Winter is fun when you are outside and enjoying the snow, but when you are inside your house trying to keep warm winter can take on a whole new dimension of miserable, especially when for some reason hot air keeps leaking out of your house.
You can’t expect to be able to monitor every inch of your house all the time, so small leaks can spring up anytime. When that happens you can expect trouble, hot air is more vigorous than cold air and will move through an exit –any exit– more quickly.
A good solution to insulate your house and keep the hot air in is to spray foam insulation. A foam barrier can act as a seal tight enough even air cannot pass through.
Benefits of Spray Foam Insulation
- It’s Quick to Apply – Unlike other forms of insulation that have to be manually installed, spray foam can just be sprayed on surfaces that need airtight sealing.
- It Deters Mold – Other forms if insulation actually trap moisture, making them breeding areas of mold and mildew. Spray foam is a natural deterrent to these things.
- Long Lifespan – If applied correctly spray foam insulation can last a very long time. Read on to find out why this can also be disadvantageous.
- It’s Eco-Friendly – In the long run foam insulation will help you save energy, that’s green points right there. Also, because it’s designed to last over a long period of time this results in fewer manufactured and consumed materials.
What You Should Know About Spray Insulation
The Foam Should Be the Right Thickness – The R-value is the measure of thermal resistance of an insulation material. When it comes to spray foam the higher the value the better it can perform as insulation.
It also follows that that thicker a foam layer is the higher its R-value, however you should also take note because having a foam layer that is too thick can also lead to trouble later on.
The Foam Has to be Applied in the Right Places – Remember we mentioned spray foam is intended to last a long time? This is where you should be careful. Spray it in the right areas and everything should be okay. However, if it gets on the wrong areas it may be hard to remove.
What do we mean by wrong areas? Areas that are actually meant to be access points, for example, vents and outlets. Make sure your contractor understands where to and where not to apply the foam.
Beware of Inferior Spray Foam – Inferior spray foam can be the result of bad mixing, use of the wrong chemicals and even the wrong temperature. The sad thing is you won’t be able to tell it’s a bad batch until you see the foam contract and pull away from the surface it’s been applied on.
Spray foam is a good way to make sure you are not wasting hot air and money. However, it’s also important to get a good contractor to make sure spray foam is mixed, applied and used correctly in your house.
