Installing Spray Foam Insulation Video
We love sharing unique experiences with our readers and I think today’s post is a real treat! Fred and I had the pleasure of filming Hottle Energy Solutions as they insulated Fred’s basement with spray foam. We worked hard to put out a really comprehensive, high-quality video that will address many different aspects of spray foam installation. If you enjoy the video, please consider linking to this post to spread the word.
There are several different options for insulating your basement and ultimately Fred & Kim chose spray foam. Spray foam is a great choice because it expands to fill tough-to-access space creating a more complete seal than fiberglass insulation. Closed cell foam also has very high R-values, acts as a moisture / vapor barrier and is mold resistant.
This video (9:50) contains a lot of information. We were able to interview the contractor, learn about his equipment, discuss safety concerns, and address some popular spray foam questions. Here are some of the highlights:
- When to have spray foam installed (0:57)
- The difference between open and closed cell foam (1:58)
- The equipment a contractor uses to install the foam (2:35)
- Preparing for spray foam (3:43)
- Pros / Cons of do-it-yourself kits (4:15)
- Necessary safety gear (5:34)
- Health concerns with spray foam (6:13 & 8:27)
- Open cell foam installation (6:32)
- Closed cell foam installation (7:40)
- Final verdict (8:51)
Installing Spray Foam Insulation from One Project Closer on Vimeo.
Installing Spray Foam Insulation
I think there are a couple key points to emphasize from the video.
Frame Off the Wall
Fred mentioned that the framing members were set about 4″ off the basement wall. This is important because that allows our installer to spray foam behind the 2 x 4’s ensuring a continuous barrier all throughout the basement.
Safety Equipment
It’s very important to have the right safety equipment if you purchase DIY spray foam kits. Our contractor had a Tyvek, disposable suit and hand and foot coverings. Make sure to purchase a respirator that includes organic and acid vapor cartridges.
Open Cell Foam
Open cell foam, a.k.a. low density foam, expands to over 100 times it’s liquid size. It’s called open cell because little pockets of air form providing the insulation value. It does not act as a moisture barrier which is an important consideration for basement walls below grade. It features an R-value of about 3.5 per inch.
Closed Cell Foam
Closed cell foam, a.k.a. medium density foam, expand to about 25 time it’s liquid size. Closed cell has such an advantage because it forms a complete envelope sealing out moisture, preventing mold and providing an R-value of 7.5 per inch!
What do you think? What’s your experience with spray foam? Did you like the video?
Comments & Conversation on this Article...
13 Responses to Installing Spray Foam Insulation Video
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December 4th, 2009 8:10 am
AWESOME video guys!! I have serious basement insulation envy!!! I’ll be sure to share that video with our readers.
December 4th, 2009 10:04 am
I know it’s very dependent on location and contractor, but could you give us a rough estimate as to the price of spray foam insulation?
Also, how is the price determined? Is it by sq. ft. or other?
December 4th, 2009 11:29 am
Great video Fred.
Tom: A friend of mine who works in the industry said that it ends up being around $1.75-$2.00/ft^2 per inch of thickness. That is in the upper midwest.
December 5th, 2009 2:51 pm
Shane – Yep, that sounds about right… You should expect to pay more for the first board foot than for the second, third, etc. (A board foot is 12″ x 12″ x 1″ deep). I would expect second and subsequent inches to be $1.25 or so… but it all depends on the size of the job, the difficulty of the installation area (e.g., crawlspace, basement, above grade), etc.
December 5th, 2009 10:09 pm
This is an excellent video for do it yourselfers. My only advice would be to make sure there is no problems with water intrusion through the basement walls. That will need to be addressed first prior to installing the foam.
December 5th, 2009 11:45 pm
Did you look seriously at some DIY foam kits? If so which ones?
I have very small and short crawl spaces where the house overhangs the basement foundation that I need to fill and the regular insulation isn’t doing its job. I was thinking that open cell foam will completely fill those in very quickly.
December 6th, 2009 9:09 am
I really like the use of the video on this article. I have been researching and networking with some people about putting videos on my site, but haven’t finished building the site yet so we will see how that unfolds later.
Personally, I felt the video was a little long and could have been broken down into a couple of segments (just my opinion, certainly not trying to criticize you guys!) but I haven’t read any “expert” opinions about that topic.
December 6th, 2009 11:14 am
Tom – I looked pretty seriously at DIY kits before going with pro installation… I was looking particularly at closed cell spray foam and quite honestly, I just google searched for a few companies (one was tiger foam). All of them looked pretty similar (2 propane-tank-sized, pressurized tanks, and disposable guns). Prices usually ran in the $1.25 / bd. ft. once you factor in shipping… a little more to get the protective gear and everything else… gets you to about $1.40/ bd. ft. if you do a large enough area.
Installation is slow because you don’t have a compressor blowing the agents – just pressurized gas in the tanks. I imagine it would have taken days to complete our basement, since the job took 8 hours with very fast application. For crawl-space areas, it may work since you don’t have much space…
December 7th, 2009 11:18 am
We have an addition on the back of our house from the 1940s. It it uninsulated. I think that how it’s built is that on the first floor the wall from the outside in, it’s a layer of siding, plywood, studs, and then plywood on the inside. The first floor flooring from outside in is plywood, joists, floorboards. On the second floor, the wall is siding, plywood, studs, and floorboards as the interior wall. I’m not sure what the ceiling is, but there is a roof door that seems to center heat into the room in the summer.
I would think that what I could do is use a stud finder to find studs and joists and then drill holes in between, and then fill those spaces with foam, but then there’s no way to know how much foam will fit, and then I figure the walls, floor, and ceiling would then burst open. But I swear I’ve seen someone do this on some HGTV or DIY or This Old House show. Is this something a professional foam insulator should know how to do?
December 8th, 2009 12:34 am
Mary – You can retro-spray foam into a cavity just the way you’re describing. Suggest contacting a pro, though… unless you’re up for a real challenge. The only potential barrier would be if there’s blocking anywhere in the walls — (e.g., a horizontal cross-member in the framing). This could prevent the foam from expanding down far enough. Are you sure the cavity is empty?
December 13th, 2009 11:57 pm
I’m a little behind on the game on this, but I just had to add that this video looks GREAT guys. Seriously well done – I know how much work goes into this level of production, especially when done DIY (so appropriate though!).
On a more serious note, I do have a question about my own house. I have a vaulted ceiling on the top floor of my house. The house is a modern townhouse, and there seems to basically be no insulation at all in the room. There are major temperature changes in the room, despite my best efforts to keep the room as sealed as possible. In the winter the room is freezing and the summer, it’s unbearably hot, despite 4 vents throughout the room feeding heating and cooling to the room. I’m wondering if there is little or no insulation between the ceiling and the roof, and likewise for the walls (part of the room is under a gable, leaving it exposed to the air and thus not attached to the other townhouses next door on either side).
What options do I have, if any, at such a height (the roof is 3 stories off the ground) in a retrofit situation?
December 16th, 2009 4:29 pm
Hi Chris,
My name is Patrick. I am the spray foam contractor that worked with Fred on his basement. Your house has many of the normal problems that track construction brings. Dont worry about the height from the ground to the roof. That is what they make extension ladders and “pump-up” runners for. I have a few suggestions as well as a few questions. I will start with the questions. Is your only problem on the upper floor with the vaulted ceilings or do you have temperature problems in other areas of the house? You said there is a part of the room under a gable, is this a bumpout? What location are your HVAC vents? This could have a dramatic impact their ability to heat and cool. They should be on the outside walls either on the floor or in the ceiling. Are you getting even air flow from the vents in that room? Now if you are satisfied with the HVAC function, you definitely have insulation issues. If you have an pictures of the room I can help you out much better than i can without. From what I know of your house, there are two options for insulating those areas (including the walls). You can go the less intrusive route and use a product such as “retro” or Tripolymer injection foam. These will work for your outside walls because they can install the foam from the outside which will create the air seal and thermal break against the outside of the house. The tricky part is the vaulted roof. You can use one of these products but you will not get the foam where it is needed (against the plywood sheeting of the roof). Insulation will sag to the drywall from above and will not give enough space to install the foam with the necessary R-value. If you feel like it is unbearable and worth the trouble I would remove the drywall ceiling and spray closed cell foam (at least 2″ to give the air seal and vapor seal). All of these options will give you the most comfortable room in the house and draft free. You should not pay more than 2.25-2.50 a square foot for 2″ of closed cell and add roughly $.75 per inch after that. And for open cell you should not pay more than 2.75-3.00 a square foot for 5 1/2 inches. I hope this helps. If you have any more questions or need more information please let me know. Fred and Ethan both have all of my information for you to contact me via email or phone. Good luck. Thanks
Patrick Riley
HES Spray Foam Insulators
Maryland
December 17th, 2009 11:53 am
I recently had a second story master suite addition put on my older home. I wish I had thought to tell the contractor to use spray foam. After looking at your video, it seems far superior to the “batt” insulation we have. One problem- our pipes in the bathroom are freezing now that winter is here. It seems they didn’t insulate properly. The upstairs has a bit of an overhang past the original house. Is there a way to use spray insulation- maybe gain access through the soffit?
Thanks.