Foam-Control Plus®+™ goes head-to-head with XPS in strength and R-value at a fraction of the cost

Denver, CO - ACH Foam Technologies launched a new EPS architectural grade insulation that matches XPS products in compressive strength and R-value, yet costs significantly less. The new product, Foam-Control® Plus+™, has the added advantage of a stronger warranty and superior moisture resistance. It is also available in thicknesses well beyond the ranges offered by XPS products.

“We’re excited to offer a premium grade insulation,” said ACH Foam’s Frank Kiesecker. “It’s designed to give architects, specifiers, and contractors all of the benefits of a high quality insulation: strength, energy efficiency, and superior moisture resistance—bundled together to equal a budget-friendly product that will help keep project costs on track.

“It’s about time the insulation market has an option besides XPS—and one that we can compare, ‘apples to apples’,” added Kiesecker.  ACH Foam Technologies offers Foam-Control Plus+ 150, 250, 400, & 600 products with supplemental ASTM C578 physical property information which reflects its high compressive strength and R-values.

ACH Foam Technologies Foam-Control Plus+ is nationally available. With 8 plants scattered about the U.S., ACH Foam provides Foam-Control Plus+ in 2ft x 8ft and 4ft x 8ft sheets in standardized units so there’s no problem with warehousing. The product delivers the best quality at exceptional value.

Used in a wide range of applications, Foam-Control Plus+ is the material of choice for perimeter insulation, under-slab insulation, cavity wall insulation, sheathing, pre-cast concrete applications, green roofs, plaza decks, and waterproofing applications—which especially benefit from its exceptional strength, energy efficiency, and moisture resistant properties.

According to Kiesecker, VP Marketing for ACH Foam Technologies, Foam-Control Plus+ has several advantages over XPS products. “With equivalent R-value and compressive strengths, the EPS is much less expensive. Foam-Control Plus+ also has a better warranty—100% of R-value for a full 20 years—as compared with XPS, which only warrantees 90% of its R-value. Regardless of thickness, density or application, the warranty for Foam-Control Plus+ is the same. “To top it off,” adds Kiesecker, “ACH Foam’s EPS product shows better moisture resistance in a real-life setting.”

It is well understood that as insulation absorbs moisture, it loses R-value. AFM Corporation, in cooperation with the Expanded Polystyrene Molders Association, executed a 15-year test. Samples of EPS and XPS were excavated from the exterior foundation of a building in St. Paul, MN. The insulation was placed into service in 1993 and had 15 years of use as vertical wall insulation separating the heated building foundation from soil.

“The results of the independent testing are dramatic,” said Todd Bergstrom, VP of Technology for AFM Corporation. “The EPS insulation maintained 94% of its stated R-value of 3.6 after the 15-year time period and had a moisture content of only 4.8%.

However, the XPS retained only 52% of its stated R-value of 5.0. The loss in R-value for the XPS is quite dramatic and can be explained very simply by the 18.9% of moisture absorption over the 15 years of use.”

Often XPS makes claim that their product performs better than EPS under laboratory conditions. ACH Foam’s experts explain that lab conditions are not a realistic way to compare the two products. “In lab tests, the two products are submerged in water for 24 hours,” explains Bergstrom. “That’s not how a foundation performs. Our test actually used both products side-by-side, exposed to natural elements over 15 years. That’s a true test of moisture resistance and R-value retention.”

Although it’s offered in standard sheet sizes (2ft x 8ft and 4ft x 8ft), Foam-Control Plus+ insulation can go big—up to 36in thick, unlike XPS products, which are limited to a maximum size of 4in by 4ft by 8ft. This gives Foam-Control Plus+ much more design flexibility. In landscape and plaza deck applications, EPS is not only less expensive; its use saves ample labor costs because it can be fabricated to job specs. With XPS, the thin panels must be stacked when greater thicknesses are needed.

Learn more about the 15-Year Real World EPS Moisture Resistance Test.