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How spray foam affects energy costs in Corning NY

How Spray Foam Affects Energy Costs

Before we dive into the specifics of how spray foam affects energy costs, let’s have a quick overview of exactly what spray foam is. Most people are familiar with fiberglass insulation—the pink or white rolls with paper backing found at the big box stores. Fiberglass is the most common insulation, and it does a good job of preventing the movement of heat from inside to outside and vice versa. Spray foam insulates and seals your home, providing the same function as fiberglass with the additional benefit of preventing or reducing convection—the movement of air (versus just heat) from inside to outside or vice versa.

Spray foam is a type of insulation that is sprayed under pressure through a gun. It is sprayed as a liquid, and it solidifies once it is applied. When dry, it is much like plastic in that it is a complete barrier to air movement. Some forms of spray foam have the quality of expanding after being applied. The expansion can be 50x or more its liquid size, which helps it find and fill every crack and crevice around it.

There are two types of spray foam: open cell and closed cell. Closed cell foam forms a plastic-like sheet that completely covers and seals off a given area. Both types of spray foam require occupants to stay out of the home for 24 hours after installation so that the gases released from the installation and drying processes are cleared.

You may be familiar with spray foam in its consumer-grade form which comes in cans about the size of a spray paint can. This small consumer version is available at big box and hardware stores. This type of foam is open cell.

How is Spray Foam More Energy Efficient than Fiberglass?

Both open and closed cell foams are great at completely covering and sealing every square inch of a surface—when they are properly applied. They form an absolute barrier against heat and air movement. It may help to think of spray foam as an umbrella of sorts for your home. In the same way an umbrella completely repels water, spray foam also repels heat and air movement. Unlike an umbrella which gives partial coverage, spray foam gives 100% coverage to the area where it is applied.

Because traditional fiberglass can leave small gaps and can move or settle over time, spray foam does a better job of insulating and sealing your home than fiberglass. It follows that this complete sealing of the home makes it more energy efficient than traditional fiberglass. Energy Star found that up to 30% of a home’s energy loss comes from air leakage. This is where spray foam excels. It is more than just an insulator—it also is a sealer which reduces or eliminates energy loss from air leakage.

Regarding air leakage, spray foam is unique in its ability to be applied literally to any place an air leak may occur. It can be used along the roof line, in holes for wiring and plumbing, around HVAC ducts, and along the edges of doors and windows. No matter how large or small the gap, spray foam can seal it. And because it is applied under pressure it can find its way into places where the human eye wouldn’t be able to detect a leak. Even if there are no actual leaks, spray foam can fill otherwise un-insulated spaces to improve the overall insulation quality of your home.

The U.S. Department of Energy conducted a study that proved spray foam, when properly installed, held up to the test of time while also providing superior insulation and sealing properties. And, though it’s an unusual and unique application, the U.S. Army found that use of spray foam in their enclosed desert tents reduced their energy costs by 50%.

One of the primary areas where spray foam is used is on the underside of the roof (generally, the overhead part of the attic). And since the roof is the primary collector and dissipater of heat, the use of spray foam in this location allows it to perform with highest efficiency. Additionally, most homes are built without insulation applied directly to the underside of the roof, so just the mere presence of any insulation there is an improvement. And with spray foam’s unique abilities to conform to any surface and fill or cover all cracks and crevices, the thermal efficiency improvement can be dramatic.

Spray foam—especially closed cell—is simply a better insulator than fiberglass. Closed cell foam has approximately twice the R-Value per inch than that of fiberglass. This does not take into account its sealing a crevice-finding abilities—just the nature of spray foam’s chemical makeup means that it is a better insulating material. In fact, Renewable Energy World quotes a government finding that homes treated with spray foam insulate approximately 50% better than homes without it.

Have you ever been in an attic in the middle of summer? The heat can be stifling. But it’s possible for spray foam to keep attic temperatures within ten degrees of living space temperatures. By keeping the attic cooler, it makes it easier for the HVAC system to keep the living spaces cooler, therefore lowering overall energy costs.

Three Types of Heat Transfer

As mentioned, spray foam blocks or greatly reduces heat transfer. But there are actually three types of heat transfer:

Conductive – the flow of heat through an object from a higher to a lower temperature.

Radiant – when heat in the form of light is emitted by warm surfaces.

Convective – heat that is transported by a gas or fluid, such as water or air.

Spray foam is effective at handling all three types of heat transfer, thus making it a superior insulating material.

Does My Home Need Spray Foam?

Spray foam is a great option for just about any home, whether upgrading an existing structure or installation during new construction. However, it is important to note that all the glowing positives said about spray foam in this post are highly dependent on one thing—professional installation. Even the U.S. government noted that the benefits of spray foam are dependent on proper installation. So...

An inspection by a qualified insulation expert and a consultation with that expert about your concerns and needs is the next step in learning more about spray foam. At Koala Insulation, our technicians are experts in all kinds of insulation materials and installation techniques. Our experts bring state-of-the-art equipment with them to thoroughly inspect your home or building top to bottom, inside and out. They will give you a detailed assessment of your home. They will design a custom solution to meet your needs, consider your concerns, and help answer your questions. And since every home is unique, your expert may suggest a combination of installation options to protect your home from cold, heat, moisture, and pests. They will know if spray foam should be used in your home and, if so, what type and brand is best.

Don’t forget the investment you make today will reap years of energy-saving benefits. Contact us now to schedule a consultation to start your journey toward higher energy efficiency.