Considerations for Spray Foam

Are you thinking about spray foam for your house or building?

When contemplating making your home more energy efficient, there are special considerations for spray foam.  Spray foam is a high-performance insulation and air barrier that will help reduce comfort issues and make a home more energy efficient. The preparation and installation needs to be done correctly AND safely. (Read this blog we wrote for BPI to see what can go wrong.) Recently, we have encountered clients who are obtaining multiple quotes for their foam projects. This has given us some good (albeit scary) information about what is and is not being explained to clients for consideration prior to a spray foam project.

These are important things to think about before you have spray foam work done.

1. Are you able to have all occupants (including pets) out of the house for the installation?
2. Are you able to have all occupants out of the house for the off-gassing period? (generally 24 hours after installation is complete)
3. Will the existing attic insulation (for retrofits to existing structures) be extracted/removed? (Read this to see why it matters.)
4. Are there combustible appliances in the space to be encapsulated? Do they need a fresh air intake/makeup air in order to safely and properly function?
5. Does the space to be encapsulated (attic) have a duct system in it? Will a supply and return or exhaust be installed…or will there be a louvered door or passage to connect the space to the rest of the conditioned space of the house?
6. Will soffit, ridge, gable, and/or crawlspace vents be covered prior to spraying?
7. Does your termite bond restrict what areas are foamed?  (especially critical for crawlspaces)

If you are about to go with a company that has not mentioned all these considerations for spray foam, you should think twice…and call Eco Three. We have unfortunately heard too many stories of clients who are unaware of these important factors. We want to help clients stay safe and healthy when getting spray foam – before, during, and after installation.

Eco Three is a trusted, leading-edge home energy authority dedicated to helping homeowners in Alabama through our comprehensive home energy audits and energy-efficient upgrades. Our nationally accredited team of hometown experts uses the latest technology to provide actionable solutions to outrageous energy bills and home comfort issues. We’re an experienced group of people with a unique plan and a sincere interest in making a difference in people’s lives and the environment. We service existing homes as well as new construction.