Start with what the opening notes of the issued Section 07 27 36 ask the drawings to show: the location, type, and permeance of each barrier and insulation layer, the transitions between air barrier materials, the R-value and U-factor of each assembly, and the interfaces where the foam meets other insulation, air barriers, and vapor retarders. Then check that open-cell or closed-cell foam suits the climate and the assembly, that a thermal or ignition barrier covers the foam wherever it faces the interior, an attic, or a plenum, that each exterior wall type matches an NFPA 285 tested assembly, and that openings, penetrations, heat-producing devices, and expansion joints are detailed.
Assemble the review package
Gather the wall types and wall sections with the foam layer, cavity depth, sheathing, cladding, and interior finish, the roof and ceiling sections where foam is applied under the deck or in cathedral ceilings, with any ventilated space, the envelope or energy sheet with the R-value and U-factor of each assembly, the window, door, louver, roof-to-wall, and foundation details with the transition membrane, the reflected ceiling plans and lighting, plumbing, and mechanical plans showing recessed fixtures, flues, vents, and appliances in foam-insulated spaces, the life safety plans with the fire-rated walls and ceilings, the phasing plans for occupied renovation work, the code analysis and the hygrothermal or dew point analysis if one was done, and the issued Section 07 27 36 with Sections 07 27 10, 07 27 19.01, 01 91 19, 07 60 00, and 07 92 00. Follow one exterior wall type from the foundation through a window to the roof before assuming the others match.
WBDG publishes UFGS 07 27 36: Spray Foam Air Barriers as a public guide-specification reference (accessed November 13, 2026). Use your project’s issued specification and amendments for the actual comparison; the guide specification does not automatically govern your project. The checklist below is an original suggested review workflow, not a reproduction of the UFGS requirements.
Eight checks to run against the issued set
Use one record per location or system. The CSV contains the same eight prompts plus fields for source revisions, observed evidence, the review owner, the decision, and closure references.
| Check | Sources to compare | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| What the drawings must show | Opening drawing note (locations, type, and permeance of barriers, retarders, and insulation; transitions between air barrier materials; R-value and U-factor for each assembly, with LTTR values if available; interfaces of SPF with other insulation, air barriers, and vapor retarders) + design note (thickness sized from an aged R-value per unit thickness for each foam type) + closed-cell Physical Properties (aged R-value) + flame spread and vapor retarder note (cavity sized for the foam plus an air space) + wall sections and envelope sheet | Do the wall and roof sections give the foam type, thickness, and permeance at each location and the R-value and U-factor of each assembly, does the foam thickness on the sections follow from an aged R-value, and since the design note and the closed-cell Physical Properties item give different aged R-values, which one did the designer use, and do the stud or cavity depths leave the air space the note asks for beyond the foam? |
| Open cell or closed cell, and the vapor control it implies | Opening note (open cell only in arid climates and well-vented assemblies; not where a vapor permeable barrier is needed if closed cell; closed cell where insulation may contact water, below grade or exterior) + IBC and IECC vapor retarder note (class and location by climate zone; coordinate dew point with the mechanical design) + definition (air[/vapor] barrier for closed cell) + General (continuous air[/vapor]/thermal barrier) + closed-cell property listed as a Class III vapor retarder + climate zone on the code analysis | Does the foam type kept in the General paragraph match the climate zone and the vapor control the wall section intends, is closed-cell foam used wherever the foam is below grade or exposed to water, and since the closed-cell product is listed as a Class III vapor retarder while the definition and the General paragraph make it an air and vapor barrier, which vapor retarder class does the wall design rely on, and did the dew point analysis inform where it sits in the assembly? |
| Flame spread, smoke, and NFPA 285 walls | Note on UFC 3-600-01 (flame spread and smoke developed limits for insulation that most SPF cannot meet; exceptions in the UFC; encapsulation where the limits apply) + Surface Burning Characteristics brackets (a higher smoke index permitted when fully encapsulated, contingent on approval of the encapsulation) + General (ASTM C1029, UFC 3-600-01, IBC Chapter 26, ICC 1100, NFPA 285; most stringent governs) + SPF at Exterior Wall Assemblies (thermal barrier on the interior side; NFPA 285 and NFPA 268) + Flame Propagation of Wall Assemblies test report + wall types and cladding | Does each exterior wall type on the drawings, with its cladding, sheathing, foam, and interior finish, match an assembly tested under NFPA 285, is the interior gypsum board drawn continuous on the inside face of every foam-insulated wall, including mechanical rooms and closets where studs are often left exposed, and where the chosen product needs encapsulation to meet the smoke index, do the sections show it everywhere the foam occurs? |
| Thermal and ignition barriers over the foam | Thermal or Ignition Barrier notes (ignition barrier described as an intumescent coating, thermal barrier as sheathing; do not use intumescent coatings where the AHJ does not recognize them) + SPF at Other Locations (barrier where SPF is exposed to the interior, including attics and plenums; a. building interior with gypsum board or an “intumescent thermal barrier coating”; b. fire-rated enclosures with Type X gypsum board called an ignition barrier; c. unoccupied attics and crawl spaces) + Fire-Rated Assemblies shop drawings + attic, plenum, and crawl space sections + life safety plans | Do the sections show the covering at every place the foam would otherwise be exposed, including attics, plenums, crawl spaces, and above ceilings, has the AHJ accepted an intumescent coating where one is kept, do foam-insulated rated walls and ceilings carry the rated gypsum board assembly on the life safety plans, and since the section calls an intumescent coating a thermal barrier in one option and rated gypsum board an ignition barrier in another, opposite to its own notes, and also uses thermal barrier for the foam’s insulating role, has the specifier stated which covering is required at each location? |
| Transitions, openings, and the rest of the air barrier | Related Requirements and note (Section 07 27 10; Section 01 91 19 where airtightness testing is required; Sections 07 27 19.01 and 07 27 26 where those barriers are used; one combined air barrier submittal) + Transition Membrane and note (self-adhering membrane from Section 07 27 19.01, which must be edited and included) + Installation of Transition Membrane (item b refers to “the fluid-applied membrane air barrier”) + Installation item c (continuous between walls, roof, floor, and below-grade assemblies; foam extended into rough openings) + window, door, louver, roof-to-wall, and foundation details | Do the opening details show the transition membrane at every window, door, louver, and storefront, and the roof-to-wall and foundation details show how the foam joins the roof air barrier and the below-grade barrier, is Section 07 27 19.01 in the project manual, since the transition membrane comes from it, and should the transition membrane paragraph’s reference to a fluid-applied membrane air barrier read spray foam air barrier? |
| Penetrations, veneer ties, flashing, and heat-producing devices | Opening note (coordinate flashing, embedded items, and brick veneer ties that penetrate the barrier; do not use Section 07 11 13 with this section) + Shop Drawings (sealing of conduit, pipes, boxes, and brick ties) + Blocking Around Heat Producing Devices (bracketed clearance at recessed fixtures; NFPA 70, NFPA 211, NFPA 54, NFPA 31) + Installation item e (penetrations made after spraying are reapplied) and item f (fixed clearance from heat-emitting devices) + Flashing (Section 07 60 00) + Joint Sealants (Section 07 92 00) + reflected ceiling, lighting, plumbing, and mechanical plans | Are recessed fixtures, flues, chimneys, and gas or oil appliances in foam-insulated ceilings and walls shown with noncombustible blocking or rated for contact, does the edited blocking clearance still agree with the clearance fixed in the installation paragraph, are veneer anchors, through-wall flashing, and MEP penetrations sequenced so they are in place before the foam or resealed after, and has any bituminous dampproofing on the wall sections been removed, since the opening note says not to use Section 07 11 13 with this section? |
| Expansion joints, cathedral ceilings, and foam under roof decks | Expansion and Contraction (movement from temperature, moisture, and air pressure) + Installation item l (joints in the foam aligned with expansion joints in the enclosure and at substrate changes) and item i (trim foam that would interfere with cladding) + Ventilation note (a gap between the foam and the roof sheathing at cathedral ceilings, with openings at the bottom and top shown on the drawings) + closed-cell Tensile Strength (Medium density and Roofing values) + roof sections and building expansion joint details | Are expansion joints in the foam drawn where the building has expansion joints and where the substrate changes, for example from concrete to framed walls, where foam insulates a cathedral ceiling, do the sections show the ventilated gap and the inlet and outlet openings the note asks for, does the cladding attachment leave room for the foam thickness, and where closed-cell foam is applied under a roof deck, which of the two tensile strength values applies? |
| Mockup, inspections, testing, and the safety plans | Mockup (each foam system; an area with openings, wall-to-ceiling transitions, flashings, and penetrations) + Mockup Peel Adhesion Test + Air Barrier Testing bracket (Section 07 27 10 and Section 01 91 19) + General, Manufacturer, and Contractor Site Inspections + Visual Inspection and Thermal Scanning (bracket offers ASTM C1060 and the roofing practice ASTM C1153) + SD-09 Core Samples (only the preconstruction meeting mentions where they are taken) + SD-02 shop drawings without a G + Fire Prevention, Respiratory Protection, Isolation, and Warning Signs + phasing plans | Is the mockup located where it includes a window, a wall-to-ceiling transition, and a penetration, is whole-building airtightness testing assigned in Section 01 91 19 where UFC 3-101-01 requires it, which infrared standard applies, since the bracket is malformed and one option is written for roofs, where are core samples taken and against what criterion, should the spray foam shop drawings carry a G, and do the phasing plans for occupied buildings allow the isolation, negative-pressure ventilation, signage, and fire watch the section requires? |
Worked example: closed-cell walls, open-cell under the roof deck, and a humid coastal site
Illustrative example: a new two-story training facility at a humid coastal installation has steel stud exterior walls with brick veneer and closed-cell spray foam on the inside face of the sheathing, and open-cell foam under the roof deck of an unvented attic that holds ductwork. The issued Section 07 27 36 keeps both foam types, the intumescent coating option, and Section 07 27 10, but the project manual has no Section 07 27 19.01. The brick veneer wall type cites no NFPA 285 tested assembly, the mechanical room walls show foam with no gypsum board, the attic section shows the foam exposed, the window details stop the foam at the rough opening with no transition membrane, and the reflected ceiling plan puts recessed downlights in a foam-insulated soffit with no blocking.
Ask the architect to confirm whether open-cell foam suits the humid site, since the section’s note limits it to arid climates and well-vented assemblies, or to change the roof assembly, to tie the brick veneer wall type to a tested NFPA 285 assembly, to add gypsum board at the mechanical room and a barrier the AHJ accepts in the attic, to detail the transition membrane at openings, and to block or relocate the downlights. Ask the specifier to add Section 07 27 19.01, to state which aged R-value and vapor retarder class the design uses, to correct the fluid-applied wording, to name which covering is a thermal and which an ignition barrier at each location, to choose the infrared standard, and to define core sampling.
Avoid a false conflict
Section 07 27 36 covers sprayed polyurethane foam used as the air barrier and insulation inside wall, ceiling, and roof assemblies, behind cladding, gypsum board, or an ignition barrier. The building air barrier as a whole system, with its continuity, transitions to other barrier materials, and whole-building testing, follows Section 07 27 10 and the air barrier guide, and exposed spray foam roofing with a coating over a deck follows Section 07 57 13 and the SPF roofing guide, so use those pages for those questions. Board insulation follows Section 07 21 13 and the wall insulation guide, batts follow Section 07 21 16 and the blanket insulation guide, transition membranes follow Section 07 27 19.01, flashing follows Section 07 60 00, sealants follow Section 07 92 00, and enclosure testing follows Section 01 91 19, so check those before calling a requirement missing. Some of the section’s own wording needs resolving: the design note and the closed-cell properties give different aged R-values, the closed-cell vapor retarder class and the air and vapor barrier wording differ, the closed-cell tensile strength gives a roofing value, the thermal and ignition barrier terms are used against the notes’ own definitions, the transition membrane paragraph refers to a fluid-applied membrane, the two clearances at heat-producing devices can disagree once edited, the infrared scanning bracket is malformed, core samples have no procedure, and the shop drawings carry no G. Fire classification, vapor control, and barrier acceptance are decisions for the architect, the fire protection engineer, and the AHJ.
When requirements disagree, follow the project’s document-control and clarification process. Do not assume that drawings always override specifications, or the reverse. Identify the exact sources and request an authorized decision.
Close the issue across the affected documents
Record the location or tag, drawing and specification references, issue dates, observed difference, and the decision needed. Assign an owner and keep the item open until the response identifies the governing requirement. Check the revised drawings and specification references together; a response email alone may leave the issued package inconsistent.
For the overall process, use the guide to drawing and specification conflicts. Mark an inapplicable checklist row with a reason, and distinguish a verified correction from a question that still needs design information.
Where Groundbook fits
Groundbook’s drawing and specification review helps investigate potential disagreements in the documents you supply. Include the relevant specification sections and drawing references, then verify the cited evidence with the responsible reviewers before acting on a finding.