# Where to purchase spray foam insulation?



## bigmike7801 (Jan 29, 2018)

Has anyone here done closed cell spray foam insulation? I'm thinking of doing this in my cathedral ceiling, but I haven't been too impressed by the pricing I've seen at the Home Depot, Lowe's or Amazon. 

I have been given quotes for around $2k from local contractors and I've estimated it will cost me around $1500 if I did it myself which isn't really saving much money. 

If you've done this, where did you purchase the spray foam and how much did it cost? I'm finding they cost around $750 for a 600 board foot kit.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

You might get a deal if you check on E-BAY.

Many things there are better priced than a local retailer.

When you hire the pro, you usually get a better product, applied correctly, with much less waste and errors, than if you D I Y.

They have experience, whereas the normal DIYER is an amateur at best.


ED


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Looked at the foam kits years ago and didn't find them to be much of a price improvement over bringing in a contractor. In my case I shifted to rigid foam boards and sealed them in place, about half the price back then and very DIY friendly. Having followed comments from others who have used the foam packs I still see no reason to try them, both cost and risks involved with the DIY process. Foam contractors carry insurance and (hopefully) maintain training for the installers. 

Shifting to an unvented roof system is in general a lot more expensive. Not sure what your code requires but in my area r-49 is tough to reach.

Bud


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## NotYerUncleBob2 (Dec 29, 2017)

I haven't used them myself, but the feedback I've heard is that the kits don't give you quite what they say for yield. I guess it's hard to reach their "ideal" conditions for that yield. Things happen like the nozzles get gunked up, the foam doesn't cure because too much went on that spot, the humidity isn't ideal, etc. 
At the end of the day you'll also have a bunch of tanks that a lot of towns won't take in the trash or recycle as they consider them hazardous. 
Spray foam is best applied by a contractor with pro equipment. If you want a DIY approach, Bud's suggestion of the "cut and cobble" approach with rigid foam boards and canned foam to seal could be a better way to go.


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## Alketi (Dec 20, 2015)

I agree with others in this thread. A $500 difference is not even worth talking about -- hire the contractor.

The two-part kits, in addition to all the other problems, require you to wear a respirator and presumably throw-away clothes, and also need to be kept at a very specific temperature. Also, I think need to be used all in one shot -- not sure.

The two best options are rigid foam boards or hiring a contractor.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

Alketi said:


> I agree with others in this thread. A $500 difference is not even worth talking about -- hire the contractor.


Ditto. 
Apply it too thick, you can start a fire. Don't mix it right, might not cure.

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/guest-blogs/when-spray-foam-goes-bad


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## digitalplumber (Jul 8, 2011)

We had about 1600 sq feet done in the walls of my sons home, 5 walls back of home. Because the cost, $1600 ($1 per sq ft) was so close to us doing it, we opted to let the pros do it. In reality, because it is hard to control thickness, instead of getting a 2 inch spray, he got almost a full cavity spray.

Make sure they cover things correctly and that you have any wiring run. There was NO off gassing from the product used by this company.


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## Marson (Jan 26, 2018)

I've used the kits quite a bit, and I agree with the others, hire a contractor. We used them for insulating rim joists on old houses were were fixing up, and for a few hundred bucks worth of foam and an hour or two of work, we saved a lot of money over what a sub would have charged.

But I wouldn't attempt something big like a cathedral ceiling. Too many things that can go wrong. With the cheesy little gun that comes with the kit, you are not supposed to stop for more than 30 seconds without changing nozzles. Not too bad on a rim joist, but harder on a ceiling. If one side clogs, then you can be shooting resin without harderner...or vice versa....either way, it's a mess! Also, Menards at the tiime had kits that were a few bucks cheaper than our usual supplier, except the hose kits on the cheap ones were very short and the gun was cheaper....

So yes, hire a sub for that. The kits are for jobs that are so small that it isn't cost effective to get a pro for. 

The stuff is expensive.


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## jjrbus (Aug 28, 2009)

I am a big fan of and encourage people to DIY. But when I had spray foam done, I paid a pro to do it. This is one job that if everything is not exactly right, you can end up with mega mess!


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## theone (Sep 15, 2007)

I am a huge DIYer but we hired a contractor to do our attic ceilings with closed cell spray foam. Best $$$ we ever spent. What a difference. There were strict rules about safety for the workers and occupants of the home. We have a 2 family so there are tenants. We had to leave for a night just in case there was a problem with the chemical curing process. The contractor went through a few spray nozzles. I know this cuz I found a couple of gunked up ones after they left. You also need to think about the over spray clean up after it is cured. They take care of that.


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