The Benefits of Spray Foam Insulation for your home

What is Spray Foam Insulation ?

Spray Polyurethane foam is a non toxic spray applied plastic that is made of  an A side – Iso and a B side – Resin, that when combined, creates continuous  expandable foam insulation . There are many benefits to having spray foam insulation in your home to help keep your costs low, and keep your home insulated. Spray Foam  Insulation provides the most benefits for your household, and your wallet in the long run.

Spray Foam Insulation is a air impermeably insulation. It does not allow the the transfer of air flow or heat transfer.  The Stack Effect is negative pressure caused by air being pulled in from the bottom of the those and pushing air out of the top of your building. By sealing your attic or crawlspace you have reduced the negative pressure and reduced air leakage. By adding spray foam insulation to your home, you are creating a conditioned space, almost like adding another room in your house. All of the air inside of the house stays inside and is not being pushed out or sucked in. Alot of HVAC units are also located in basements or attics and now you have made room temperature on all of the ductwork that these units are in. If they are located in an unconditioned space, the air that comes out of them has to be cooled or heated first and now they are conditioned letting the air come out at the temperature without taking a long time to cool or heat.

With it’s air-tight seal, this will lead to huge savings throughout time. You can look at getting energy tax credits as well as credits from your local power company for improvements done by air sealing or spray foam insulation.

Why Spray Foam?

Closed cell insulation is a vapor barrier- which means moisture cannot pass through it.  When moisture can’t enter into the home and settle on the insulation, it prevents mold from forming. Mold is incredibly hard to get rid of, and often requires the occupants to be away from their home for up to days at a time while it’s removed. If moisture never enters, mold cannot be formed, providing a safe environment within your home. Even with a metal roof, you can apply spray foam insulation to the roof to help keep your home well insulated.

And of course, everyone wants to be green.  Closed cell can preform up to 20 years of high quality insulation and moisture blocking before needing to be reapplied, allowing homeowners 20 years of savings on their energy bills essentially paying itself back.  Being green you can choose from different types of spray polyurethane including soy based products. Its important to know that when you replace your insulation or build a new home with spray foam, you have no reduced the amount of air contaminants you are breathing in that comes from broken down fiberglass and cellulose. When getting spray foam insulation, if it open cell in your attic,  it is important to keep exhaust fans routed to the outside of the house as the moisture pulled into the attic can cause you problems later down the road since it is not a vapor barrier. Another home owner consideration is to consult your HVAC contractor for proper air intake of fresh air now that you have sealed air flow in the house and make sure you are getting the proper amount of fresh air in your home.