Spray Polyurethane Foam Specialist Gives Insight on Industry's Quality Standards

SOUDERTON, PA – August 14, 2013 – John DiNenna knows spray polyurethane foam. He has dedicated 41 years to the the SPF industry and witnessed its past growth and recent surge in popularity. From an increase in the density of SPF and the development of more sophisticated spray rigs and SPF equipment, to the gradual and consistently increasing awareness of people of the benefits of spray foam, which formed DiNenna's client base. His contracting company, JJD Urethane, has installed over seven million square feet of spray polyurethane foam on projects ranging from residential and commercial roof applications, to digester tanks and industrial building applications.

JJD Urethane is an eight-man operation that services four states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware. DiNenna says that the reason his company opted to keep his service area closely to his Souderton, Pennsylvania headquarters is to be able to provide a hands-on approach to all his customers.

"We are a service-oriented company that cares about customers," said DiNenna. "We found that by working in areas that are in close proximity of us, we can service them better and, in that way, keep them as long-term clients. Our mission is to provide the best roofing system or insulation application we can produce, so we can serve our customers to the best of our ability."

JJD Urethane specializes in SPF roof systems, SPF insulation application, and fluid applied roof coatings. DiNenna explained that, although SPF roofing systems is JJD's main focus, SPF insulation has become an equal counterpart constituting the bulk of the company's business over the past year.

"This year, I would say spray polyurethane roofing and SPF insulation are on a 50/50 level when it comes to our business," said DiNenna. "It used to be 95/5: 95 percent roofing and 5 percent insulation."

DiNenna notes that the shift in projects was propelled by the high demand of homeowners and business owners wanting to insulate their properties. He says that building owners have become aware of the energy-saving benefits of spray polyurethane foam insulation and the ways it maximizes the owners' investment in their buildings.

A firm believer in being equipped with the know-how of properly applying SPF, DiNenna has a Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA) Master Installer Certification in both roofing and insulation and has been a member of SPFA for over 30 years. As a faculty member of SPFA's Accreditation Committee, which is responsible for developing and presenting formal training classes for the industry, DiNenna has been an industry advocate in providing and developing training for people in the SPF industry for many years. He requires all his spray applicators at JJD to be trained and possess the proper knowledge of SPF application before going out in the field.

"Being certified is something that is well overdue for all contractors in the SPF business," said DiNenna. "We are responsible for the chemicals we apply so we need to make sure they are being applied properly. I've always been serious about training field applicators, managers, and even sales people on the proper application of polyurethane foam."

When it comes to SPF applications, JJD Urethane has been involved in just about every kind of project. JJD Urethane made a gigantic, 15-foot high by 30-foot long dragon out of SPF and chicken wire for the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia; they created structures out of SPF to encase and protect merchandise; they installed foam on cargo ships to seal the structure and prevent leaks; and they applied foam on the walls of the bathrooms of a hotel room to save 65 tub/shower combinations that were falling apart and would've had to been replaced at a high cost.

The company is affiliated with many foam formulators. In their projects they use products by Lapolla, Gaco Western, BaySystems, Icynene, and Demilec. DiNenna affirms that JJD Urethane mainly utilizes closed-cell SPF.

"Being a long-time foamer, I only like to use closed-cell," said DiNenna. "I prefer it overall, I've been very lucky with its use, and I've always gotten great performance out of it."

JJD Urethane has two operational rigs. According to DiNenna, one rig has two proportioners in it and is utilized for roofing applications. The other rig is used for insulation applications. JJD Urethane keeps a spare proportioner on standby, depending on a job's size and requirements. They use Graco Gusmer H-2000 and H-20/35 proportioners and AR and Probler spray guns.

DiNenna notes that because of the demand for SPF insulation applications coupled with their SPF roofing client base, he is more optimistic about the SPF industry this year than he has been in the last five. He confirms that JJD Urethane is staying busy.

DiNenna's goal is to have his son, Matthew, eventually take over JJD Urethane permitted he maintains the quality of work and the customer relationship DiNenna has built with customers over the last 41 years.

"He is an extremely good applicator and a gentleman in the field," said DiNenna. "I've always been told of how meticulous my applicators are in the field and I want to maintain that level of integrity above everything else."

DiNenna said that what sets JJD Urethane apart from most contractors is the fact that they've been committed to the SPF business for so long, and through their endeavors they've maintained a strong relationship with their clients, from whom they are highly and frequently recommended to new, potential clients.

"We are a spray polyurethane applicator and that's all; we've never diversified into any other type, so we specialize in what we do," said DiNenna. "The fact that we have people that we did work for 20 years ago calling us to come back and take a look at other parts of their facilities or leading us into new prospects says a lot."

DiNenna articulated that, as far as the SPF industry goes, he wants to see a better relationship between the supplier and contractor going forward.

"I'd like to see the supplier being more diligent, discreet, and patient when it comes to the growth of their businesses, if they want to sell quality," said DiNenna. "Instead of trying to sell a product fast and train contractors briefly, they should be careful of who they invite to the party. They should nurture contractors, train them well, hold them to a quality standard, inspect what they do, and don't let them loose… that will avoid the risk of getting a lawsuit or hurting their company in the long run."

About JJD Urethane: Servicing Pennsylvania and surrounding states, JJD Urethane is an SPF roofing and insulation contractor. With over 4 decades in the urethane insulation and roofing industry, JJD Urethane uses products that have been proven for over 30 years. JJD Urethane takes pride in providing the highest level of customer service and professionalism, which is verified by satisfied customers. JJD Urethane looks forward to continued growth and proudly knows that for over 41 years they have provided their customers with the best products available. For more information on JJD Urethane, please refer to the contact information and link provided below.