Before moving on, let’s make one thing clear. Every product or service has its own limitations and there’s no such thing as “A Complete Winner” in spray foam insulation as well. But, since you’ve made up your mind about getting your house insulated, you need to learn these things all by yourself, because they (spray foam services) wouldn’t tell you at all.
The Basics
It’s always better to start with developing your own understanding about the product. So, here you go.
- Spray foam comes in two flavors, open cell and closed cell, and provides both parts of the building envelope – the insulation and the air barrier.
- The building envelope should completely surround the conditioned space, and the insulation needs to be in contact with the air barrier.
- Since spray foam is both insulation and air barrier, proper alignment of insulation and air barrier is guaranteed.
Well, there are some good spray foam insulation Toronto services that will take the responsibility if anything goes wrong within just a few months of application. Services, such as Foam Works Spray Foam insulations have been in the business for years, and they’ve satisfied a large number of customers too. In fact, they are the ones who have provided solutions to customers’ queries (including complains) and are brave enough to share what exactly were the pitfalls of poor spray foam applications.
So, make sure you talk to the spray foam service provider about the following things beforehand.
Problem – 1: Not Thick Enough
Since closed cell foam has a higher R-value per inch, installers generally spray 2″ in walls and 3″ in rooflines to meet the energy code requirements of R-13 and R-19, respectively.
- Open cell foam usually fills the framing cavity completely, so it’s easy to tell if the installer has sprayed enough.
- Closed cell foam doesn’t fill the cavity, so you’ve got to spot check in a bunch of places to make sure you don’t get shorted.
Problem – 2: Can Miss Air Leakage Sites
You may have a serious problem in the house, during rain or snow. It may happen that the spray foam installers missed some areas at the soffit in the attic above the master bedroom, and gaps around the tray ceiling allowed the humid air into the room, where it naturally found the cold surface to condense on.One of spray foam’s biggest selling points is its air-sealing ability, but it can’t seal places where it’s not sprayed.
Problem – 3: Improper Insulation in Complex Structures
In complex houses, seeing exactly where the building envelope is can be a challenge. If the installer misses areas, it may or may not be an air leak, but it will definitely be a thermal bypass because of the lack of insulation.
Sometimes, the installer sprays extra foam because they haven’t identified the location of the building envelope, the boundary between conditioned and unconditioned space. In the photo below, that wall with foam all over it has conditioned space on both sides. The homeowner paid extra and got nothing for it.
Conclusion
By now, you’ve understood why it’s so important to be there on the site. You need to monitor how spray foam contractors Toronto are doing and what areas should be re-insulated. So, hire a responsible service.