Spray Foam Mafia: Toolbox Talks on Safety

Episode #12 Safely Mastering the HFO Transition: Climate Challenges, Startup Processes, and Networking Growth in the Spray Foam Industry with Dan Benedict and Jeremiah Schoenberg

Jeremiah Schoneberg and Dan Benedict Season 2 Episode 12

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Speaker 1:

Welcome back to another episode of Spray Foam Mafia's Toolbox Talks on Safety for the Spray Foam Industry. I'm Dan Benedict, spray Foam Arizona, jeremiah Schoenberg, upc, and this one is the HFO special. Welcome to 2025. Yes, I did that math right. You did right, you did 2024 plus one is 2025. What math are you doing? I'm trying to realize.

Speaker 2:

So yes, it's 2025.

Speaker 1:

So now, new year, new you. You're now tech support number one for HFOs.

Speaker 2:

I'm not, no, I think all of us are. All of us have been trying to plan for this for many years. We knew it was coming and, like we've talked before, it's this isn't the first time this industry has gone through this. You know this is lost count. You know how many times blowing agents change in the time I've been doing this and it's like I said before, it's the same every time. It's it's not a bad thing, it's a change and you know change is different and you have to learn to accept it, especially now because, like I said, we're not going back. They're not going to be like oh, we made a mistake, let's go back to HFCs. That's probably not going to happen, Right? So it's here and you've got to learn how to process properly, how to take care of these products. It is a little different, it takes a little bit more, but they're really good products. Like I said, they spray really great. Do they spray like HFCs? No, they don't, but they're not HFCs, so that's pretty accessible right, kind of like why they don't.

Speaker 2:

Yes, we've talked at long lengths with a lot of people. We've gone out and done trainings prior to this change. Unfortunately, we can't get to everybody, but now I know this first part of the year there's a lot of people requesting guys to come out and really just do a quick training with HFOs to make sure their guys are good. And I tell everyone I've been telling everyone for a little while you know a lot of the things you can do with HFCs you can't do with HFOs. There's a little bit more wiggle room with HFCs when it comes to the blends, you know, winter, summer, immediate things like that for roofing, and even the winter and summer blends of the interior foams.

Speaker 2:

It's, it's a little bit different. You have to understand the processing a little bit more. Yep, but once you get there, it's like riding a bike, you know, you figure it out and then you're off and, like you said, it's, it's not scary. No, it's different. You have to pay attention more to substrate temperatures, barrel temperatures, moisture content. All those things lifts wait times. Once again, you know, I think a lot of guys through the last couple of years have gotten a little spoiled with no wait times. Yeah, we're going back to, you know recommending wait times and lifts, because we know it's a little different. We want the product to perform and do everything we need to for our customers and, in turn, their customers.

Speaker 1:

So it's like these things you have to pay attention to, right? Um, in general, this is just another opportunity for an industry that is already, you know, probably the best industry to benefit the environment. Whether you are a believer in the global warming initiative or you're anti the global warming initiative, our whole purpose is energy conservation, yeah, and so now we have a product with a different blowing agent that just reiterates that.

Speaker 2:

Well, and then you talk about you know the climate and everything else. You know it's a low GWP product. You know? And those who don't know, low GWP is low global warming potential. Yeah, that's a good thing.

Speaker 1:

It is a good thing.

Speaker 2:

That live in the earth.

Speaker 1:

Yes, you know yeah.

Speaker 2:

And like it is. We're going for energy efficiency, we're going for differences that you know, help, you know, the customer and the end user and things like that. And the HFOs do do that. Yes, but once again, you know we are a skilled trade to produce those things for our end users. But, be it, you know, the homeowner, or for the manufacturer, the contractor, there's things that you change right, like I said, with processing and things like that, to get the same result and the product that you want. So it's, it's not.

Speaker 2:

Once again, it's know, pay attention, you know. If you don't, if you have questions, I tell everyone there's a lot of manufacturers have been very good about coming out with stuff for their products. You know that. You know a lot. I've been done hfo trainings.

Speaker 2:

There's a lot of literature coming out and for the most part, everyone is trying to hey, guys, it's, it's not a big jump, but it's a little jump you have to pay attention to right. Don't blindly just, oh, let's go, you know, grab a truckload of HFO and we're going to be off to the races. Look, it's better that you get your tech or you get someone out there to freaking, show you the differences and things that are going on so you can get the product you want and you don't get frustrated. Because, like you know, dan, we, just not too long ago, we we had an hfo of a regular blend, yeah, and the substrate was 10 degrees below the recommended minimum. Right, it wasn't, it wouldn't work, it was not working, it was not working. And the friable, the friable around friability around the edges, the adhesion failure, like it, simply would not work. Right, it's not supposed to.

Speaker 1:

We were outside the parameters. Outside the parameters.

Speaker 2:

And I think that's really, I think that's the biggest difference is there's not as much overlap with the product. You have more of a finite line, which is a good thing. You don't want to be able to go over that line. You don't want failures. You don't want to be able to go over that line. You don't want failures. You don't want these things. We've seen a few over the last couple years where guys you know they get the hfo or they build a job with hfos, that they're used to hfcs and they have issues. Um, like anything else, we do ask questions, go to the trainings, ask your building science experts, ask your consultants, ask the questions prior, because you don't want to go out there blindly, guns ablaze and thinks it literally guns ablaze and thinking that it's going to be all right. You know there is a lot of things that go into this and we are a skilled trade. Let's act like it. Right, we're not, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Well, and we can talk about how this really isn't that new of a product. No, there's been states required to spray HFOs for several years now, and so the products have been out there. California, I think, colorado, new York, I'm not sure who all else but Pennsylvania, yeah.

Speaker 2:

A lot of states have been doing this for many, many years. Yeah, a lot of states have been doing this for many, many years and there's been a lot of roofing products that have been primarily low GWP products for many years. Swd, general coatings, They've all had HFOs in the roofing side for many, many years and also the interior side, you know, have been out for a long, long time. This isn't just an out of nowhere kind of change, like manufacturers and contractors have had their hands on these products for a long time, right. So there is a lot of contractors, a lot of people you can reach out to friends, coworkers, once again, techs and manufacturers, building science experts yeah, everyone is out there trying to support the best possible outcome of this change.

Speaker 2:

And if you're not asking questions and you're there trying to support the best possible outcome of this change, and if you're not asking questions and you're not trying to make sure that you're dotting your I's and crossing your T's, then you should be. We've got like I said. It just happened. I know a lot of guys are going to have piled up with HFCs to make sure they can get a little bit of wiggle room Right In six months, it's gone.

Speaker 2:

It's gone. You know, if you know December 31st, manufacturer date, is only going to last six months, right Come this summertime. Everyone is not going to have a choice, even if they somehow have some left in six months. But I doubt that.

Speaker 1:

That will be expired foam yes.

Speaker 2:

Yes, and most guys are going to go through it. If they stockpile the next couple months, they're going to be out of their loads, so they're going to be going to HFOs.

Speaker 1:

So from a guy that has sprayed HFOs and had really good luck with them, I will say before you get to a major season change, get your hands on it and just start. Go buy four or five sets of it or two sets, or, if you're a little guy, buy one set and just call somebody up, get a little help, don't wait till summertime.

Speaker 2:

You know right now, I know it's cooler in a lot of locations. You know even springtime would be beneficial. Wait till it warms up just a little bit If you don't want to make that jump when it's freezing. I get that. I understand it's colder than snot and a lot of it's snowing in places that it shouldn't be snowing right now. But it is right.

Speaker 2:

Us as techs completely understand guys not wanting to make that jump definitely yeah but once it starts to warm up, you're right, grab a set, you know, go spray it. Have the tech come out, go spray it. Um, don't you know? I know, if you know, if you have two truckloads of HFCs and you've got months that you should have, like you said, grabbed a couple sets to give your guys the opportunity to mess with it before they don't have the opportunity, before they're like hey, man, here's the HFO, we can't buy anything else.

Speaker 2:

You've got to figure it out now. Yeah, good luck. Trial by fire? I know, and I was going to say that I know we use that term a lot. Yes, but I don't think in this case this is one of those trial by fires things you want to have happen. You want your guys to get their hands on it before. There's no choice in the matter, because you know it's better to be asking those questions before you have all HFOs Right, because then you can kind of figure it out, spray it here, spray it there, do some small jobs instead of you're having to do every job through the week with this new product. But yeah, I mean, they do spray really nice, they do.

Speaker 1:

They are, they do, they spray really nice. And you know, the other day because I, you know back a few weeks ago, just said forget it, we're just not buying HFC anymore, we're just going to go HFO. It just doesn't change our lives that much because we've already sprayed some of it. We've probably sprayed a dozen sets of it before. And so Katie was halfway through a job and had to switch and the rig had a set of HFC, set HFO. She pumped out the HFC, switched over the HFO. At the end of the day I was talking to her and she was showing me pictures of the job and it looks pretty good she goes. Man, as soon as we switched that, the lift was entirely different. It was pure white. She's like this stuff was awesome and I'm like all right, well tough, you better like it. I'm glad you do, because you got no other choice at this point going forward.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, well, that's what we're moving forward with and she's right Like it is. And I think a lot of the difference too is, like you know, it's kind of a startup with the product, right. I mean, I think with HFOs it likes, it likes the heat, it likes the beginning buildup, right. So when you're spraying it like HFCscs, you can and you can start going, yeah, and it takes off. Hfos guys are going to notice that it's going to take a second for it to kick. Yeah, um, you're spraying a pattern, especially in the lower ends of the spectrum of the ambient temperatures. You're going to be, you're going to be waiting right a little bit longer for just that cream time to turn to where you start to move. Yeah, I think that's the biggest difference, is that, and that's really important A couple of sprays, you start moving, you let that cream time change and then you can start to move, and I think that's a little bit slower than the HFCs, but you get used to that first little movement and then it moves really nice.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and once you get that first wave built, yeah, you're back to the exact same thing you've always done with your hfc and just ride that wave all the way through your pass yeah, and it is once you.

Speaker 2:

It is easier to keep it once you get it. But I know I know guys, they'll start. You know they'll start moving right away and it's not, it's not going to kick up. Yeah, like an hfc you're going to want to build it and get that heat and get that cream time where you want it, and then you can start moving up the cavity or the truss line or whatever you're spraying or the metal building or whatever else. But I think that's the biggest thing is getting it, that initial startup, and getting it moving, and then you can really get off to the races.

Speaker 1:

And we sprayed six sets of it last summer. Right in the middle of July we were up towards the north end of Phoenix. It was probably one of those 113, 115-degree days, A real pleasant time of year to be spraying foam in a big metal building and things were going great until I lost an air conditioner and one of the rigs we had up there in the air conditioner just flat took a dump on us.

Speaker 2:

Now is a bad time for some guys to be having to make that change and I think that's why a lot of guys smartly bought HFCs and stockpile a little bit, because they knew this would be a weird time. It's cold, it's snowing, yeah, you know, to train guys to change into a product, yeah, it's a difficult situation sometimes, right? So I know a lot of guys pre-planned not not to stockpile, but they knew this was a the timing was not the best for some of their guys to make this change and that, thankfully, a lot of guys you know made those plans. But, like I said, come springtime you're gonna have a lot of guys transitioning right, because that's what they have to do and you know those of us in the warmer southern climates.

Speaker 1:

Perfect time right now yeah, because the product's available everywhere. The rest of the world is not overloaded trying to learn the stuff. Yeah, and we're at our best temperatures of the year to try something different. Yeah, I mean now's, when you can have the most relaxed day to try something different. Yeah, in 90 days from now, we will not be having the same conversation.

Speaker 2:

No, this is when everyone leaves our state and everyone thinks we're crazy for living here and you know, 90 days is going to start to warm up and then, once again, we're going to be going the other direction. We're going to be trying to keep it cool down and calm, to be able to teach guys to spray, and that's not what we want. We want to be able to train guys to do this and ask questions in an optimal condition, right Summertime in Arizona. Summertime in a lot of places is not an optimal condition, exactly. And HFO, like I said, once again, we talk about storage parameters. You know we have an 80 degree Fahrenheit top end. Yeah, if it's 110 degrees outside, are we going to be able to? Probably not.

Speaker 2:

A lot of guys don't have AC and that's what we've been recommending. I'm going to sidebar rabbit hole for a second, dan, but there's a reason that we, the last six months to a year, have been highly recommending AC units and heating systems in these rigs. If you've got it and you haven't looked at it, you should probably fix it. Yeah, because you want that little booth that you spray in to maintain the most average temperature you possibly can right now. Yeah, that barrel. Not only do you want to keep the barrel safe, but then in turn, you keep your guys, give your guys a good area to relax or take their breaks in when they can cool off or heat up if they have to, and I think that's a big thing is that's why we've been recommending that. It's like, look guys, you have to put more thought into that little space now. Yeah, is it heated.

Speaker 1:

Is it cooled, do you?

Speaker 2:

have insulation in the floor right? Most guys don't. Most guys don't spray the undercarriage. A lot do, but some don't. Yeah, and that's where you you gain a lot of cold. You gain a lot of heat, um, from radiant heat coming off the ground or, you know, cold coming off the ground, same thing as the. Are the walls and the roof? Are they insulated right?

Speaker 2:

I think that's going to become more important and thankfully, a lot of rig rig builders nowadays mostly insulate everything on that rig because they know they've got to help control that, they've got to sell a premium product, to do a specialty job, and I think those little things are going to become more and more important. Guys will start asking, hey, does that include the AC? Does that include the heat? Does that include the insulation? Heat, does that include the insulation? I think those questions are going to become more important when guys are, you know, upgrading rigs or building new rigs, hot plates, all these little things that you know.

Speaker 2:

Guys in the midwest, minnesota, michigan, you know those areas where a lot of guys have, you know, you know, drop like walking cooler flaps and all that stuff and they create those spaces. Yeah, I think we're going to see more and more of that all across the country because guys will start to realize the better I can make that little space, yeah, the easier my time on the gun is going to be right. If I can control that, I can control it in the house.

Speaker 2:

If I can't control this, pulling that trigger is going to piss me off nine times out of ten exactly and I hope, I hope all this training and all this stuff we try to do as manufacturers you know UPC Ambit. Everyone has seriously tried to tell guys like, hey, start planning these little things, listen to us. Like we just want you to be able to produce the product and not get frustrated at the end of the gun. Right, you're pulling that trigger should be. Look, we enjoy pulling the trigger.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2:

When you're hitting that froth and riding the wave, I freaking love it. Yes, if it's freaking, you know if you're having issues, it's a frustrating day and we don't want a frustrating day, no, that's right. So I think all those little things you know that have been options in the past now will become more prevalent on every rig.

Speaker 1:

To make sure guys have an easy time with this, to make sure guys have an easy time with this and I will tell you from experience that you can put mini split heat pumps you know heat and cool capabilities on a rig for less money than you can put an RV air conditioner on top, and they do a lot better job. And I put one. I put a I think it was a 1200 BTU unit on one trailer the one that failed, you know. We put that on there and running it pulls like six amps. Yeah, I mean, it's not like it's taxing my generator more. It's not costing me bukus and diesel. No, but good night, it's completely different inside that trailer.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, now you're around. Yeah, thankfully it's not like 10 years ago, where split systems were kind of a different, more expensive option. You go to Amazon right now and we can get a heating cooling split for $500.

Speaker 1:

Is it going?

Speaker 2:

to last 10 years? No, it's not Right, but is it going to last five and keep that? Yes, it is Exactly, and thankfully it's very, very reasonable to do these kind of things.

Speaker 1:

And the ROI on that is like weeks.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, how much time do you spend heating and cooling in the morning to get started? If you do these things, you walk on the rig, everything's where you want it. Power. You prep, you get in there, you start spraying right away. The labor savings on the proper preparation is invaluable. Of course there's dollar signs.

Speaker 1:

There is? Yes, it is.

Speaker 2:

I mean like invaluable as a frustration from pulling the trigger more than anything else. Exactly, and the time it takes to get going instead of just getting to the job site starting everything up rigs, great, it's heat, everything's good and we can go Right Exactly.

Speaker 1:

So, anyway, I think we've probably circled around with everything we need to on the new HFO product, I think. So Get it, try it. You're going to like it. It's going to be good stuff.

Speaker 2:

The other thing you look at the R-values of the new HFOs too, dan, we're not in the. I know that some are higher, some are lower. Two down right. We're not in the. You know, I know that some. You know some are higher, some are lower. But look, we're seven, yeah, seven per inch and above now, and that takes also. That takes proper preparation.

Speaker 2:

You can't go out there and spray super cold and expect the product to perform it's. Not only is it, you know the hfo is good for the environment and they are great to spray, but there's also other additives, when it comes to specs and how much you have to install, that are also the added benefit of these new systems. Right, Instead of you know. You know, back in the day, six, six and a half per inch, you got seven to eight per inch now and that's a really good thing for the contract, because you know it cuts back on how much you install. Right, we, because you know it cuts back on how much you install.

Speaker 2:

Right, we want to sell a good product, we don't. Yes, would it be great to have a. You know some guys say oh, you know, you want to sell more foam. I was like yes, but no, right, like we want to sell more of a superior product. Right, and that's what we're trying to do with. This is, you know, we had to make this change and A lot of us feel, you know, it is a superior product once you get your feet wet, so to speak.

Speaker 1:

Right, so yeah, yep exactly One thing I will recommend to everybody is it's a new product. You need a new SDS on your rig for it. Yes, just carry it with you, have it, read it, know it, put it in your binder, keep it there, and TDS is also with all your parameters and guidelines.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's going to change. Deploying it changes. A lot changes. You know, the processing guide changes. What we do put down what we ask you to do Once again, it all changes. So you should again do your homework before you get to school, exactly.

Speaker 1:

Yes, and you'll be all right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and do not be afraid to call or ask for help.

Speaker 1:

There's guys who've been spraying this truckload after truckload for years. For some guys they're just looking over their shoulder like huh, I'm there, no biggie. And once we switch, it's no biggie. It never was.

Speaker 2:

It's not a big jump, it's just a jump that we have to make. Yep.

Speaker 1:

And anyway. So I guess, coming back around on that stuff, start now getting trained, plan it out. I mean you don't have to get the train right now if it's not the right time of season for you, but put a plan together, call your tech guy while he'll still answer your phone, because in march they may not have time yeah, we're, I'm gonna say like we're definitely gonna be busy.

Speaker 2:

There's a lot of customers have been asking. They've requested training. They're trying to prepare their guys the best way they can. And you know upc and it's not alone. I'm sure every manufacturer my buddies with you know what other companies like quadrant and freaking you know, you know Inverge and all these they're all equally busy right now. Yeah, every manufacturer has territories that didn't have HFOs so widely spread, they weren't regulated or they weren't required any, you know, so they didn't have to use them. And now every manufacturer is trying to support a customer base in the same way, right, and there's a lot of you guys. Same way, right, and there's a lot of you guys. Thankfully, we've grown so much in the last little bit, in the last many years, that there's only so many texts to go around. So if you guys need assistance, if you have questions, reach out, schedule, schedule a training so you guys can get someone from the manufacturer out there that can help you with any questions you have and any speed bumps you might see, because it's not.

Speaker 1:

And if you get in a spot you know over the next few weeks where it's all you got to do, it's, your only option is to take it, get on and ask for some help. Email us. I'll tell you three or four guys that I know that have been spraying it for years.

Speaker 2:

Everyone wants to help Contractor tech. It doesn't matter. We all have to deal with this and I don't think there's not one person that's gonna not answer a question, whether it's on spray from worldwide or facebook or a phone call, right? Or, like you said, you give some guys some numbers, we're all gonna be hey man, what do you, what do you got, what do you need? Right, because we all have to deal with it the same way. It doesn't matter who it is or what product you're using. We're all dealing with this.

Speaker 1:

Not one sprayer or manufacturer is not having to deal with this, right exactly so and, like I said, there's a ton of people that have sprayed multiple truckloads of it already and, like I said, if, if, something happens, hundreds of thousands of board feet of HFOs have been installed.

Speaker 2:

Find a good subject matter expert and ask questions Exactly. There's a lot of help out there for you and when you spray it, you'll look back and go.

Speaker 1:

I don't know what the problem was. That stuff's all right.

Speaker 2:

It's changed, dan, it's changed, and we, as humans, we don't like change.

Speaker 1:

That's exactly right.

Speaker 2:

We get comfortable, we get into the groove and want to stay there, and this is just another thing that we have to work for work around.

Speaker 1:

There you go. That's exactly right. Any other call to action you'd tell everybody on this stuff.

Speaker 2:

Not too much. Do your homework. Like I said, it's a new product. I mean, anytime you're learning something, you go and you learn about it. You're going to ride a motorcycle. You take that test instead of the driving test for a car. It's a different product, it's a different mentality. Just do your homework, look at the guides, get the training, take everything you can before you freaking pull the trigger. Exactly, that's exactly right.

Speaker 1:

Now better news Daytona's coming up. It is coming up, you're going, I am going Alright, cool. So now better news Daytona's coming up. It is coming up, you're going, I am going All right, yeah, cool, yeah, yeah, we're going to be there. I think Kristen's getting a bunch of t-shirts made up for our loyal listeners.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, heck, you could lie to us and tell us you're a loyal listener. All right, we'll probably give you a t-shirt. They're nice shirts spray foam, mafia logo and everything on them. Yeah, and there's, and there's another reason like in in a month, we're all going to be in daytona. You're going to have literally every manufacturer, every tech, every building science expert. They're coming together to buy, sell, talk, learn, present, you know, have a presentation, do things down there so that once again and we're all there, ask questions we're doing certifications for installers, master install installers, roofing interior Again, a fantastic opportunity to learn and help yourself down there.

Speaker 2:

So, if you can go, go, because it's so good to go down there, like I said, I just saw so many guys going down there, so many opportunities of great presentations from all sorts of people. Look, have the conversation. You guys. I always tell everyone look, it's not just a good conversation. Sometimes you get in heavy discussion, sometimes you get in arguments. Right, it all comes down to how to learn. Sometimes they just go different ways. Yeah, come down, learn, grow, get certified. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, meet a bunch of people, enjoy yourself, have a good time, maybe win a rig or two, maybe win a reactor.

Speaker 2:

There's a lot of great reasons to go down there, and learning and networking is one of them.

Speaker 1:

And those Spray Foam Worldwide parties are a hell of a lot of fun. They are a lot of fun.

Speaker 2:

I mean, that is the place to be. It's like a high school reunion, but I like everybody, exactly right. You know, you go after 10 years and I go down. Okay, I like a handful of these people, but every time I go, no matter whether once again, dan, whether I've had an argument or a discussion, or just a heated discussion with someone, it doesn't matter, I want to go see everyone down there.

Speaker 1:

It doesn't matter, because everyone has a good point of view, an opinion that you might want to hear, and it's a good time, yeah, and everybody's there for like a couple of reasons Meet people, enjoy their time, try to win something cool yeah, and that's the common goal amongst everybody at that party, so it's a great time to be there.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and we have the spray foam competition again this year and that's going to be great. I know jack and chas and all those guys and chris like they have put on a great competition and again this year we're pushing forward to try and make it even better and give even more things and more good people in there. So it's like again there is a lot of opportunity to go have fun. Yes, there's a lot of opportunity to learn and network. No matter what you want want to do down there, it's worth the time. Right, it really is, yeah exactly.

Speaker 1:

And, like I said, every time we've gone to an event like that, we come home with five or six different people Like they were cool as hell, and we still talk to those people now, I mean like on a regular basis from those things. So, yeah, it's dang sure worth it. We're looking forward. We, we're looking forward. We're dragging Katie down there this time so that way she can just keep growing her career a little bit.

Speaker 1:

And yeah, like I said, kristen's going to have a pile of T-shirts and we'd love to hear from you and let us know what you think of the podcast and give us any ideas of what we can do to make it better or talk about other topics that matter to you. So cool, awesome, all right. Well, I think that's a wrap for this one. Uh, again, we're on same old all the social media stuff and spray foam mafia. Gmailcom is our email if you need to get a hold of us. Uh, yeah, the facebook page is out there for you. And uh, like I said, like and follow us on all your favorite platforms so we can keep this deal going and more people can get exposed to it there you go.

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