Testimonial from Auburn University Professor Gene Simpson

December 4, 2009

Dear Steele:

This letter is a recommendation for the use of AgSeal products and application methods for use in retrofitting poultry houses. Older poultry houses typically suffer from serious aggregate leakage and an absence of insulation. Thus, they can benefit greatly from the tightness and improved insulation achieved through walling up, especially with closed-cell polyurethane foam. We have been involved in many poultry house retrofitting research and demonstration projects on a number of commercial poultry farms for more than five years using several different formulations of closed cell foam. Your AgSeal product line has performed extremely well in all of our project locations, as well as on many farms we have visited. This is, in part, due to the excellent product quality of AgSeal, and, in part, because of the expertise of your trained applicators in ensuring thorough, uniform coverage and attention to detail.

Many companies today offer closed-cell spray foam for use in sealing and insulating poultry houses. In our research efforts, we have observed that not all foam products are equal and that applicator expertise varies tremendously. The density of the foam used in different areas of the house is very important, and an understanding by the applicator of how a poultry house is designed to perform is crucial in achieving a cost-effective retrofit that will seal, insulate, and last for an extended period of time. In our many field observations of your AgSeal applications, we have always seen excellent results. You have knowledgeable and experienced dealers and applicators and very strong manufacturing support.

Using AgSeal foam and one of your trained applicators we recently undertook a demonstration project to retrofit a 36 year old poultry house in North Alabama. Prior to treatment this 34' X 400' high ceiling, steel truss curtain/lumber sided house was only pulling a static pressure of 0.03 "WC. Our treatment consisted of spraying a 1/2 to 3/4 inch coat of 3 pound density AgSeal on the sidewalls and endwalls from the ceiling line down to the dirt pad, totally sealing the ridge cap and exterior undersides of the eaves (at the metal-wood juncture) with 3 pound AgSeal, and spraying a 1/4" overcoat of 6 pound density AgSeal over the bottom 2 feet of the walls. When completed, a static pressure reading of 0.21 "WC was achieved. This house now has flock performance which rivals new houses, and the grower is settling at the top.

When any grower invests in closed-cell foam technology, he must be able to realize an attractive return on his investment. We have seen fuel reductions of between 25% and 45% in retrofitted houses and significant performance improvements, primarily due to an ability to better manage the ventilation program. Generally speaking, full investment payback has occurred within 2 to 3 years. Should fuel prices rise, a quicker investment payback can be achieved.

We offer the following suggestions for consideration in closed cell foam retrofitting for growers to achieve proper house tightness and insulation value, and to realize improved performance and extended house life:

1. Windrow existing litter or totally clean out the house.
2. Blow off all areas to be foam treated and wash down the house.
3. Begin a program for controlling Darkling Beetles.
4. Have a Certified AgSeal applicator apply the necessary 3 pound & 6 pound foams.
5. Distribute rodent control bait stations.
6. Maintain a beetle and rodent control program to ensure best results & extended foam life.

In summary, we have been very pleased with the results we have observed in using AgSeal products and trained applicators to retrofit older poultry houses. The AgSeal approach used in walling up poultry houses continues to be a quick and cost-effective approach which significantly reduces fuel costs, yields good performance improvements, and extends the productive life of the house by years. We recommend the AgSeal approach as an attractive and cost-effective solution for walling up and tightening older poultry houses. If you need additional information, please feel free to call on us.

Sincerely,

Gene Simpson, Ph.D.
Professor and Economist
National Poultry Technology Center
203 Comer Hall; Auburn University, AL 36849 USA