Spraymepurfoam. Anyone Heard Of Them?

[dutchy124]

Hi all,

I have been having a couple of problems with a leaky roof. been repaired twice to no avail. I came across an ad in the Bangkok Post and contacted this company:-

http://www.spraymepurfoam.com/index.php

The owner, Mark, rang me to make an appointment next Friday as he said he has been contacted by others in Korat. Does anyone know anything about him or his company or indeed the product.

This is certainly not going to be a cheap option, but if it works for ten years it will be worth it.

Any comments will be appreciated.

Thanks, Dutchy

[splitlid]

Hi all,

I have been having a couple of problems with a leaky roof. been repaired twice to no avail. I came across an ad in the Bangkok Post and contacted this company:-

http://www.spraymepurfoam.com/index.php

The owner, Mark, rang me to make an appointment next Friday as he said he has been contacted by others in Korat. Does anyone know anything about him or his company or indeed the product.

This is certainly not going to be a cheap option, but if it works for ten years it will be worth it.

Any comments will be appreciated.

Thanks, Dutchy

not really an option.

the foam is an insulation.NOT a magic cure for a leaky roof.

fix the roof properly and it wont leak.

do not just patch up the roof with expandable foam.

the foam will:

1. stick to your roof tiles making them impossible to change/remove etc.

2. prevent you from ever finding where a leak may come from.

3. create areas for water to collect,thus improving the chances of your steel frame rusting.

4. cant think of anything right now but im sure theres others.

take note:this method is not used anywhere in the world as a fix for leaks.(as far as i know)

of course you may just ignore everything i said and be amazed by the pure selling power of this Mark guy.

good luck

[jimmybkk]

Never heard of this company but I know of one called Lohr who operate in Pattaya. The product is very good, if expensive but as you said, if you get 10 years peace of mind then its probably worth it.

However, in your situation you should get the leak fixed first. It's not a good idea to try to remedy it from the inside. Any water breaching the tiles will have to end up somewhere and you may find that after having it sprayed you find yourself with a damp wall for example. Once that stuff is sprayed to your roof it is very hard to remove the tiles afterwards which is usually fine if the tiles are in good shape and not leaking - yours are not.

You need to find the cause and fix it. There are a limited number of things it can be. If you can, get up on the roof and have a good look around the area that the water is coming inside, and look in all areas above there. Chances are that if you look hard enough you will find something. Check the ridge tiles too - these are often the cause. The actual leak could be quite far from where it is dripping inside.

Once you find and fix the leak, then think about this spray.

[LennyW]

Ive heard of some people having serious condensation problems after "sealing" up their roof with this foam type insulation, far better to repair the leak properly and have adequate ventilation through your roof space.

[splitlid]

Ive heard of some people having serious condensation problems after "sealing" up their roof with this foam type insulation, far better to repair the leak properly and have adequate ventilation through your roof space.

excellent theres number 4.

4. condensation

any others?

could also list the pros:

1.good insulation.

2. errrrrrrr

[Naam]

what professional service can you expect from a company which runs an extremely unprofessional website?

[dutchy124]

Hi all,

thanks for the replies.

I did post this question in other forums and the answers are the same, basically, don't touch it.

This was no hard sell, I just came across an advert in the Bangkok Post and thought I would make enquiries. I also wanted some feedback here first before I made a decision to reassure myself that I was doing the right thing, obviously I will not be perusing this any further.

Thanks for the advice.

[Rimmer]

not really an option.

the foam is an insulation.NOT a magic cure for a leaky roof.

fix the roof properly and it wont leak.

do not just patch up the roof with expandable foam.

the foam will:

1. stick to your roof tiles making them impossible to change/remove etc.

2. prevent you from ever finding where a leak may come from.

3. create areas for water to collect,thus improving the chances of your steel frame rusting.

4. cant think of anything right now but im sure theres others.

take note:this method is not used anywhere in the world as a fix for leaks.(as far as i know)

of course you may just ignore everything i said and be amazed by the pure selling power of this Mark guy.

good luck

5. Holds the heat in at night making the house very hot

6. When foam is sprayed one of the problems is stopping it from expanding. The ever expanding foam lifts tiles and creates more water leaks.

7. UBC refuse to extend or fit cables in the roof space because the tiles can not be moved.

I speak from bitter experience with this stuff. IMHO it is nothing but a scam.

Fix the roof from the outside. 90% of all leaks are in the gullies where two roofs join and the very bad practice of fixing ridge tiles with cement which cracks and leaches in the water.

[johnnyk]

Always find and fix a leak from the outside. Even if you spray from inside, you still have a leak!

[scotsman]

I have to agree with other posters that you must fix the leak first but I have also got the Foam spray insulation in my house with an electric extractor fan that pumps out the hot air from the roof space to the outside its set with temp timer I think its set at 34 deg or more so it goes off and on. That was over 8 years ago and still going strong with no problems, The company that does this must know what they are doing and leave the edge around the roof space in your house free of foam to let outside air come in and you can also open the first tile at the edge of the roof for cables but its too small a space for someone to get in. There is no condensation in my roof space and the tiles did not lift so may be I was lucky they did it right. It has made a big improvement in the heat in my house and also the air-con works a lot better so it saves you money in electric bills, the electric fan extractor is not very heavy on electric as it goes off when its cool enough in the roof space and its not that big a fan as I only have a small roof space. So for me it works very well but it is a bit expensive to do but it will pay you back in the long run.

Regards

Scotsman

[luckyman]

My roof of 400 sqm had been leaking for 3 years, 5 different contractors tried everything they could, with no succes. Now, since SprayMe sealed my roof tiles from the inside, my roof is water tight and cool for over 2 years now. I´ve never read so much rubbish on a product as in the postings above. For honest info, just 'google' roof leaks and check out the facts for yourselves. I feel lots of people who cope with everlasting roof leaks in Thailand should know that a treatment with sprayed pur foam is the only solution that will make an end to sleepless nights, as well as damaged ceilings. I know it did that for me!

Edited February 11, 2009 by luckyman

[splitlid]

My roof of 400 sqm had been leaking for 3 years, 5 different contractors tried everything they could, with no succes. Now, since SprayMe sealed my roof tiles from the inside, my roof is water tight and cool for over 2 years now. I´ve never read so much rubbish on a product as in the postings above. For honest info, just 'google' roof leaks and check out the facts for yourselves. I feel lots of people who cope with everlasting roof leaks in Thailand should know that a treatment with sprayed pur foam is the only solution that will make an end to sleepless nights, as well as damaged ceilings. I know it did that for me!

and before you wrote this,

Indeed it is not cheap, to have spray foam applied, my neighbour in Hua Hin had it done for 500,-baht/sqm but his house had major roof leaks and a new roof is not cheaper and also not shure wether it is not leaking again!!

He used a company called SprayMe, who give a 10 year guarantee against roof leaks. They must have a web site so google them and you can contact them easily, I guess. Pur foam makes houses cooler as they use it alot in Spain and Italy as well, but the cooling effect depends alot on your type of window and door-frames also, as well as the thickness of your walls of course.

so who had it done you or your neighbour?

or are you just advertising

[LennyW]

My roof of 400 sqm had been leaking for 3 years, 5 different contractors tried everything they could, with no succes. Now, since SprayMe sealed my roof tiles from the inside, my roof is water tight and cool for over 2 years now. I´ve never read so much rubbish on a product as in the postings above. For honest info, just 'google' roof leaks and check out the facts for yourselves. I feel lots of people who cope with everlasting roof leaks in Thailand should know that a treatment with sprayed pur foam is the only solution that will make an end to sleepless nights, as well as damaged ceilings. I know it did that for me!

[dutchy124]

Yes I know it sounded dodgy that is why I asked the question here.

I have had the leaks repaired I think three times now. I cannot get on the roof to take a look, far too high, far too fat.

I was just hoping for the holy grail of leaky roofs

I emailed Marc at spraypurfoam the replies I had received, he says you don't know what you are talking about and sent me a link to a site extolling the virtues of the product, but on reading, it stated:-

''Don't rely on foam alone to make an already leaky roof leak proof''

So he shot himself in the foot somewhat.

I will continue my quest to get my roof repaired, hopefully before the rains arrive.

As for ''Luckyman'' should that read ''man speak with forked tongue''

[aussiebebe]

I'm really interested in this thread because I've been looking into getting the 'SprayPUFoam' for my home (advertised in the Bankok post). My roof doesn't leak, but I wanted my home to be cooler. Do people think it works for this purpose?

Scotsman wrote

It has made a big improvement in the heat in my house and also the air-con works a lot better so it saves you money in electric bills

while Rimmer wrote

5. Holds the heat in at night making the house very hot

so what's foam really like? Is it worth getting?

[spud1]

I have been in the roofing trade over 20 years.If a roof becomes porous due to fatigue (ie, age) then the only permanent solution would be to renew the roof.If this were not the case then any leaking roof must be repaired externally.To have the roof sprayed internally with foam will not solve the problem.This will only be a expensive quick fix solution.In my experiences with this product in the uk I have found that it is a cause of wet rot to timbers due to condensation problems,although I not sure this would be a concern in thailand.

[Naam]

I'm really interested in this thread because I've been looking into getting the 'SprayPUFoam' for my home (advertised in the Bankok post). My roof doesn't leak, but I wanted my home to be cooler. Do people think it works for this purpose?

Scotsman wrote

It has made a big improvement in the heat in my house and also the air-con works a lot better so it saves you money in electric bills

while Rimmer wrote

5. Holds the heat in at night making the house very hot

so what's foam really like? Is it worth getting?

both Scotsman and Rimmer are correct but from a different individual perspective. Scotsman uses airconditioning, Rimmer does not, puzzle solved.

[Screws]

I have had very good results with just two layers of double sided reflective insulation laid from eave to eave, directly below the roofing. The effect on an uninsulated house is almost like free air conditioning; reflectivity in the high 90's %.

The bottom layer should be laid loosely, the top layer tighter; this makes not so much an air gap (which helps a bit) but it keeps the layers apart to stop direct conduction, which would negate the effect of one layer, near any contact point.

The purpose of two layers is that a dust build up can occur, (though unlikely in Pattaya), reducing reflectivity. Any dust layer would be on the top layer, not on the second.

Angling the insulation (i.e. directly under the roofing, rather than say on top of the presumably horizontal ceiling) also helps to minimize any dust build up.

Material cost for 1 roll, 60 x 1.25 m, 75 sq M is about 4100 baht; two layers, with allowance for overlap, is about B120 per square metre.

It doesn't get cold enough here to require insulation against cold; a long sleeve shirt is usually enough. Reflective insulation bounces the electromagnetic radiation before it has a chance to enter your house.

Screws

I posted the above 4 years ago on coolthaihouse. Shortly after we did a mates house - changed it completely. Before, even the floor tiles were warm all day - after, cool all day. And instead of heading out to sit under the mango tree about 11 am, you would do the opposite because so cool inside.

What material is your roof? Ask a local roofer for a quote to take it all off, put two layers of reflective, & replace - with wide valleys made from stainless. Best to find the leak first to give it extra attention.

Chok dee.

[aussiebebe]

Thanks to Naam for explaining that - I re-read Scotsman's post about his extractor fan and I understand the difference.

Thanks to Screws for the idea of using reflective insulation; I live in a two-storey Bangkok townhouse and I've got the strangest roof; tiled at the front and corrugated sheet at the back (which is probably why I got a good deal on the house!) My ceiling is suspended. Do you think that the insualtion would work for my house? I've looked at a number of websites at options;

laying insulation above the ceiling (can you do this on suspended ceilings?)

putting a silver, circular ventilation thing that spins

painting the roof exterior with special paint to reflective paint

the sprayfoam (I was quoted 90,000baht)

laying the insulation under the tiles.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Screws]

Thanks to Naam for explaining that - I re-read Scotsman's post about his extractor fan and I understand the difference.

Thanks to Screws for the idea of using reflective insulation; I live in a two-storey Bangkok townhouse and I've got the strangest roof; tiled at the front and corrugated sheet at the back (which is probably why I got a good deal on the house!) My ceiling is suspended. Do you think that the insualtion would work for my house? I've looked at a number of websites at options;

laying insulation above the ceiling (can you do this on suspended ceilings?)

putting a silver, circular ventilation thing that spins

painting the roof exterior with special paint to reflective paint

the sprayfoam (I was quoted 90,000baht)

laying the insulation under the tiles.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Oz, it has worked very well everywhere I have used it. Test it for yourself - get a piece of the stuff (reflective insulation) about a meter square. Put it on top of your roof at the lower edge - weight it with bricks so it doesn't blow away. Feel the temp inside the roof under the insulation, and then again where there is no insulation, after the sun has been on it strongly for an hour or more. (If you can't get to the roof, just get a piece of corrugated iron (or two pieces) and set them up in the sun.

If you do get it fitted, it should be continuous from one eave to the other - and ideally the laps should be taped.

You can put the insulation on top of the ceiling, but it is not as effective there, because the eaves will be missed, and also the flat lie of the insulation is more susceptible to dust reducing it's effectiveness. But how much this is a factor is unknown - depends on your environment. Long term perhaps.

Nothing else can be as effective - the whirlygig thingo relies on you getting the heat into the house first so it can pump it out. So does 'traditional architecture' - thermal drafts.

A good reflective setup bounces 95% plus at the roof line before it gets near the living space.

If you do it, get your contractor to locate & fix the leak, or make sure they know where it is, before they start the job. Actually should not be difficult ot find the leak with a suspended ceiling, I imagine.

[johnefallis]

I've actually had excellent results with spray foam in several applications. In fact it is;

1. Water proof

2. Insulating

3. Durable

and the expansion properties depend on the mixture being used. Once it is dry, it does not continue expanding.

I've used in on my pick up truck canopy in the U.S. that we used to sleep in the back with a bed kit, from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Key West, Florida.

It deadened the sound very very well, couldn't hear rain on the roof anymore. With a small portable Japanese built a/c-dehumidifier unit and a 650 watt Honda generator, we were able to keep it perfectly warm and dry even in the chilly down-pouring rain in AK and Canada, as well as cool on 107 degree Fahrenheit days while we slept at rest areas in California.

Unlike before the spray on, there was ZERO condensation afterward, even while 2 people sleeping inside on rainy days in the Pacific Northwest when no A/C, heat or dehumidifier was used. That really was the reason for using inside my boat cabin and storage area, but the heat transfer reduction when the sun was out, and the retention of warmth (ie, the purpose of insulation), was a huge bonus. I even painted it after it dried, with excellent results. Because it is water proof I used it between the fiberglass hull on my smaller boat I use for a tender, no longer sounds like riding inside a drum while bouncing across the waves, and it is no longer possible to sink that boat, not even if we tried to, or if we were to completely cut it in half.

Admittedly, the original purpose in spraying between the fiberglass surrounding a compartment with a lid was to insulate it for storing ice and beer. In that case it worked WAY better than our Coleman cooler ever did. Ice and beer keeps cold for an entire weekend, if we can get the beer to last that long. No longer do we have to hurry back to the boat if we buy perishable groceries ashore. Just throw them in that cooler and twist the lock. We can stay out all night to the next day then if we want.

I don't know what these other guys giving you advice are using for a reference point, but aside from doing your best to correct any obvious roof damage first, I'd have to say from many years using spray on foam, that it will seal up your minor seeps and leaks very well, adding great insulation, especially for sound, at the same time. If you have bare tiles inside now, it will give a clean, uniform appearance and surface afterward, that you can paint.

At this point I can assure you also that I DO NOT sell spray on foam, neither does anybody I know, so thanks for passing on the contact information. I have a feeling I'll need it before too long.

Only thing that comes to mind is that, for best results, be sure all your surfaces are completely dry before spraying.

Any questions, feel free to ask.

Good luck.

[Screws]

johnefallis,

You a new Have you tried the foam vs the reflective in a tropical situation - where insulation against cold is not necessary - both on performance and value for money. Also on environmental impact?

aussiebebe, you could also ask the foam supplier for a sample for testing -