# Is spray foam insulation good?



## Winner09 (Apr 26, 2017)

Did anyone eperience any problems when insulating their loft and floor with spray foam insulation? My home is a 60s bungalow.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

If your installer is good, you shouldn't have any issues whatsoever. The problem is that any "chuck in a truck" can get a reactor/rig and call himself an installer. The vetting and requirements to call yourself a sprayfoamer are incredibly lax and it is those people that go out and ruin a handful of homes that make a bad name for the industry. 

Check their references and installed jobs. Go with an established company.


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## carpdad (Oct 11, 2010)

Not sure if this point is still relevant, but I've read that foam insulation has a narrow window of proper temperature AND application speed for the foam to cure properly and let the mixture gas to air out. Improper curing means trapped gas that stinks up the house. I also read that foam, as it cures, shrinks and can create gaps in the spaces - I think this problem is handled by filling the space in layers.
One thing I'm sure of is proper r-value and draft blocking. Warmth mixing with cold air WILL create moisture that begins rotting. Search Listiburek and his failures with leaking air in the insulated panel joints. Merely filling the spaces with foam can create bigger problems.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

If nothing else will do the job, then consider the spray in foam. But in most cases there are traditional options that have been used for a very long time with no problems. Once the foam is installed it has to stay until you are ready for a major renovation. Note, smell has been one of the complaints and people's sensitivity varies widely. It might not bother you or myself, but another home owner might not be able to live there. Then what do you do?

Bud


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## Str8AheadInc (Feb 25, 2017)

Winner09 said:


> Did anyone eperience any problems when insulating their loft and floor with spray foam insulation? My home is a 60s bungalow.


Its a vaulted roof? Where is it?


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

I don't trust the stuff. But most people seem to love it. Which you have to if you're going to spend 10 times the cost of fiberglass.


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## Str8AheadInc (Feb 25, 2017)

BIG Johnson said:


> I don't trust the stuff. But most people seem to love it. Which you have to if you're going to spend 10 times the cost of fiberglass.


Closed cell spray foam is a bit more but you don't have to worry about gaps. Open cell foam is roughly the same for blown in fiberglass in my neck of the woods and it has a higher r value. I'd only use fiberglass in a limited set of circumstances anymore.


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## BIG Johnson (Apr 9, 2017)

Str8AheadInc said:


> Closed cell spray foam is a bit more but you don't have to worry about gaps. Open cell foam is roughly the same for blown in fiberglass in my neck of the woods and it has a higher r value. I'd only use fiberglass in a limited set of circumstances anymore.


I can insulate a 2000 square foot house including basement for $700-$800 with fiberglass. Spray foam (open or closed) is $10,000 minimum. Attic is $1750 for R-49 cellulose. Spray foam is another $6000 on top of the $10K. Then when the framing shrinks/dries the foam pulls away.


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## Winner09 (Apr 26, 2017)

Just to clarify, I am UK based and wanted to use spray foam to insulate a medium sized metal building used for storage business.
Spray foam is quite new here, I did my research, I found Spray Foam Experts.com on linkedin. 
A lot of information about the product and the install itself here


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## Winner09 (Apr 26, 2017)

Looks like spray foam works to insulate homes, I can't find much on industrial use.


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## Winner09 (Apr 26, 2017)

This is interesting:
https://www.sprayfoamexperts.co.uk/spray-foam-insulation-dangerous/


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## Winner09 (Apr 26, 2017)

My apologies, I did not know the difference between closed and open cell. i am looking to insulate a commercially used building, not my bungalow.
After reading more and more about icynene and spray foam insulating, I realised, it may not be as straight forward as just a an attic job.


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## anony (Mar 30, 2017)

You need to read up on the vapor barrier article on building science. Depending on climate and how the rest of the attic/wall is built, it may or may not work, if it doesn't, you'll rot the wood.


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## jazzop89 (Apr 28, 2017)

For a steel building, foam is generally regarded as an excellent choice. I am planning to use closed-cell all over my house renovation, and I'm going to put up a steel workshop with closed-cell as well. I am well aware that I will be living in a Thermos, which requires a finely-tuned HVAC and fresh air exchange, but that's all part of the plan.

Some points to consider:

1. Closed-cell vs. open-cell. IMHO, closed-cell is superior for many reasons, but you will have many "experts" tell you otherwise. This is usually because they believe cost ranks higher than other technical factors and assume that you do as well (i.e., paternalism). Closed-cell apparently requires more skill to apply properly, so beware of an installer who is reluctant to apply closed-cell-- they may have valid reasons, but a disturbingly large number I have found are simply not skilled enough and would rather avoid it altogether.

2. Propellant ODL. Not all spray foams are equal. Many use HCFCs as the propellant, which is ecologically undesirable and can screw up your "score" if you are seeking a third-party certification like LEED. You can get the same R-value from a low-ODL product if you simply shop around.

3. Your climate. You must have a plan for interior humidity control, whether in the summer in a warm climate or in the winter in a cold climate. You can create some problems for yourself if you have an inadequate HVAC system.

I'm still learning a lot about foam, but I've done quite a bit of research so far. Please take my comments above as simply a jumping-off point to help focus your research with respect to your requirements/goals.


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## Winner09 (Apr 26, 2017)

jazzop89 said:


> For a steel building, foam is generally regarded as an excellent choice. I am planning to use closed-cell all over my house renovation, and I'm going to put up a steel workshop with closed-cell as well. I am well aware that I will be living in a Thermos, which requires a finely-tuned HVAC and fresh air exchange, but that's all part of the plan.
> 
> Some points to consider:
> 
> ...


Wow, thanks for the insightful reply. The chemical components of spray foam are confusing indeed. Reading some technical pdfs at the moment, would be best to speak to a contractor who's been using it and get the information directly.
This was useful to get the initial idea https://www.sprayfoamexperts.co.uk/spray-foam-roof-insulation-good-bad/


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