Insulation Expense
I’m working on a weekend house and this insulation business is making my head hurt. It’s not a large house, less than 1400 sq ft, and quotes are coming in at 8k, which is more than I expected. Also, these guys are throwing around a lot of words like “closed cell foam” which sounds to…
I’m working on a weekend house and this insulation business is making my head hurt. It’s not a large house, less than 1400 sq ft, and quotes are coming in at 8k, which is more than I expected.
Also, these guys are throwing around a lot of words like “closed cell foam” which sounds to me like birth control. Also some high density fiberglass and something else just to confuse me.
I’d ask about alternate ideas like recycled blue jeans, etc but I sense these guys would all laugh at me.
Do I need to research this beyond the This Old House site? Or should I nod and sign on the dotted line.
Among the concerns with foam, open or closed, is (beside the cost) the gases given off that may affect your family. Also there is an incredible carbon footprint during the manufacture of this material.
On the other hand blown cellulose is made from recycled newspaper treated with boron making it insect, mold and definitely fire resistant. There’s a great video on Youtube made at a facility in Maryland where they show how dense packed cellulose actually acts as a fire barrier.(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIayU7N9e34)
Cellulose insulation requires 8″ to achieve r-30 vs 11″ of fiberglass (see http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/insulation.html) to verify.
So you’re being offered a solution that’s relatively, inexpensive, will save money, help retard fire spread, and saves landfill space and doesn’t add more greenhouse gases in it’s production.
Call us at 800-761-8622 for more information or go to
http://WWW.WEDOINSULATION.COM
We(me as architect) are building a home with open cell
soy based spray-on foam…the R value is 20 per 6″ ..way
less than i had hoped but per the above post..closed cell costs a fortune..
I would just use fiberglass.
I agree with Jim above. I used a closed-cell polyurethane foam spray insulation in my rowhome in the ceiling and walls when I renovated it a year ago. I went with a company called Save-With-Insulation. A good rule of thumb for this product is $1/inch of thickness/ Sqft of area. You should use closed-cell and not open-cell, as the closed-cell will act as a vapor barrier in addition to an air barrier. The R-value is close to 7 per inch, so if you use this product in between your 2×6 roof joists, it will yield about R-35. Good luck and let me know if you have anymore questions.
Closed cell might be something else, and judging by the price, I think it is. Closed cell can be used to describe spray foam insulation, sometimes soy based. It’s an extremely effective method of insulation. It’s sprayed on wet and expands to fill gaps, completely filling the cavity space, and creating an air barrier as a nice side effect. It makes sense to use it in a small space like yours because it may be the only way to reach the required R value without adding thickness to the installation.
Talk to the installer and ask for the exact product specs. Go online with the specs and find out exactly what it is the contractor is suggesting.
Jim Hill, RA, LEED AP
Urban Pioneering Architecture
I would recommend looking into blown cellulose. It’s widely used, has a fairly low cost, and environmentally friendly to boot.
Thanks deefinley. Yes, I have some paneling I want saved and they need to use foam there. And I dont want to act like these guys aren’t good, they’re fine. There are just so many topics that I’m interested in, and insulation is not on the list. Ack! Too many projects going on at once.
But now I need to look up fiber insulation!
I would do all the research on the web possible. Never just sign, knowledge is power, And don’t be afraid to ask questions, contractors should not be intimidating. From what I know the spray foam is excellent and they are just recommending it for the ceiling, that sounds reasonable. Also it can be sprayed behind existing sheetrock. I had a client recently who had insulation blown in but it was fiber. She was very happy with it. The company used a hole saw and cut 4″ holes that were very easy to repair.
Also if you feel like your contractor is gonna laugh at you and your willing to “just sign” because of it, that’s just silly. Sounds like to much testosterone.
And yes This Old House is one of many good sources available.
Yeah, see? I don’t know if that’s good or bad.
I think they want to use it on the ceiling bcs it has a high R value and maybe it’s thinner than others? The ceiling is beamed with 2x6s so the insulation needs to be less than 5″ or I need to extend those beams which wouldn’t be cheap either.
closed cell foam is sponge rubber, similar to that sold as pipe insulation