Cell Spray Foam

FORT WORTH, TX – January 2, 2013 – There are many things to take into consideration when constructing a kennel. Not only is climate control important, it is also critical to ensure that the kennel's environment isn't detrimental to the animals' health. with these thoughts in mind, IntegrityTexas Construction Ltd. (ITC) applied closed-cell spray foam to the interior of a newly constructed addition at a Ft. Worth-area animal shelter.

According to Noel Viramontes, Insulation Technologies Manager at ITC, the company does a lot of work with animal shelters. This particular shelter's owner, who is also a veterinarian, constructed the 6,000 sq. ft. wing to serve as a kennel where he can house dogs whenever there is an overflow at the city's animal shelter. In insulating the new structure, the owner wanted to avoid some of the potential pitfalls fiberglass insulation presents to a fur-filled environment.

"Fur doesn't absorb into closed-cell foam. With cellulose and other kinds of insulation, it gets caught up," said Viramontes, who further added that, "closed-cell is dense and dogs can't chew on it." 

The new addition was constructed of metal, so the closed-cell foam would be providing additioning stuctural strengthening benefits as well. According to Viramontes,  the owner was aware of spray foam's various benefits after having installed it at his own residence.

Crewmembers had a lot of prep work to do before application could begin since the ductwork, windows, and doors were already in place. Plastic wrap and tape were used to protect those areas and part of the existing building.

The check-in office, which is part of the existing building, was incorporated within the new addition. Although ITC suggested using open-cell foam to soundproof the office from the adjacent kennel, the owner opted for fiberglass bats instead since the room was now inside the building envelope.

Due to the addition's 30 ft. high ceilings, crewmembers were required to use extra scaffolding while spraying. The scaffolding also had to be maneuvered around the new ductwork.

ITC applied 3.5 inches of Demilec HeatLok Soy 200 2 lb. closed-cell spray foam to the addition's walls and 4.5 inches to its ceiling. Crewmembers made three to four passes over the areas, allowing the foam to cure in between each pass. During application, they wore safety harnesses and fresh air masks, being sure to keep people out of the restricted spray area.

It took eight crewmembers about five days in December of 2012 to complete the project, which total about 16,000 sq. ft.

Viramontes said the owner is pleased with the results of the new insulation. "Now that he sees how good the kennel is, I think we will be going back to spray the existing part of the shelter."

About IntegrityTexas Construction Ltd.: IntegrityTexas Construction Ltd. is a full service energy conservation construction company. Operating out of the DFW area for over 10 years, ITC specializes in building or retrofitting/remodeling existing structures, both commercial and residential in accomplishing energy saving needs. As an EnergyStar partner, ITC staffs licensed Heating and Air Conditioning Professionals, HERS Certified Raters, and certified (BPI) Building Analyst Professionals. ITC is a certified minority-owned business and a proud member of the Better Business Bureau. For more information about ITC, please use the contact details and links provided below.