Spray Foam Insulation FAQ

Last Updated on February 15, 2022 by Kravelv

While summer is almost gone the autumn is on its way along with its cold rainy weather and chilly winds. Is your home well insulated? Insulation investment is one of the smartest ways to reduce your monthly bills while improving the thermo-characteristics of your house. Spray foam insulation is maybe the easiest from all methods of insulation. By spraying foam into cavities between the walls, window cases, door cases etc you stop cold air and moisture entries and at the same time you improve the internal heating a cooling of the house. Now we will share more light to the most frequent issues which bother the people who have decided to use spray foam insulation.

How it will improve my home?
The heating and cooling efficiency of your house will improve from 20% to 50%, which will also decrease your monthly energy expenses. The air and moisture flow is also reduced to minimum. Lower moisture levels prevents the development of different bacteria, fungus and mold. In addition the cavity sealing stop different pests from entering into your home. Another positive aspect of  spray foam insulation is it excellent qualities of soundproofing. It is suitable for TV studios, offices, gyms and many other structures that have high level of sound pollution. Spray foam insulation stays flexible even after it harden and when applied into your house it acts also as a cushion of the structure and supports it if there are any temperature contraction.

Are there any disadvantages?

A big minus for the spray foam is its cost, when it comes to large areas of insulation coverage. Larger areas must be covered by professionals because they have better equipment,  good supplies, previous experience and knowledge about the special characteristics of the material. If you have to insulate vast areas you will have to pay for the material and the professional labor.
The chemical nature of the foam is another disadvantage. The gas used as spraying agent is not ozone-friendly. The insulation is also flammable which is a great threat to any building. Once on fire the foam releases toxic emissions into the air.

How to apply spray foam?

The foam containers are attached to spraying gun or trigger which allow the user to have control over the amount of foam that is being sprayed. PT Builders Fulham advice is to wear protective gloves and mask during the spreading of the foam. Be aware that the foam increase its size dramatically. When preprepared, carefully spray the insulation into the cavities and wait for the foam to fill them. Usually the foam hardens really fast.

How to remove the excess insulation?

Once the liquid is sprayed into the cavities it immediately turns into foam and expands instantly. Sometimes, especially when we don’t have a lot of experience, the foam insulation spills out of the place it is applied. Once it gets hard, the excess foam can be removed easily by cutting off. There special types of insulation knifes and razor which are developed for that purpose. Be careful not to damage the wall or the internal part of the foam because it may change the insulation characteristics. You can follow the wall or door case border for better cutting control.

How to clean foam insulation?

Cleaning tiny pieces of insulation is easy, all you need is a vacuum cleaner. The insulation edges can be vacuumed carefully also. The larger parts of excess foam have to be collected and discarded. If there are foam marks or stains on a wall, window case, etc do not use cleaning chemicals or acetone because the insulation might created a chemical reaction that could lead to intoxication or fire-hazard situations. The cleaning of unwanted foam is advised to be made with sandpaper or metal-scraper.