Spray foam insulation

[Yellowknife]

Curious, I read that a sealed house is a sick house? Airflow needed to prevent mold etc. etc. I know it was used alot in Canada before here in the US. I like the idea , but not sure.

Airflow is needed... but far better off to have it controlled, conditioned and filtered, rather than just leaking around windows and outlets. A modern house, built tight, will have mechanical ventilation. There are various ways to do it, but IMO a well sealed house with a Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRV) or Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV) is the ideal for northern climates. I'm sure there is a version of that for the southern humid climates as well.

The amount of mold and rot that can develop in an old leaky northern house has to be seen to be believed.

 

[SCHUNTER73]

If you are in an area that has termites, do your homework.

 

[Beendare]

Airflow is needed... but far better off to have it controlled, conditioned and filtered, rather than just leaking around windows and outlets. A modern house, built tight, will have mechanical ventilation. There are various ways to do it, but IMO a well sealed house with a Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRV) or Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV) is the ideal for northern climates. I'm sure there is a version of that for the southern humid climates as well.

The amount of mold and rot that can develop in an old leaky northern house has to be seen to be believed.

Yep...in a sealed home in the south add a dehumidifier to that ERV.

Insulation's effectiveness is easy to check these days with the hand held infrared heat sensors. Put your hand on the sheetrock of a house on a hot/cold day and you can tell it's fiberglass insulation- very little benefit unless the home is wrapped with a foam board.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

How is my Sitka hoodie so much warmer and better at blocking wind than a cheap cotton hoodie?

There's definitely some shady guys running spray foam companies, same as every other small service business...

But science is real, and different chemicals have different R values.

There's a reason we don't build houses the way we did 20 or 40 or 60 years ago...

Well im just saying what I have researched and found.No one said it can’t be done but there’s more to it than just spraying foam.
Your Sitka jacket is 300.00 not 300000.00
Were your rain gear in the wrong application and see how that works out.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Hvac guy here.

Foam insulation is a fantastic choice in terms of R value. I have it in my own home.

I did have to drop size on my HVAC system due to the sizing being wrong. It doesn't impact your HVAC system efficiency. Period.

It also air seals your home. If you relied on a "leaky" building envelope for your fresh air, then yeah, it's gonna 'cause' mold. Your home needs to be ventilated. An ERV/HRV is what would do that for you.

It's not always a simple and direct job, but I count foam insulation as some of the best money I've ever spent on my home.

 

[Yellowknife]

. Put your hand on the sheetrock of a house on a hot/cold day and you can tell it's fiberglass insulation- very little benefit unless the home is wrapped with a foam board.

There are also better ways to do fiberglass than the old cut and fit batts as well. My current house we stapled netting to the studs and blew dense pack fiberglass in behind it. It makes for a near perfect install, with zero cold spots.

 

[IDVortex]

Spray foam is a game changer...IF;
1) the product is mixed right
2) its used correctly

It's not one size fits all- there is open cell and closed cell to be used in different situations. The insulating value of foam is far superior to Fiberglass.

IMO from years of doing this stuff; Loose fiberglass batts is crummy insulation. Rock wool batts and foam is fantastic

If my wife and I ever are able to build our own home, this is what I plan on doing, and I think is the best practice without paying a pretty penny for a solid spray foam.

2in of close cell as my air and moisture barrier, than rock roll to fill in the cavity. Best of both worlds. And I even want to spray foam my attic area with 2in of close cell then either do batts or just do blow in. But I also would love to build a air tight home which is why I'll do spray foam first.

Spray foam is a great product if used in a system. Spraying it in certain areas doesn't always mean you're achieving the products full potential, let alone getting your ROI back from it. Most importantly, use a very well known applicator. Spray foam isn't something you go with the cheapest quote on at all.

 

[def90]

Just like everything else construction wise it all depends. If it's installed correctly based on the structure that is there it's great. If you just go and fill your roof trusses full of it without the proper airflow and so on in the structure then yes you will have problems.