DIY Spray Foam Insulation - Poor Man's Spray Foam

[KregJig]

Binford? so are you related to the Binford Tools Binfords? lol :)

[HowToHomeInsulation]

@KregJig Don't I wish...I wouldn't mind having Pamela Anderson as my assistant:)

[pocho31]

Ey Cory I just subscrbe to your channel. One question I did look for something that would talk aboutthe best option to insulate an existin house. I just purchase a house but it was no insulation.I wanted to apply insulation to all exterior walls. The exterior is brick. I was thinking using sprayed insulation trough the interior walls. But I dont know if running pipes or electrical wiring will become an issue in the future. Also I have a lot of windows, What would you reccommend for best option.?

[HowToHomeInsulation]

@pocho31 Hey Pocho31, If you have no insulation in the walls, I'm going to bet you have a poorly insulated attic as well. The first thing I would do is air seal and insulate the attic to R50 or above. It's the cheapest and easiest place to insulate. It will also give you the biggest bang for your buck.

Then I would get bids from several insulation contractors for both slow rise spray foam and dense pack cellulose. DIY slow rise foam kits are available but extremely expensive for a whole house.

[MysticKnight38]

R12 is not very much. Standard 2 x6 studs with fiberglass gets R20. Granted most older homes have 2x4. Me personalty would go with 2 times 2x6 offset. 

[manholewisdom]

How bout a garage ceiling (vaulted) first with some fiberglass in the bays and then hang some iso board on the rafters like drywall and tape with duct board tape , would that create a mold issue at the roofs bottom plywood deck ????

[rbahena82]

Nice job

[pridification]

wouldn't hurt to spray the bottom sill plate also when your at it .

[DontTread0nMe1776]

This could work for RVs too.

[waterwart]

Why is the word "spray" next to the word "foam" in this video? There is no spray foam in this video.

[2bloud]

@waterwart I think he is basicly saying this will replace "spray foam".

[waterwart]

@2bloud uh? nooooo His title clearly states "DIY "Spray Foam Insulation". It SHOULD say something like, DIY Foam board insulation. But, that foam board he used is good stuff. I built a shed out of coldroom storage panels. The stuff inside stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

[jwalk1014]

great idea thanks.

[modblogger1]

thanks for the great video. I would imagine that to do this in a crawl space would be almost impossible. Do you recommend any brands of closed spray foam for a DIY job? Thanks.

[HowToHomeInsulation]

@modblogger1 It would be tough to squeeze through a crawlspace opening and not a lot of fun. But if you have to cut the foam board in smaller pieces and then reassemble it. You can use an acrylic tape like Tyvek tape to put the puzzle back together.

As for spray foam kits...I'd use a Dow Froth-Pak or a kit from Spray Foam Direct

Thanks for watching!

[Imhocep]

Corey, i was going to use this method to insulate my band joist in the basement, but there are alot of wires staples to it on the "gable side" (the long sides), all the way across the joist..this prevents the foam board form being directly applied to the joist..do i just get it as close as possible? or carve out the impression of the wires in the foam board? or something else? I cannot move the wires, which would be the easiest thing to do.

[HowToHomeInsulation]

@Imhocep Sorry I took so long. I had the same thing on my gable side wall in my basement. I pulled the staples holding the wires with a pair of pliers. Then I stapled the wires to the bottom of the joists. It was a pain in the #$%^. If I were you, I would try to get as close as possible. You might be able to wedge the foam board in between the subfloor and the top of the foundation wall then air seal with Great Stuff or silicone caulk. You could tuck fiberglass against the wires for + rvalue.

[Imhocep]

@HowToHomeInsulation this project just got dropped in the priority, but I dont think I have enough slack to push the wires to the top or bottom , so i guess ill just get it as close as I can? there will be the width of the wires air gapo between the foam board and the joist, is that a big deal? (this is why i was thinking of maybe hollowing out the foam board a bit)

[B0R1K]

Hi There, Great Video.

Quick Question: I will be replacing one of the drywall as it got Moisture Damage, i am assuming from poor insulation(i notice water condensation there few times), what are my options?

Thank you.

[HowToHomeInsulation]

@B0R1K It's hard to answer without pictures. If warm, moist air is condensing against a section of your wall, you may have a leaky wall. Look for gaps or holes in the wall cavity where cold air is rushing in. This would make the drywall cold and allow moisture to condense on it. Air sealing the gaps or holes with Great Stuff or silicone caulk will stop the cold air. Poor Man's spray foam will also seal off air leaks making an air tight wall cavity.

[laferriere78]

am not shure what climate zone u live in but I see rigid foam only belongs outside on the framing or on top of the sheathing. Otherwise the exterior sheathing will still freeze and the dew point is now inside the wall cavity.(=mold and mildew and wood rot)

Think about where water vapor will condence. If you put enough exterior insulation, and the entire structure stays warm, water vapor will not condence in the wall cavity.

Think about it. where is "Dew Point"

[bobothewiz]

Great video. Would I be able to use this same method in a metal pole building? Basically would I be able to apply it directly to the metal siding inside in between the 2x4s and use it as a vapor barrier and insulation?

[gggmattic]

Great Video, just one question I want to insulate a basement washroom and since it has 2 walls that are exterior and that are already studded, my question is could this work for my application? and if not what could work for it?

[HowToHomeInsulation]

@gggmattic I think this is your best approach. Use XPS or extruded polystyrene foam board for basement walls. Owens Corning makes Foamular brand and Dow's is called Styrofoam. Try to squirt some of the Great Stuff behind the studs if there's gaps between the concrete block wall and the stud.

[gggmattic]

@HowToHomeInsulation Thanks, It took me 2 days and the washroom is warmer then before, really appreciate it

[brokenbrush]

Great idea But are you aware of the new DIY spray foam kits? Well i'm don't seen to be able to get the R value in the spray it yourself kit info. AT least you tell us what the R value is. And again this is a good system too.I have done it to a wall and it was good.

[HowToHomeInsulation]

@brokenbrush I think the foam insulation kits are awesome. But they are a little pricey for what you get. For $675 you get 600 board feet of coverage at 1" depth. It's definitely faster, but for an extra hour of time you can save a ton of money with the poor man's method. But I'm sure I'll end up buying a kit for the next attic air sealing job I do.

[brokenbrush]

@HowToHomeInsulation HEY I think it's way out of my price range But I would love to do my mini motor home with it. .

[ahernandez1080]

Great idea, thanks a lot for the tip.

[DJKJSeph]

I don't have a table saw. What else can I use?

[chehsed]

@DJKJSeph Use a 6" putty knife! Sharpen the edge with a file or grinder, then use a metal straight edge and cut the board with the edge of the super thin putty knife. Cuts like butter!

[DJKJSeph]

@chehsed Thanks. chehsed

[HowToHomeInsulation]

@DJKJSeph I use a FatMax long blade snap knife and a metal straight edge to make cuts too. The FatMax knife has a long blade that goes right through the foam insulation. They are only about $12 a the Home Depot.

[brokenbrush]

@DJKJSeph To cut the foam panels you can use a standard kitchen serated edge knife.

[GridJumping]

That is absolutely brilliant! I was trying to figure out how to foam insulate a camper without dropping a fortune on it and this is perfect. Great video.

[HowToHomeInsulation]

@GridJumping Glad you liked it. Let me know how your project goes...

[marianghioda]

Can you tell me what kind of foam exactly are you using? Polystyrene or polyurethane? I understand is closed cell foam.

Thanks!

[HowToHomeInsulation]

@marianghioda I'm using Dow Tuff-R. It's also known as ISO, which is an abbreviation for poly isocyanurate. It's more like a polyurethane material because it has such a low perm rating. Which means it does not allow water to pass through it.

XPS or extruded polystyrene is also a great insulation material for Poor Man's Spray Foam. Either one can create an air tight seal in with a high R-value.

[FLKeyz76]

I'm considering doing this beneath my sunroom floor. (Sunroom is built on top of a wooden deck) Does anyone see any potential issues with this application? Fire hazard?  Premature deterioration?

[HowToHomeInsulation]

@FLKeyz76 I would use XPS foam board underneath your sunroom. XPS is extruded polystyrene foam board. It will let the plywood subflooring to dry, preventing premature deterioration.

Definitely cover all foam insulation with a fire retardant material. For an exterior application, you may need to use something like Durock or Hardi Panel cement board. It's a little more expensive but it can take the elements.

[RetroCaptain]

Good day

When using non-spray applied materials, use a vapour barrier..6mil poly, stapled or best use adhesive.

Goes between joist & backside of drywall.

If you are really counting pennies you could use the white styrofoam & a thin 2lb boardstock.

Cuts noise a bit over the 2lb.

Yes! Def cover ALL "foam" whether spray-on or boardstock. Drywall or Zonolite (Monokote) All foams are highly flammable.

[sturtze42]

I'm doing this now in my story and a half. Check out my videos and thanks for the tip

[HowToHomeInsulation]

@sturtze42 That's quite a project! Let me know how it turns out...

[HowToHomeInsulation]

@CatherinePoloynis Insulating under floors is tough but definitely worth it in the long run.

Personally, I'd rather be jammed in the tiniest corner of an attic than rolling around in a spider infested crawlspace. But you only have to do it once, right?

[HowToHomeInsulation]

Hey Gary, you can put the foam in direct contact with the subfloor or with exterior plywood. If you're going to be installing the foam panels over your head from the basement, screw the panels to the subfloor first. Hook some 5/16" clear tubing to the end of the Great Stuff nozzle to help get the foam up over head.

[Garynoles]

Question: it appears that you do not "bottom out" the foam panels, but leave a space behind them, correct? Would you recommend this for under an exposed subfloor & floor joists/basement ceiling, if not what would you recommend? Thanks! 

[TheyCallMePICK]

Nice job man! Thanks!

[HowToHomeInsulation]

I sheet of 2" thick TUFF-R foam insulation is about $32. And the Great Stuff is about $4 a can...So $40 for the entire project. That's about $1.25 per square foot.

[HowToHomeInsulation]

You're totally right about most fires starting in the kitchen. There's still lots of flammable stuff in most garages that can easily start a fire.

[freepamia]

About how much does this cost per square foot

[svenglezz]

Pretty sure most fires in a home start in the Kitchen, check NFPA stats' and great vid'

[HowToHomeInsulation]

Whatever you do, don't leave the foam board exposed... Make sure to cover the foam board with a fire rated material like drywall. Especially if you're planning on putting it in a garage ceiling with a bedroom above it. Most household fires start in the garage and most types of foam are flammable. 

[gvblk4yt]

good Idea I have one bedroom above the garage that has the Pink fiber glass R-19 I think we need to do foam so I might try this In Arizona gets to be 105 in the garage and 115 outside