CUFCA

Canadian Urethane Foam Contractors (CUFCA) was established in 1981 to promote and expand the use of spray polyurethane foam. To accomplish this, the spray polyurethane foam industry had to ensure that building industry professionals, including architects, engineers and specification writers, could rely on consistent quality for all applications of spray polyurethane foam.

Spray polyurethane foam will make a significant contribution to providing energy efficiency in buildings and other applications. Spray polyurethane foam can also be a significant part of the solution to the challenges we face with the environment. Use of high performance insulation can help to reduce various emissions from the burning of fossil fuels in buildings or by utilities. The spray polyurethane foam industry wants to ensure that the products installed for the consumer or owner is of the highest quality and provides the maximum benefits. Canada Mortgage and Housing have estimated that 500 million dollars is spent annually due to premature deterioration of buildings. Many of these expenditures are a result of improper installation of products rather than defective products themselves.

Applications for well heads for oil companies, tanks and vessels, mining operations, pulp and paper plants, truck bodies, motor homes, underground applications, oil and gas industry, freezer and cold storage plants, fishing boats, flotation devices, shipbuilding, and rail cars all required a mechanism for assuring proper application of spray polyurethane foam insulation.

Although many of the requirements in this quality assurance program have been designed for the application of spray polyurethane foam in buildings, the requirement for properly and professionally installed spray polyurethane foam is applicable for all applications. The CUFCA Quality Assurance Program takes a holistic approach to quality assurance on the job site.

The manufacturers, along with the spray polyurethane foam industry, have worked together with government departments, the Building Professionals Consortium (BPC), the Professional Skills Development Institute (PSDI) and the Contractors Warranty Corporation (CWC), and the National Energy Conservation Association (NECA), to establish the CUFCA Quality Assurance Program - Professional Contractors - Spray Polyurethane Foam (QAP) to meet this challenge.

BPC has designed programs with similar requirements for the air / vapor barrier industry, the door and window industry, the fire stopping industry, and the insulation industry.

The CUFCA Quality Assurance Program starts with the proper research and development on the product and installation methodology, which leads to the development of material and installation standards and specifications.

CUFCA has worked with spray polyurethane foam industry to develop industry installation specifications for specific spray polyurethane foam applications. These specific applications specifications will be updated on an ongoing basis. New application specifications will be developed as required.