5 Things to Know about Foam Insulation

Spray foam insulation is mostly recognized by commercial contractors as an effective insulation that can be used for residential applications. If you're considering the use this insulation in your home, here are 5 important things you should know about it.

1- Application

This foam is sprayed with special equipment that is typically operated by professionals and is best used for special applications such as filling, insulating, and sealing cavities in walls and around electrical outlets.

2 - Properties

Spray foam is especially useful in situations where you want to avoid settling, shrinking, or sagging in your insulation

3 - Energy

In general, sprayed foam has a higher per-inch R-factor rating than other insulation such as fiberglass batts.

4 - Cost

Foam insulation, when viewed solely as an  insulation is more expensive. But when taking into account other related construction costs, foam insulation is more competitively priced because it is a one-step process and eliminates the need for caulking,  vapor barriers, and increased costs of using specialized construction contractors.

5 - Product Types

Foam sprayed insulation is available in 2 different types:

1. Closed cell or polyurethane, which offers a higher R-value
2. Open cell or isocyanurate

Both are applied in liquid form and both contain a foaming agent which causes the liquid to expand.