Spray Foam Insulation- In Older Homes Part 2/3

[HomeEnergyNow]

Figure the BTU load of your house. Use R-value, air exchange rate, sqft surface envelope, ft3 of air. Compare insulations: Loosefill R-60 ceiling, R-15 in 3 1/2", less sqft of envlope than spray foaming the roof deck, less ft3 of air to condition, each house can be as tight as you want, ideal is .35ACH. Spray foams max out in the R-30's, more envelope, more ft3 air. Either can be as tight as you want. Winner: Loose-fill It is that simple, just ignore the pretty worded propaganda from spray foam

[moviesforrandy]

how much does it cost per 10ft x 8ft x 4in. trying to get an ideal how much it will cost to do my old home.

[HomeEnergyNow]

How many barrels of oil are swept up bagged and thrown away after these jobs to never decompose in a dump somewhere? I see our insulation distributers dumpsters packed with this stuff all the time. That looks like@ 30% of the material. Doesn't seem too "green" at all.

[MrD1etzz]

@HomeEnergyNow The point of it is that it reduces environmental impact by providing a very good insulator so the home keeps in all of its produced heat rather than just letting it blow out. The savings in this type of material is in labor hours and in the saving of fossil fuels that run heating units in homes. The reason why you see "so much" wasted product is because it expands when applied, that is why this method is so good. In reality there is very little product actually wasted.

[HomeEnergyNow]

@MrD1etzz I take it you dont have any home energy licensing or knowledge? Spray foam is half the R value in the ceiling as the popular insulations, and it has the same wall R-value at much higher costs,so as an insulator it is overall INFERIOR. Insulation as a sealant?Every wall has two air barriers, try to seal the existing air barriers properly rediculous to think you need a third barrier.Try to calculate btu gains/losses in a home, trust me, of the big three, foam performs the worst

[8906cwf]

@HomeEnergyNow hmm i dont see how you think it doesnt have good R value... it has an R value of R-7 per inch (close cell) and stops all air from passing through which is a huge heat loss fiberglass has an R value of 11 for 3''... that would be a R-21 if it was foam, and no air would make it through, i agree with the ceiling though. it should not be sprayed on it, blown cellulos or blown fiberglass is better for that purpose.

[HomeEnergyNow]

@8906cwf I believe closed cell becomes a vapor barrier after 3", which isn't recommended anywhere but the extreme north. A cheap layer of rigid foam on the outside of a wall is superior to expensive layer of closed cell inside the wall. Fiberglass can go to R-15 in a wall, which if you look at cost return numbers, anything past r-15 in walls in most climates in the US, is pissing money away. You already have two required air barriers, if they are letting air through, don't blame the fiberglass

[8906cwf]

@HomeEnergyNow i kinda see what you are saying but im from central illinois and foam is recommended heavily around here. closed cell is a vapor barrier at 1'' open cell is at 3'' because its more pourous letting moisture through easier. we also do what is called a flash n batt its 1/2 nominal closed cell foam and then a fiberglass batt over that (size depending on what your house is built with...2x4, 2x6...) houses are so pourly built these days you cant/never trust that they are sealed

[HomeEnergyNow]

@8906cwf No, no professional recommends spray foam in any climate. Ask a good A/C guy that can actually do a BTU load. You are so wrong about houses today it is funny, I take it you don't own a blower door? Houses are getting too tight w/out foam. Just ask the IRC, IACC who started requiring mechanical ventilation in all new homes because of this. That is why foam is extremely stupid, people don't realize homes are already too tight. Igloo cooler? Yeah if your selling foam thats what you want.

[HomeEnergyNow]

@8906cwf There is one important thing being forgot in housing and it's thanks in part by all the ignorance and propaganda from spray foams. You want your walls to breathe! The V in HVAC stands for ventilation. The reason A/C guys haven't had to worry about it in residential is because in new construction today, houses are pretty damn close to proper fresh air flow. Go sealing them up too tight, now the a/c guy pokes a hole to bring fresh air, so you waste your time sealing it tight. Get it?

[8906cwf]

@HomeEnergyNow no not neccesarily, the best thing is to seal your house up completly...like a foam cooler, then put in a air recirculator with a HEPA filter. a misconception that your house has to breathe is very common. some people say it will help you from getting sick easier and what not but thats were the filter comes in on the air reciculator. idk where you are from but there are different codes for every county and especially different states

[HomeEnergyNow]

@8906cwf Seal it tight/ventilate it right, been around for over 50 years, and isn't popular for a reason, nor will it ever be. Really, if you want an easy way to point out an inexperienced builder, is that quote. Tight homes will never become standard unless the A/C industry allows it, most wont', its a risk NOT worth paying. To save what? ERV costs 1500$ or 80$/yr interest. Seal w/foam extra 2000$ or 100$/yr in interest. Cost to run ERV @40$ !!! 220$/yr to save 60$ !!!! Not popular why? Oh!

[HomeEnergyNow]

@8906cwf So, to send more to lender than you will save in energy, use foam. Funniest part about foam, it does not seal that well, the tightest home we tested had no foam. Spray foam is not sprayed on the top three leakiest places in a home, doors, windows, wall plates. It is usually sprayed directly on to an AIR BARRIER. Something like 4x8sheets easily sealed at the seams, but you think spray the whole wall?walls breathing is not misconception=PROFESSIONAL. By far most reliable fresh air source!

[HomeEnergyNow]

@8906cwf Ever seen how many people do well at keeping their HVAC filter clean? Now you think add a second filter in a black box somewhere and there will be no problems with anybody keeping it clean? You do realize this is family health here? When that magical HEPA filter that filters out ZERO harmful VOC'S and is there to trick gullible people gets dirty the family's health is at hand. Reason one through ten why PROFESSIONALS ignore the propaganda BS and let homes breathe, at .35 ACH.

[HomeEnergyNow]

@MrD1etzz "In reality there is very little product actually wasted." Dumpsters full bud, I have also seen foam cut off filled clear plastic bag mountains at the landfill. Compared with the popular choices for insulation, it is by far the most wastefull product. Look into it, the most production waste, the worst performance (loose fills go to R-60), the most job site waste. It is all around the EXACT OPPOSITE of "green" Non biodegradeable petroleum product high cost low performance.

[MsHotstuff2000]

hi guys can you give me any info on the blade you are using can not get them here in aus thanks mark