What Is Spray Foam Insulation? | Koala Insulation

What Is Spray Foam Insulation?

Whether you are relocating or thinking about insulating your house, Spray Foam Insulation is now a well-known and highly effective technique.

Interestingly, you can save up to 40% energy by creating a spray foam barrier. So, this is undoubtedly the right time to rethink your strategies of reducing utility bills.

If you are unaware of this insulation technology, fret not. This article explains the concept of Spray Foam Insulation in-depth. Further, you can use this technique for the right applications whenever required.

So, let's understand how homeowners can replace traditional insulation methods, thereby saving money in the process.

What Does Spray Foam Insulation Mean?

Before understanding the technique, let us first know about spray foam. This chemical is made from two materials — Polyol resin and Isocyanate.

So, spray foam is an air-barrier material. It seals walls, floors, crevices, and cavities. Scientifically, the above two materials mix and expand at the target area.

This expansion produces spray foam that has a high R-value. Thus, spray foam generates high thermal insulation without losing its shape.

What is R-Value?

In simple words, the R-Value is the insulating material's effectiveness against heat flow. Thus, the greater the R-Value, the greater the resistance against heat.

Different factors affect the R-Value of insulating material. These factors are as follows.

• Temperature
• Moisture accumulation
• Insulation thickness
• Density

What are the Common Spray Foam Insulation Types?

If you want to control air infiltration, spray foam is one of the best materials. At this time, two types of Spray Foam Insulation are prominent.

Open Cell Spray Foam Insulation (ocSPF)

In this insulation type, the spray foam material is lightweight, semi-rigid, and has a spongy look.

The material expands at installation and adheres to various surfaces. Importantly, open-cell Spray Foam Insulation maintains a steady home temperature.

Common ocSPF applications: Insulation for wall cavities, various indoor uses.

Closed Cell Spray Foam Insulation (ccSPF)

This Spray Foam Insulation is used widely in commercial applications and northern climates, like Mid-Michigan and the Tri-City Area that we live in, due to its high R-Value. It creates an air seal at the location of installation.

The insulating material is rigid and creates an air and vapor barrier as per requirement. Importantly, this type of Spray Foam Insulation prevents condensation and moisture.

Common ccSPF applications: Crawl spaces, vans, buildings, rim joists, attics.

What are the Benefits of Spray Foam Insulation?

Spray Foam Insulation blocks various modes of heat transfer, making it a lucrative insulating technique. However, several benefits encourage consumers to adopt this process.

• Reduction in Energy Bills: Spray foam is the best option for blocking heat and cold intrustion, thereby reducing the requirement of extreme heating and cooling.
• Noise Insulation: Spray foam creates an airborne barrier reducing sound transfer drastically.
• Tax Benefits: In some counties, you can avail of tax benefits by insulating your home with spray foam.
• Long Life Cycle: Compared to fiberglass and other insulating materials, Spray Foam Insulation doesn't sag. Hence, you do not need frequent replacement.

Are there any disadvantages to using Spray Foam Insulation?

Depending on the installer, this technique can create certain issues.

• Shrinking problems
• License requirements in some locations
• Requirement of a decent expertise
• High initial investment

Overall, it is always best to contact a reliable licensd and experianced insulation contractor, like Koala Insulation of Mid-Michigan.

Endnotes

Spray foam insulation is a great product for most applications. You can make use of its high R-Value and save big on your energy bills.

However, it is vital to contact an expert home insulation company to get the best results from the spray foam insulating technique. If you live in the Midland, Bay City, Saginaw, Flint, Mount Pleasant, Birch Run, Grand Blanc, Fenton, Clio, Essexville or any other Mid-Michigan area Call us today for a free in-home evaluation!