Benefits of Spray Foam Insulation
Spray foam insulation resists both conduction and convection of heat in or out of a home. It also seals air leaks, helping to keep a home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
It also deters moisture, pests and mold. Insulation and air sealing upgrades to a home can help lower energy bills significantly year-round.
Air Sealing
A major benefit of spray foam insulation is that it creates an airtight seal around studs, joists, and other structural elements in a home. This cuts down on unwanted airflow and energy loss, which can help lower utility bills. It also prevents allergens and moisture from leaking into living spaces, making it a great option for homes with allergy or asthma sufferers.
Another important aspect of spray foam insulation is that it does not promote the growth of mold and mildew, which can damage a home’s structure over time. This is especially helpful in humid climates, where mold and mildew are common problems in cellulose and fiberglass batt insulation.
Foam insulation can also help reduce sound from traveling through a home. It can be difficult to block out loud music or conversation in a poorly insulated room, but a properly sprayed insulation can significantly cut down on noise.
The main reason people are skeptical about the safety of spray foam is that it often contains high levels of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, which off-gas while it dries. These VOCs can lead to headaches, dizziness, and nausea. However, many manufacturers are now using climate safe blowing agents that don’t produce these chemicals.
Although you can purchase a kit and handle smaller DIY insulation jobs, larger projects are best left to professionals who have the tools, knowledge, and experience to ensure a high-quality job. This includes using blower door testing, thermal imaging cameras, and other resources to identify areas of leakage and inefficiency. In addition to the financial benefits, Selkirk Energy Solutions can help you make sure your home is properly sealed to prevent moisture and pests from entering. Want to learn more about the services they offer? Have questions about pricing for your project? Contact them at https://selkirkenergysolutions.com/.
Moisture Control
Moisture control is one of the most important benefits of spray foam insulation. It prevents moisture and mold from getting into a space and causing serious problems. It also helps fight pests like cockroaches, spiders, and termites that love moist environments. If left untreated, moisture can cause serious structural damage in a home or building, causing costly repairs and potentially lowering its value. Spray foam insulation can get into every nook and cranny to stop moisture from penetrating the space, protecting your property from costly damages.
Properly installed spray foam insulation can reduce energy bills and help keep your home or building safe, healthy, and comfortable. However, there are some issues that can arise from improper installation. These problems can be down to the type of spray foam used, an oversized HVAC system, or just a miscommunication between contractor and homeowner.
High energy bills can be a sign of inadequate home insulation or poor air sealing. Spray foam insulation can reduce those bills by keeping conditioned air inside the home and preventing cold air from entering during winter and hot air from exiting during summer. This keeps the heating and cooling systems from having to work as hard to maintain a constant temperature in the home, which saves energy.
Different types of spray foam are available for homes and buildings of all sizes and shapes. Open cell spray foam is a flexible product that creates a strong bond with the spaces it fills and doesn’t compress, sag, or lose its shape over time. It’s also moisture resistant and allows vapor to pass through while blocking water from entering the structure. Closed-cell spray foam is denser and harder than open-cell, but still provides good moisture resistance and insulation properties. It can be used in walls, attics, crawl spaces, and rim joists.
Insulation
Insulation helps prevent air leakage and reduce the amount of heat escaping your home. It also provides a barrier to cold air and moisture from entering your walls. In addition to reducing energy costs, insulation can provide sound control and help create a comfortable environment for your family.
Spray foam insulation can be sprayed into open spaces, like attics, crawl spaces, rim joists, and commercial buildings. It can be installed during new construction or a home remodel. It will fill cracks and crevices on installation and won’t sag or compress over time. It can be used in wood-framed homes and even concrete block homes if injected into the wall cavity.
SPF insulation is made from 2 liquids, polyol resin and isocyanate, that combine during a chemical reaction and expand to create an airtight seal. There are several types of SPF insulation available for your home, including open and closed cell. Open cell foam is less dense and provides greater R-value per inch. Closed-cell foam is more rigid, and it offers better water and air vapor resistance than open-cell foam.
Foam insulation provides high thermal resistance and blocks out unwanted heat, cold and odors. It also blocks out the sun’s radiant rays, and keeps the rays from warming or cooling the building.
Foam insulation has an excellent R-value and is very durable, making it a great choice for homeowners looking to lower their energy costs. Insulation also protects against the single biggest source of heat loss in a home – air leakage. By sealing your home, you can save on expensive heating and cooling costs year-round.
Custom Carving
Spray insulation is very durable, and can be carved into shapes like the plane pictured above. With some creativity, homeowners can use this DIY insulation to create props and other costumes, as well as decorative home elements. It is also an excellent material for custom packaging.
Homeowners can also find creative uses for the leftover spray foam from a project, or from an old house, barn, or pole barn that is being repurposed as a new home or workshop. It can also be used to make a quick, easy, and inexpensive DIY greenhouse or sunroom.
There are two types of spray polyurethane foam, open and closed cell. Closed-cell spray foam is more expensive than open-cell, but it is also a much better insulator. Both options can be used to achieve energy efficiency, comfort and safety in a new or existing home, commercial building, or pole barn. Open-cell spray foam can be used as a replacement for fiberglass or cellulose insulation in attics, walls, and crawl spaces. If there is already insulation present, it should be removed before the crew applies the spray foam.
Custom Packaging
Spray insulation foam expands up to 30-60 times its liquid state, so it can efficiently protect objects of any size, shape and weight. This property also makes it an ideal packing material, especially for shipping fragile items like sculptures, vases, large fossils and lamp bases. It can also be shaped with a knife to cushion or wrap valuables during transportation, preventing damage and keeping them safe from nicks and scratches.
Some spray foam insulation, has the added benefit of being a green product. This insulator is manufactured using recycled polyethylene plastic waste from post-industrial production. It also uses a blend of renewable resources to produce its polyurethane. The result is a high-performance insulation that meets or exceeds industry energy efficiency requirements.
For some homeowners struggling with rising heating and cooling costs, upgrading their home's insulation and air sealing is an effective way to lower energy bills. Insulation of all types, including spray foam, reduces unwanted heat transfer between conditioned spaces and unconditioned spaces. But some insulation products, like fiberglass batts, are more efficient than others.
The installation of spray foam insulation requires a trained professional. Unlike foam board products, which are manufactured under controlled factory conditions, a contractor using spray insulation is conducting onsite chemistry, so it's important that they wear a full protective suit and respirator. The spray process also releases toxic fumes that require a ventilation system to remove.
Some unscrupulous contractors are touting the benefits of spray insulation to bewildered homeowners, without disclosing its risks. Incorrect application can lead to moisture intrusion, which can cause mold growth, mildew and rotted wood framing. To avoid these costly damages, hire a reputable contractor with building science training and certifications.
Spray foam insulation resists both conduction and convection of heat in or out of a home. It also seals air leaks, helping to keep a home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It also deters moisture, pests and mold. Insulation and air sealing upgrades to a home can help lower energy bills…