The end of the year is coming fast and if you haven’t made your spray foam rig or spray foam equipment purchase yet this year, now is the time.  Section 179 is a federal tax break that has been in place for a few years and is coming to an end December 31, 2011.  The savings that can be had with the Section 179 deduction can be huge for equipment purchases such as our spray foam rigs. Let’s take a look at the details of the Section 179 deduction and what it can to your bottom line.

Section 179, if you don’t know what this is and you are looking to buy a new piece of spray foam equipment or a spray foam rigs you need to know about Section 179 and what it means to you. So let us first tell you what it is:

Section 179 of the IRS Tax Code allows a small business to deduct, for the current tax year, the full purchase price of financed or leased equipment that qualifies for the deduction. The equipment purchased or leased must be within the specified dollar limits of Section 179, and the equipment must be placed into service in the same tax year that the deduction is being taken (for tax year 2011, this means the equipment must be put into service between 01/01/2011 and 12/31/2011).

So the saying, “There is no better time to buy than right now” is actually the truth when it comes to these last few weeks of 2011. The Section 179 deduction is only in place for the remainder of 2011. The savings that are represented with the Section 179 deduction are not some far-fetched, complicated, and nearly impossible offer to qualify for.  The savings are real, easy, and applicable to leased equipment as well.

So the real question is, “What am I going to save with this deduction?” Let us take a look at few examples as they would pertain some of the spray foam rigs and spray foam equipment well sell at Paratus:

As you can see the savings are real, they are almost impossible to pass up if you have been on the fence about that new spray foam rig or spray foam equipment purchase. Time is running out on this offer so give us a call at 330.454.0500 to get a quote on your foam rig or foam machine today so you can get in on this quickly expiring offer from the IRS and current administration.

Section 179 Tax Deduction Calculator

^{The calculator presents a potential tax scenario based on typical assumptions that may not apply to your business. This page and calculator are not tax advice. The indicated tax treatment applies only to transactions deemed to reflect a purchase of the equipment or a capitalized lease purchase transaction. Please consult your tax advisor to determine the tax ramifications of acquiring equipment or software for your business.}

• The Tow Vehicle
• Determining Your Rig’s Gross Trailer Weight
• Driving Tips and Recommendations

There are many other aspects to rig loading and towing that are important to understand when handling your spray foam rig. Visit www.sherline.com to learn more on other rig loading and towing topics not covered here.

The Tow Vehicle

Understanding your vehicle and the restrictions it can impose when making a new spray foam rig purchase or towing your current rig is a crucial aspect of safe rig handling. It is common for truck manufacturers to state the maximum, but not recommended, capacities for their vehicle so be certain to verify the recommended weights for your specific vehicle. When a vehicle is rated as a “half ton” it will likely have few problems carrying 1,000 lbs in the bed of the truck, yet a 1,000 lbs. at the hitch can become problematic for that same vehicle. Another important thing to note about your tow vehicle is that not all problems can be solved by moving around the load to different points in the rig. A basic rule of trailer towing is:

“The tow vehicle and hitch must be capable of safely handling at least 15% of the gross weight of the trailer (total weight of trailer plus contents). Fifth wheel trailers usually have up to 25% of the gross weight on the hitch.”

Your Rig’s Max Gross Trailer Weight

When trying to determine what is the maximum weight of items you can load onto your spray foam rig there is a simple calculation that you can use:

Cargo Capacity = GVWR – Empty Trailer Weight

All spray foam rigs from Paratus are reviewed for weight and towing requirements and limits, and our technical support team can answer any questions you might have about how much room for additional storage your rig has. Keeping within the limits of what your rig can handle is an essential step to ensure a safe and smooth tow each time you travel with your rig.

Driving Tips and Recommendations

Many of the common issues that can arise when towing your rig from location to location such as excessive winds, trailer sway and the handling of dips and bumps can all be solved with one simple action, slowing down. When heavy winds come about a decrease in speed, or pulling off the road altogether, is essential to reduce the force of the wind as impacts your rig. Handling trailer sway requires two actions simple actions. The first is slowing down to reduce the level of sway. Second, steer as little as possible because quick steering movements actually cause the swaying to increase. Many of the tips and points made above seem to be very simple, and that they are. Knowing them and putting them into practice is something that can be easily overlooked because of their simple nature. Taking the time to implement the above recommendations will ensure both you and your rig’s safety for many years to come.

Paratus is committed to ensuring each of our spray foam rig owners currently and those to come in future enjoy a long, productive life from their rig. If you have any questions about load capacities, best practices or safety precautions never hesitate to call Paratus at 330-454-0500 or info@paratusfoam.com to get all of your questions answered.

Material Storage

PMDIs, the A-component, and Polyols, the B-component, are complex materials that need to be stored properly, especially during the warm months of summer. Common temperatures for storage typically start around 60oF to 70oF and top off in the vicinity of 100oF. It is ideal to store materials in a well-ventilated and climate controlled area, yet not everyone has accessibility to such a facility. Knowing your specific manufacturer’s recommended storage temperatures and watching for the bowing of drums are vital to ensuring the proper performance of your product when you begin to process and apply it.

Material Processing

There are four key metrics that guide applicators to ideal application conditions with most types of spray foam:

• Material Temperature
• Equipment Heater Temperatures
• Material Preparation
• Equipment Pressures

Spray foam equipment heater temperatures and pressures are often different from one producer of foam to another. Common to most SPF insulations is the fact that open cell products are often subject to a higher range of both pressure and temperature settings. A small change in your equipment’s heater temperatures or pressures can yield very different results in the output of the SPF.

On the material side, the physical drum temperature and preparation of the material are key steps in a successful application. Many open cell spray foams require a process of agitation and/or recirculation before any spraying begins. Drum temperatures need to be maintained at the manufacturer’s recommended levels, which typically land around 75oF. Proper drum temperature is one of the factors in producing quality, high yielding spray foam.

Always consult with your manufacturer before spraying any SPF products to make sure all recommended pressures, temperatures, settings, and other conditions are met.

Heat Transfer: Conduction, Convection, and Radiant

The purpose of any insulating material is to slow the transfer of heat. To compare the relative effectiveness of the different insulation alternatives, it is important to understand how heat moves through materials and space.

Conduction: Conductive heat transfer is the process where thermal energy travels through the mass of a material on a molecular level. Conduction occurs when heat passes through a single material or multiple materials that are in direct contact with one another. Conduction is a primary method that heat uses to migrate through the ceiling, floors and walls of a structure. Placing spray foam insulation directly between two highly conductive materials will substantially slow the process, especially when compared to other insulation types such as fiberglass or cellulose.

Convection: Heat that moves through the air is called convective transfer. Differing pressures between warm and cold air provide the mechanism for this kind of movement as warm air seeks out colder air. Since warm air escapes through breaches in a building’s envelope, additional fuel must be used to heat the colder air that replaced it. In the cooling season, the convection transfer reverses as warmer air from the outside infiltrates into the home. Spray in foam insulation systems that seal the perimeter of the building are most effective in eliminating convention currents.

Radiant Heat: Heat that is transferred through the electromagnetic spectrum is known as radiant heat. This form of heat transfer is best addressed through installing materials with surfaces that have exceptional reflectivity properties.

R-Values and Spray Foam Insulation

Most insulation systems are designed to address conduction fairly well, while doing a poor job of addressing convection and radiant heat transfer. The insulation industry has adopted a standard called “R-value” which is a measurement of conductive heat transfer through an insulating material over a given period of time. The problem with this standard is where its focus is, conductive heat transfer which is only small part of the pie when it comes to whole issue of heat transfer. Spray foam insulation is the only type of major insulation that performs at a high level across all three fronts of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiant heat transfer which makes it the best choice for keeping your home comfortable and your energy costs low.

Conduction: transfer of thermal energy between neighboring molecules in a solid substance such as insulation.

Convection: transfer of air molecules through insulation and ultimately the building envelope.

R-Value is a measure of a material’s resistance to heat transfer. The R-Value test performed under the guidelines of ASTM C518 takes into account the resistance of all three heat transfer mechanisms: conduction, convection and radiation; however, convection is given only minor consideration. Unwanted convection through the building envelope is the biggest contributor to energy loss.

Conduction typically accounts for 20% of a building’s heat loss, while convection accounts for up to 80% of the energy loss depending on the quality of construction. Any convective loops inside the insulation material are taken into consideration by the R-value test method, but air leakage through the entire composite building envelope is not considered at all. Closed cell spray foam at ¼” can stop 99% of heat loss by convection and at 3″ will prevent 95% of heat loss by conduction. Obviously, the same holds true for an air-conditioned structure.

Commonly Asked Questions and Concerns

As a contractor in the spray foam industry, questions about R-Value are some of the most common concerns of home owners and builders. To help contractors and home owners alike, Paratus has compiled a short collection of Common Questions and Answers:

1. “The higher the R-Value the better, correct?”

• Yes, higher R-Value in your home or building is somewhat better; however, it should not be overrated at all.
• SPF’s ability to create an air-tight seal for your home is the most important factor in creating an energy-efficient, comfortable, and healthy home. About 80% of the energy loss of your home or building is caused by unwanted and uncontrolled air flow through the walls, ceilings and floors.

1. “What is the R-Value of your product?”

• R-Values vary by manufacturer.
• Closed cell SPF offers higher R-Values per inch than conventional insulating alternatives.
• Most importantly, only spray foam provides total air tightness. As a matter of fact, just a little more than 2 inches (5 cm) of closed-cell foam provides a vapor barrier. No other insulation system can provide that! When promoting foam, the air-tightness alone should be a compelling reason to insulate with SPF.

Good understanding of R-Value, air leakage and air changes in a home or building is a crucial sales tool for any foam insulation contractor. Besides home owners, even professionals like builders and architects often have not thought through R-value vs. air leakage, and need to be educated by all of us in the foam industry.

• The GH-40 Spray Foam Machine
• The GH-25 Spray Foam Machine
• The XTR2 Spray Foam Rig
• The XTR3 Spray Foam Rig

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You can also give the calculator a test right here on this page:

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Each of the sites above is a great place to get your company listed when you are attempting to gain more leads for your business. Each has a unique set of pros and cons. When talking about lead generation sites for those in the spray foam industry, we feel these are three sites that you should consider first when making decisions on marketing and advertising. If you have any questions about these sites or any others you can always contact Paratus to discuss by calling 330-454-0500 and asking for John Sesic.

Solvents: NMP

Solvents are the most potent group of chemicals supplied from by Paratus. NMP is recommended for the tougher cleaning jobs. NMP is best suited for soaking equipment components that have cured foam or crystallized/hardened ISO on them. NMP will quickly remove the most resilient dirt and material from all metal surfaces. When applied to liquid ISO, NMP will cause a gelling of the product, making it much less effective. It is important to wear protective gloves and eyewear when working with NMP. Visit our online store to get pricing and order NMP.

Cleaners: Glycol Ether

Glycol Ether is perfect for the day-to-day cleaning of your gun. Glycol Ether is a low cost and simple to use chemical that works well with uncured/fresh ISO and resin. It has great wetting and coupling properties that help to break down the foam chemical bond and keep the material from adhering to your gun’s components. Glycol Ether does not suffer from the gelling characteristics of NMP when exposed to raw ISO. Alternately, Glycol Ether does not break down the hardened ISO and cured foam as well as NMP. To get more information such as pricing and to order Glycol Ether click here.

Lubricants: DOP and TSL

DOP and TSL fluid keep your equipment lubricated and operating smoothly. These two chemicals are very similar, with the biggest difference being that DOP is recommended for large volume applications and TSL is better suited for use inside your proportioner. DOP has many uses, such as flushing your heated hose lines to prevent ISO crystallization, filling your dip tubes when storing your transfer pumps, and filling your hose and equipment when storing for long periods of time. TSL is used in PMC’s proportioners to help lubricate and protect the proportioning pumps. Each can be found online at Paratus’s store with the DOP here and TSL here.

To learn more about all of the products and recommended uses of the various chemicals offered by Paratus, please call us at 330.454.0500.

Looking at the presidential candidates, McCain has a page devoted to Climate Change which calls for a “market-based system to curb greenhouse gases”. Likewise, Barack Obama promises to “reduce our greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050”. Just randomly searching the internet, it seems that everybody is on board: Continental Airlines offers a carbon offset program. General Motors is developing an electric car, the Chevy Volt. New buildings are LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Consumers buy Energy Star rated appliances. The list goes on and on.

What does it mean to us, the foam applicators?
Its all good news, because foam really is green. The general challenge is for us to tread lightly on our planet by saving emissions while we allow ourselves to maintain our lifestyle by keeping everything affordable. Foam does exactly that: it helps save the planet by reducing emissions by 50% compared to traditional methods, and also by saving 50% of the associated energy bill. The problem is that we as an industry dont tell the world how good we are. Imagine if Ford had a new truck using 50% less energy. It would be all over the news!

So, this is what IFC does for its customers, our industry, and ultimately, in our small way, for our planet:

1. Were putting out the message to home owners and builders that foam is green, and saves money and the planet in one step.
2. Were helping our customers (the contractors) gain market share by cultivating the E:zero foam brand. E:zero addresses home owners big concerns:

• Being able to afford future energy bills by cutting energy consumption by 50% today
• Installing only comfortable, reliable and performing materials without health concerns
• Installing only comfortable, reliable and performing materials without health concern

1. We admit that were a green company, meaning that long-term sustainability is a huge goal for us and for our customers.
2. We are helping our customers to get ready to capitalize on the coming green revolution. We believe that there will be intense green pressure from consumers, businesses and the government.

The good news: the foam industry is already there. If all homes were foamed, many good things would happen:

• Total national energy consumption would be reduced by at least 20%
• Personal and public debt would sharply decrease as our nation would save billions annually
• We would make huge progress in our effort to reduce carbon emissions