DIY spray foam insulation

Started by new land owner, February 17, 2011, 06:33:09 AM

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new land owner

I have been seen the DIY shows using a two part DIY foam and was wondering if anyone has tried it?

I was also wondering how much it would cost to use this product.

MaineRhino

After much discussion, we decided to use the two part foam spray. It worked very well, although if I did it again I would wait until the temp reached at least 70. It makes a big difference in ease of application.

It's also a very messy job!!














It has really made a major difference in the warmth of the floor!

It think it runs appx. $700 for the two part system.



Squirl

I have not done it, but I have researched the cost.  It is around $1 per board foot. I found it to be one of the most expensive insulations per R value, if not the most expensive.  It is mostly used in areas where square footage is a problem to being lost to insulation, such as trailers and in urban housing. With that being said, I am heavily considering it for my place.  The recent issue in Home Power magazine recommended it as an initial layer before conventional (fiberglass/cellulose) insulation.  It is a fast, easy way of sealing most of the air gaps in conventional stick fame construction.  For a very air tight building, it can't be beat.   The article took a very detailed look at R value, cost, and return.  I recommend it.  The author came to the conclusion, that a 2x8 or larger wall was best.  This reduced the number of studs for stud heat loss.  It also gave plenty of extra room for insulation.  They used a layer of foam board on the outside, to cover for the stud heat loss, also they spray foamed an initial layer on the inside sheathing and around the studs to seal out all air leaks.  They used very detailed software to show performance per $ spent.  IIRC, they even compared this to heating costs, to calculate the greatest return.  Also check with a local contractor first.  They buy in bulk, and can sometimes do it as cheap as you can with a kit.  The 55 gallon drums of spray foam drop in cost when you are buying them by the truck load.

BassLakeBucki

I have nearly the same situation as MainRhino, I need to insulate a cabin floor on piers over a crawlspace. I have about 16" at the one end which I hope can reached with some kind of extended wand. I am also considering other forms of insulation but not sure how to best retrofit to hold up fiberglass, cellulose etc. Critters making nests can also be a problem.

I am going to get estimates to see how much to have the spray foam done professionally since it is a small cabin (15 X 20) and I am not that far out from a metro area. My concerns are the equipment and the cost of the material if I screw it up. As can be seen in MainRhino's pictures, it's a nasty job. Sometimes some things are worth hiring out, even for a diehard DIYer.

Here is link to a cabin blog of another person who did spray foam himself. He discusses some of the challenges he faced.

http://n74tg.blogspot.com/

builderboy

Block your critters out. They'll chew thru foam for breakfast & come back for lunch.


klorinth

BassLakeBucki,

If you can't move easily in the space then don't do it yourself. You will have the same issues that MaineRhino had doing theirs. You need to have space to work or be very experienced at it. If you look at their pics you will see where the foam is thick and where they have missed spots, not to mention the mess. If you have space to work and you can do a nice even spray you will get good coverage, even thickness, and minimal mess.

I had my place done with Icynene. They were fast and efficient. The difference was instantly noticeable.

I also checked that blog out. He is doing a lot of foam. Much bigger job then I would ever recommend for DIY. Not with this stuff. You need the right equipment and experience for that. The kits that I would use are completely self contained. No mixing of hoses and canisters. One set for each. That is it. Spray until the canisters are done. Open the new ones up, spray until done. Got to keep it simple. As soon as you start trying to do what the professionals do, you will have problems.
"If there is a way to overcome the suffering, then there is no need to worry; if there is no way to overcome the suffering, then there is no use in worrying." Shantideva

BassLakeBucki

Thanks for the comments. Somehow I thought critters would not like the spray foam. The underside of the cabin is enclosed between the piers with treated plywood around the sides and cement board panels on the front. Regardless, I have seen mice and chipmonks disappear underneath into the tinyest of gaps. I will need to make sure it is completely sealed.

On the having an experienced applicator do the work, I am starting to see the wisdom of this in some cases. I know the material is expensive and messing up can erase any savings.

I just witnessed this in my excavation work. I was going to rent a small excavator to dig out some of the hill behind the cabin including two tree stumps. A friend referred me to a guy with a backhoe and loader. He is a local well driller trying to fill his down time with side work. He did all the work for about what the rental would have cost me and was done in the amount of time I would have spent just to pick up and return the excavator. His experience allowed him to get a tree stump out that would have really "stumped" me. Plus, we were digging right up to the cabin allowing little room for error.
He also agreed to return for the second part of my excavation when I was ready, so as not to leave an open hole that would have collapsed before I could return to finish it (I am 350 miles away).

I know sometimes you say your own time costs you nothing, but in this case I was able to complete other work that was needed and will eliminate an additional trip up there for me.

texasgun

Sometime pros are an absolute bargin like a couple of months ago I found a guy with his own backhoe that I got to help with my septic system digging 60.00 an hour no delivery charges. We were finished in 6 hours with the system only(and that included setting the tank and burying the leech field), taking about 4 hours to do the rest was other things I could not get done with my tractor. I dont think I could of rented a backhoe, hauled it 40 miles each way,overcome the learning curve, and get the job done for double that amount. I thing there is a time for diy and a time to call in the pros and sometime the value is just not there just to say I did it myself. d*
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