Aug 30, 2026 · 1 hr 8 min · 10 segments
My discussion with Doug Hansel of DHP Energy follows his move from being a respiratory therapist to becoming a building science consultant. We begin with work that he has done documenting the R-value…
That's interesting you say that because I am currently helping ResNet redefine their installation grading system.
And one of the things that I thought would always be worthwhile for raters to do would be to have a kind of universal way of measuring our value in the field.
because the installers don't seem to be doing it.
But there isn't really a single way to do it across all insulation types.
And I actually didn't realize that you could do it for spray foam.
So can you explain that process a little bit?
So there's, and I'm glad you brought this up because I'd like to talk about blown-in blanket systems as well afterwards.
But with closed-cell or open-cell spray foam, The ASTM process for testing this is you have to obviously get some special equipment, but there's a coring device that's a 2.25 inch diameter coring device with a super sharp razor on the end.
You take this and you push it straight into the wall assembly and give it a twist.
and then you have to give it a couple of bumps to try and break that adhesion off of the backside, pull it out.
You'll take a graduated cylinder that's typically three inches in diameter and it's graduated going up all the way and it's a two and a half foot tall cylinder.
You add water into it, submerse the spray foam into it, and put a weight on top of it, and you're trying to give it a water bath.
And you've taken a weight of it in advance with a gram scale that's calibrated to one-tenth of a gram.
You take a water weight after the bath, and it's all based on the manufacturer's specs.
So you have to have your manual with you that will give you all of the manufacturer's specs.
For those who couldn't see it, it's a three-ring binder that's five or six inches thick, full of single pages.
So it's a huge manual.
That's interesting you say that because I am currently helping ResNet redefine their installation grading system.
And one of the things that I thought would always be worthwhile for raters to do would be to have a kind of universal way of measuring our value in the field.
because the installers don't seem to be doing it.
But there isn't really a single way to do it across all insulation types.
And I actually didn't realize that you could do it for spray foam.
So can you explain that process a little bit?
So there's, and I'm glad you brought this up because I'd like to talk about blown-in blanket systems as well afterwards.
But with closed-cell or open-cell spray foam, The ASTM process for testing this is you have to obviously get some special equipment, but there's a coring device that's a 2.25 inch diameter coring device with a super sharp razor on the end.
You take this and you push it straight into the wall assembly and give it a twist.
and then you have to give it a couple of bumps to try and break that adhesion off of the backside, pull it out.
You'll take a graduated cylinder that's typically three inches in diameter and it's graduated going up all the way and it's a two and a half foot tall cylinder.
You add water into it, submerse the spray foam into it, and put a weight on top of it, and you're trying to give it a water bath.
And you've taken a weight of it in advance with a gram scale that's calibrated to one-tenth of a gram.
You take a water weight after the bath, and it's all based on the manufacturer's specs.
So you have to have your manual with you that will give you all of the manufacturer's specs.
For those who couldn't see it, it's a three-ring binder that's five or six inches thick, full of single pages.
So it's a huge manual.
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