Insulation Considerations: Things to Think About When Choosing Spray Foam Insulation for Your Home
There are seemingly endless decisions to make when building or renovating a home.
So. Many. Choices!
One of those choices that must be made? The type of insulation you will use in your home.
You’re thinking about installing spray foam insulation, you say? Fantastic!
Spray foam will save massive amounts of energy (and money!) over the years.
What else should be taken into consideration when choosing spray foam insulation?
Xtreme Alaska Spray Foam is here to help answer that question!
Together, we will examine some reasons to use spray foam insulation, unpack how to choose between open- and closed-cell spray foam, briefly talk about local building codes, and discuss finding what you deserve when choosing a spray foam contractor.
Let’s get right to it!
Spray Foam Creates an Air-Tight Seal
Spray foam insulation is unique in the insulation industry for many reasons, but the perk that leads the pack is the air-tight seal that foam creates.
That’s unlike any other insulation ever.
Every type of insulation has its best application, but none of the other contenders are air-tight all on their own. Just spray foam!
Oh, and those hard-to-insulate areas that fiberglass batts can’t fill? They’re a breeze with spray foam insulation!
Using spray foam in your home instead of other types of insulation is like…cleaning with a vacuum cleaner vs. a broom…
Or preparing a garden with a plow or rototiller rather than a hoe…
Or drinking french press coffee instead of campfire (a.k.a. “Cowboy”) coffee!
…Okay, okay. Those are both delicious, so ignore that one…but you get the point.
Spray foam insulation’s ability to create an air-tight seal gives it a leg-up in the insulation industry!
An air-tight seal also means that you save money on your energy bills because your heated air isn’t slipping through the cracks of your home to warm the winter wonderland outside!
Spray foam is a stellar insulator – but that’s not all! Its air-tight seal can also help dampen sounds in your house!
Spray Foam Dampens Sound (Shh!)…
Spray foam insulation doesn’t just create a climate-controlled environment in our living spaces.
And it doesn’t just save you money on your energy bills (although it does that quite well!).
It can also help contain the sounds of everyday life in your home (and nix the echos)!
Sometimes, you just need a little peace and quiet.
…Or at least some privacy!
Have you ever been in a hotel room with walls that are just too thin for you to rest well?
How about an echo-filled cave? Or a huge auditorium that magnifies every little sound?
We bet you have.
In your house, you don’t want cavernous echos OR the ability to hear a pin drop from three rooms away…
You want your kids to enjoy their music without it bleeding into the whole house!
Do you know what’s good for keeping sounds in the rooms they belong in?
That’s right – spray foam insulation!
Spray foam can help dampen sounds in your home, so it doesn’t feel like you’re living at the echoy base of the Grand Canyon (…even if that view would be incredible).
Shh! See? Hear that?
Exactly! It’s QUIET!!
*Contented sigh*
That’s music to our ears!
The Spray Foam Type You Choose Matters
Once you’ve decided to use spray foam insulation, you might begin to wonder which type of spray foam is best for your needs.
It’s an age-old question: “Should I use Open-cell or Closed-cell spray foam??”
This topic can be confusing – we get it. But don’t fret!
Xtreme Alaska Spray Foam is here to help.
The two vital questions to answer when choosing the correct foam for your project are:
1) Where are you, and what is the climate like there?
2) What application are you planning to use spray foam for?
Open-cell and closed-cell foam have different physical structures and, therefore, different ideal applications.
(Note: this post will only briefly compare these foam types. If you’re looking for a more in-depth introduction, check out our Spray Foam Terms Explained blog post!)
Essentially, open-cell foam is a spongy matrix of connected air pockets – or “cells” – and closed-cell foam is a dense matrix of separate cells that do not communicate with one other. Both types of spray foam are great insulators, but the density of closed-cell foam creates around double the R-Values of open-cell foam at the same thickness.
More specifically, open-cell spray foam is great for insulating homes in mild climates, parts of the house that require extra foam expansion to be sealed off, or areas that have little to no space limitations.
Closed-cell foam, on the other hand, is the ideal choice for widely varying or extreme climates and space-constrained areas of the home.
You can use both open- and closed-cell foam for a variety of applications – and not all of those uses are insulating homes!
For instance, spray foam is great for increasing buoyancy in boats, sealing up leaks in your barn, or even repairing foundation issues.
The possibilities are endless – and Xtreme Alaska Spray Foam is here for all of your spray foam needs!
(Need a quote? Call us today!)
The Spray Foam You Choose Should Comply with Energy Guidelines and Building Codes
State and local building codes must be considered when building (or updating) a home! Those guidelines – including energy guidelines – are in place to ensure your safety and the longevity of your home.
When choosing spray foam insulation that complies with building codes, the two main things to consider are R-Value and vapor barrier requirements.
We dive more deeply into this topic in our Spray Foam Terms Explained blog post, but want to briefly discuss on one thing here:
Closed-cell spray foam can act as a vapor barrier in your home!
In some places, it can serve as the only vapor barrier in a structure’s outside walls, but other areas require an extra barrier, even when using closed-cell foam for insulation.
So. Paying attention to your local building codes is important!
For more information regarding R-Values and Alaskan energy guidelines, check out our Spray Foam Terms Explained blog post.
Alrighty – let’s dig into finding what you deserve from your spray foam contractor!
Xtreme Alaska Spray Foam – What You Deserve from a Spray Foam Contractor
One of the most vital components of an exceptional spray foam insulation experience is finding the right contractor to spray foam for you!
As you might expect, MUCH more goes into finding a spray foam contractor you jive with than searching for dirt-cheap prices. We know that price is (absolutely) a driving factor behind your choice of spray foam contractor, however – and that’s why we always set the most reasonable prices possible at Xtreme Alaska Spray Foam!
That said, when you hire a spray foam contractor, you are buying more than insulation – you’re paying someone to help make your house a home…with spray foam.
Your spray foam contractor should answer your insulation questions in the same way he would answer them for his own family members. ( For Alaskans, it also helps if your contractor understands the unique needs of Alaskan residents!)
You deserve a spray foam contractor who is honest, trustworthy, and caring…
And when you choose Troy Knight to spray your foam – Xtreme Alaska Spray Foam’s owner and operator, whom you will work with directly – you get just that!
When you hire Troy, you GET an honest, trustworthy, hard-working spray foam contractor (and Alaskan!) who truly cares about you and your family.
Troy believes in treating people how he would want to be treated.
He believes that his business – Xtreme Alaska Spray Foam – is a way to help people improve their lives, NOT some Ponzi scheme to take their money and run!!
At Xtreme Alaska Spray Foam, we work very hard to embody the values we would look for in a spray foam contractor.
We strive to treat you like family!
We’re all journeying on this road of life together, after all.
It’s time to act like it and help one another!
Alaskans supporting Alaskans.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
We look forward to making the future brighter together.
Conclusion
At Xtreme Alaska Spray Foam, we know you have a lot on your plate when building or renovating your home.
From finding the right spray foam insulation to reaching the R-Values required for your project, Xtreme Alaska Spray Foam is here to make your insulation experience as approachable as possible – and make sure you feel taken care of in the process!
Feel free to call us with any questions you may have – we look forward to talking with you.
Until then, don’t forget to enjoy our glorious homeland!
*Breathes in*
Isn’t Alaska grand??
