I get many questions from builders and homeowners about my company and doing their job with spray foam. So I thought I would do a section on what I get asked and foam recommendations.
Are you Licensed? Yes ,I have a residential builders license with the state of Michigan. Be aware of hiring company's that are not licensed to do insulation in the state of Michigan.
Are you Insured? Yes, I can provide a copy of my insurance. Don't hesitate to call an insurance company to make sure a policy is active.
What kind of equipment do you use? We use top of the line Graco spray foam equipment. Our sprayer is computer controlled to insure that the foam is mixed 100% accurate and will shut the machine down if it detects something wrong. If the foam is not mixed correctly it can off gas, or essentially never fully cure and that can cause a lot of problems which could mean removing all the foam that was put in and then needing to be replaced with new foam, a costly mistake that can happen with older or non computerized equipment. Don't be afraid to ask and see their equipment prior to hiring a foamer. If they give you a BS excuse about what they use, move on.
Do we need to provide you with electric at our jobsite? No. Our rig is equipped with a 40k generator that powers all of our equipment.
What kind of foam do you use? We only use Closed Cell Foam. It provides a vapor barrier and is waterproof. It also strengthens a building up. We Do Not use open cell foam and Do Not recommend it being used in Michigan's cold climate. There is plenty of info out there if you google it about why not to use it in cold climates.
How thick do you put it on? That depends on the job. Normally 2 inches on the walls and 4 inches on the roof deck. We evaluate each job and recommend a thickness and explain why we chose that thickness.
Will you put less than 2 inches of foam on? The short answer is NO! Ultimately you hire me to make sure that the foam is put on at the correct depth to meet code and to make sure no other problems arise. If the foam is put on less than an inch and a half you can get condensation through the foam. I won't risk that and will only do a minimum of 2 inches. The only exception would be an interior wall that you want 1 inch to help with sound and it's not exposed to external temps, then we can do that.
Why do I have estimates from company's using Open Cell? There are several reasons why we don't use it. It does not provide a vapor barrier. It takes roughly 3 times the amount to equal closed cell. It can absorb water like a sponge and adds no strength to a building like closed cell. When open cell is sprayed to roof decks in northern climates such as Michigan it can cause pockets of air between the foam and sheeting and will cause the condensation to form on the sheeting and foam and will eventually lead to mold. You can google many homes that have had to have open cell removed from roof decks and mold removed and re foamed with closed cell. Its use is mainly in the southern states and they're starting to switch to closed cell to give structures more strength in hurricane zones. The only real suitable use for it up here in the northern climates is for sound barriers on interior walls and floor joists that don't meet exterior walls.
What all do you spray foam? We do new homes, remodels, basements, crawlspaces , sheds and just about anything you want foamed, I've even done an outdoor wood boiler.
Do you spray pole barns? Yes. We have done plenty of pole barns and spray foam is the only way to completely seal up a barn with all the ribs in the steel.
Do you spray underneath mobile homes? Yes. The best way to seal up a mobile home is to have it spray foamed. Critters get up in the fiberglass and tear it down and make messes. Spraying foam under your mobile home will seal it up and you don't have to worry about bugs or critters tearing that down. It will also provide warmer floors, a warmer home, and lower heating costs in the winter.
Do you flash and batt? NO. Probably most of you don't know what flash and batt is, its when you spray about an inch of foam and put fiberglass batts over it. Spraying an inch of foam is a waste of money. Besides being too thin to accomplish any kind of insulation, it can let condensation through and cause possible mold behind the batts. The best insulation is all foam and no batts. There is a video you can google that actually shows a home that was not sprayed correctly and they put batts over the foam and didn't see the condensation leaking through until after the drywall was done. All the drywall and insulation had to be removed and re spray foamed the appropriate thickness.