The key to keeping your home or shop heated efficiently during cold and drafty Minnesota winters could come from a soy-based product. Spray foam insulation is known to be a superb, energy efficient product for keeping homes sealed tight, and select lines of closed cell insulation products from Huntsman Building Solutions add additional environmental benefits into the mix because they are made with soy content.  

Along with being made with soy oils, the HEATLOK HFO Pro, HEATLOK HFO HIGH LIFT, Icynene HFO 200 and Icynene HFO MAX lines of insulation are also made up from other recyclable content, such as plastic bottles. 

“Soy is a valuable resource and a valuable raw material that we use to incorporate into the resin side of our manufacturing, and it allows us access to projects that require a renewable or recyclable content specification,” said Matt Martinson, west region director of sales for Hunstman Building Solutions. 

Along with maximizing energy efficiency, which reduces heating and cooling costs, spray foam insulation provides a stronger air, vapor and moisture barrier, seals cracks, gaps and voids and reduces dust and pollen over traditional insulation. The closed-cell insulation also makes buildings stronger because it becomes part of the structure itself, holding everything in place and keeping out wind. 

“Spray foam allows you to keep whatever’s outside, outside and whatever’s inside, inside and you can get a much better R-value versus traditional insulation sources,” Martinson said. “There’s much more control over the heating or cooling of your building without letting the weather outside dictate that for you.”  

Soy’s versatility  

The Huntsman Building Solutions soy-biobased spray foam products can be used in residential, commercial, agricultural and even recreational applications, such as fish houses and deer stands. Not just new construction, spray foam also works especially good in retrofit applications, such as updating an older home to be more energy efficient.  

The soy-based spray foam is just one example of how soy is utilized in the home and trades industry. Companies such as RoofMaxx use soy in their roof sealant to extend the life of shingles by up to 10 years or even longer. Sherwin Williams has also developed lines of paint made up of soybean oil and plastic bottles and numerous companies are using soy-contained products designed to be applied as a finish for concrete and wood surfaces.  

“It just shows the versatility of soy,” said Mike Youngerberg, senior director of product commercialization for the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council. “We can use it as is for cooking oil; we can convert it to soy methyl ester to create multiple products such as biodiesel, asphalt sealants and roof rejuvenators, and then we can convert it to a polyoil, which is where this insulation product comes from.”  

In addition to creating new uses and driving up demand for U.S.-grown soybeans, using soy as an alternative to petroleum-based products comes with additional benefits.  

“On top of all the things it can be used for, it’s a renewable product that’s environmentally friendly as well,” Youngerberg said.  

To find a dealer or learn more about the Huntsman Building Supply spray foam products, visit huntsmanbuildingsolutions.com. Learn about more everyday products that contain soy at soybiobased.org.