Spray Foam “Commissioning”

Following is some background to the spray foam commissioning process:

First, the goal of commissioning is to know what the spray foam manufacturer’s requirements are for the installer so that the processing and installation work can be verified, and in most cases, quality assured.

The commissioning process typically looks something like this:

  1. An installer is selected by the client (see selecting an installer).
  2. The installer proposes a product if the commissioning work does not specify one (see qualifying a spray foam product).
  3. The installer submits information about the product, and I request any additional documents that I typically see provided by most mainstream spray foam manufacturers.
  4. Once the documentation is received, the documents are reviewed, identifying missing information or conflicts between the documents.  A checklist that has evolved from the review process assures that all necessary information is provided.  If a manufacturer provides something new that could impact the installer’s ability to comply with the requirements, it is added to the list.
    1. Missing information might be:
      i. Key data points for processing or installation (temp, pressure, ratio, etc.)
      ii. Tolerances for theoretical data points that usually vary over the course of the work
    2. Conflicts would be different data on two documents.  Examples might include:
      i. Information on pressures is different in a PDS than what is in the Application Guide
      ii. Minimum ambient temperatures are different in the IRR and the PDS
      iii.  The list of approved uses is different in the IRR and the PDS
  5. Then the installer provides the missing information or resolves conflicts based on the results of the review.  This information needs to be provided before the work can be commissioned.   In some cases, the installer provides the information, in other cases the installer defers to the sales representative and/or the spray foam manufacturer’s technical people.  A matrix of the parameters is generated as an at-a-glance summary of the manufacturer’s requirements for use at the site.
  6. Before the spray foam work begins, CAZ safety measures are verified, ventilation requirements are inspected, signage and evacuation protocols are confirmed, and site/substrate conditions are checked.
  7. During the work, processing and installation requirements are verified, and test shots, reactivity profiles, in-place densities, etc. are observed and approved.  Process verification includes the reaction ratio.
  8. After the spray foam work, cure temperature maintenance, protection against damage to the work by other trades, installation of appropriate coatings, submission of warranties, etc. are confirmed.  Third-party IAQ testing can be arranged, if required.