Comfort is always a priority, whether you just invested in your first home, have recently moved into a new one, or are renovating your existing property. You want to make the area more comfortable for your household and your guests. One way you can do this is by investing in decent temperature regulation methods to keep you warm during winter and cool during summer.
When you’re looking for something to insulate your home efficiently, consider spray foam kits.
You might find yourself asking, “how does spray foam insulation work?” To put it simply, the product retains heat effectively, consequently lowering energy costs and utility bills. It results in comfortable and energy-efficient homes with quality insulation.
For installation, you may either use DIY spray foam insulation or look for professional installers to do the work, instead. Having said that, you need sufficient knowledge about both methods before deciding which one is more suitable for your specific needs.
Consider DIY Spray Foam Insulation Kits
Homeowners who want to install spray foam insulation themselves look into DIY spray foam kits such as Foam It Green and Tiger Foam.
Foam It Green is a DIY spray foam kit that considerably reduces your household’s heating and cooling costs. The insulating material has a high R-value — or thermal resistance determined by the type of insulation, thickness, and density; it features an R-value of 7 in a mere one-inch layer.
This type of DIY spray foam insulation does not just keep your home warm, though. It also enhances the indoor environment. It improves indoor air quality, eliminates drafts, withstands peak wind loads, and deters mold and pests. It also adds structural support and dulls sounds coming from the outside.
Simply put, Foam It Green is an all-around product that provides both air insulation and acts as a moisture barrier. As such, it saves on construction costs that you can instead use on other home maintenance or renovation-related expenses.
On the other hand, you may consider Tiger Foam’s DIY spray foam insulation products. The brand provides kits that demonstrate high performance which result in savings on monthly energy bills. Its product sprays provide good value for money, to the satisfaction of its customers.
Furthermore, Tiger Foam uses high-quality materials without CFCs, VOCs, PENTA-BDEs, and formaldehyde. You can install the insulation knowing that your family’s health is not at risk.
Whichever product you choose, you will save on the cost of hiring professional installers if you go the DIY way – this is what people find attractive about dealing with insulation on their own.
Catalog the Benefits of Spray Foam Insulation
Spray foam kits are often used for the walls and ceilings of new homes. DIY spray foam insulation, however, is a suitable choice if you need to seal minor cracks and gaps along walls, vents, or other house fixtures. Either way, the product provides financial advantages for your household.
Initially, spray foam insulation possibly reduces the heating and cooling costs that greatly affect your overall utility bills. Energy cost reduction is probably the most common benefit of this insulation type, but it wouldn’t hurt to point out that spray foam reduces the strain on your HVAC system, as well. It keeps warm air inside your home and prevents cold outdoor air from seeping through small cracks and into the indoor area.
On a related note, spray foam kits have no additional maintenance cost. Once you have foamed the walls, ceilings, and cracks of home, you no longer need to worry about maintenance or replacement.
Spray foam has also proven its environmental resilience. This type of insulation addresses moisture damage and can protect homes from changes in the weather, allowing you to save on repairs and weatherproofing.
Moisture damage occurs when the air condenses within the insulation — usually with the external transition from warm, moist air to cold, dry air. But since spray foam is an airtight insulation, it prevents air from entering and causing condensation, which then leads to moisture damage. Furthermore, the material stands as a weatherproofing agent that protects your home during extreme weather.
Additionally, spray foam kits contribute to overall home comfort. This type of insulation reduces outside noise and decreases the amount of dust and pollen that enter your home’s interior.
Ensure the Quality of Spray Foam Insulation Installation
DIY spray foam insulation kits offer the mentioned benefits; and, on top of the common benefits, choosing DIY lets you save on the fees that professional installers typically charge. But, there’s a downside to the DIY route: one wrong move, no matter how minor it may seem, could affect the overall functionality and efficiency of your insulation.
When you do spray foam insulation entirely by yourself, you’re risking installation mishaps. You are also more susceptible to using low-quality products. So, when you’re installing spray foam insulation, take note of the risks you must deal with.
First, the spray foam may not be thick enough. Spray foam insulation comes in two categories: open cell and closed cell, both of which insulate and act as an air barrier of the house structure. With DIY installation, however, you might miscalculate how thick the foam should be. This typically involves closed cell foam because it doesn’t completely fill the framing cavity, but it also happens with the other kind of cell foam.
Second, spray foam insulation should be airtight and if you choose DIY installation, you might miss certain air leakage areas. Even some professional installers overlook small cracks and gaps, causing the humidity in the air to interact with cold surfaces, a process which results in condensation. Consequently, you might have to later spend on otherwise preventable repairs. This likewise highlights the value of considering a reliable insulation company for your needs.
Third, you might spray too little or too much foam. Your home’s building envelope — which is a challenging concept on its own — requires proper alignment with the insulation to avoid excess heat loss and gain. You experience thermal bypass if you miss some areas, but you waste materials if you spray unnecessary extra foam.
And fourth, the material might contract and separate from the frame. When the spray foam pulls away from the base, it will lead to otherwise preventable heat loss or gain. While there is a lower risk of this happening than the first three risks, it is still a potential result of incorrect installation.
These are only some of the risks that come along with DIY installation. Having said that, think about hiring a trusted professional to do the job for you, instead.
Consider Professional Installation
Spray foam kits may be readily available for DIY installation. Nevertheless, because working with spray foam is not a walk in the park, you might want to consider working with professional installers for reliable home insulation. This way, you guarantee that the insulation is effective, cost-efficient, and provides optimum comfort in your home. In the long run, professional installation may be more cost-efficient after all, as you do away with potential damage to your property, wastage of materials, and other costly errors.
Discuss spray foam insulation concerns with your local insulation services provider to figure out exactly what your home needs.