Spray Foam Insulation in Your Home

July 11, 2011 by Mark 

  • Attics
  • Basements
  • Crawl Spaces
  • Walls & Ceilings
 A quick look at how Spray Foam Insulation is used in existing homes.

Attics

Analysis: Most homes are built with vented roofs. Vented roofs draw in air at the soffit and release the air through ridge and/or gable vents. As air flows upward through your attic, it creates a suction that pulls your homes conditioned air with it. Attic stairs, recessed lighting fixtures, wall outlets and mechanical penetrations (water and gas service, telephone and cable connections, etc.)

The result: You heat (or cool) the air in your home and your home is designed to draw the conditioned air outside. When energy was cheap, this worked just fine. Times have changed.

How does Spray Foam help?

When spray foam insulation is applied to your roof, our technicians seal off the soffit, ridge and gable vents. We air seal the top of your home keeping the conditioned air in the house. HVAC systems run less, last longer and operate more efficiently, heating and cooling costs are reduced, dust, dirt and pollen stays outside where it belongs. The EPA estimates that 20-50% of conditioned air escapes through vented attics.

Basements

In below grade spaces, the importance of thermal insulation takes a back seat to water vapor and moisture penetration. Most uninsulated basement walls (block or poured concrete) will be damp because condensation forms when warm air comes into contact with the cool masonry wall. This is why basements feel damp, they are a continuing science experiment demonstrating the effects of warm air contacting a cool surface.

How does Spray Foam help?

Closed cell spray foam insulation creates a complete moisture and vapor barrier that keeps warm air away from cool concrete & masonry surfaces. The result: drier, warmer basements.

Crawl Spaces

Cold floors over top of a vented crawl space is a common problem. Many floors over crawl spaces have no insulation at all while some others have fiberglass batts that often becomes damp and moldy from condensation a result of cold air contacting the warmer sub-floor. In either case, cold damp air enters your house through every seam in the floor.

How does Spray Foam help?

By creating an insulated air and moisture barrier between the sub-floor and vented crawl space, floors above are warmer, drier and quieter.

Walls & Ceilings

Spray foam insulation in walls and ceilings is most often and easily done during construction.

Eliminates drafts inside wall cavities that rob heat through electrical, mechanical and plumbing penetrations in the framing.

Complete, custom fit, permanent air barrier, creates draft free rooms.

Condensation – common source of mold growth is eliminated.

Garage ceilings

Many homes are built with little or no insulation in garage ceilings. And yet bedrooms and home offices are often located above the garage. Depending on how and how often you use this space, it may be worth the expense and effort to remove garage ceiling drywall, install spray foam and reinstall drywall. Benefits include warmer floors, fewer drafts, more efficient heating and air conditioning and better blockage of exhaust and other pollutants from the garage.

 

The application of spray foam insulation in your home will:

  • reduce energy consumption,
  • reduce heating and cooling bills,
  • eliminate potential sources of mold growth,
  • improve indoor air quality,
  • keep your home cleaner,
  • reduce you home’s ecological impact

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