Can I install foam spray insulation myself?

[henry kemp]

What are the require tool for install foam spray insulation. What are the points should be clear in our mind to install the foam spray?


Any idea, suggestion

[Jason White]

Not really. You can get a "portable" 2-part spray foam insulation kit. It comes in a box with two small tanks and a mixing nozzle, but the kit costs about $400 and is mainly for touch up work. Not cost effective to use it for an entire room.

Jason


What are the require tool for install foam spray insulation. What are the points should be clear in our mind to install the foam spray?


Any idea, suggestion

[Jason Roehl]

My painting partner used several of those kits. The coverage was about half of what was advertised. When it was all said and done, it would have been cheaper to have someone do it--the pros buy the 2 part systems in 55-gal drums, so they pay much, much less per unit of measure.

[Gary Venable]

I used a product called TigerFoam http://www.tigerfoam.com/ to do a small bathroom. Followed the directions and it worked as advertised. I wouldn't do a large room but for me this worked very well.

[Ben Cadotte]

The DIY spray foam kits can be used effectively. But you need to make sure the temp is right to get full expansion from it. The temp needs to be stable around 70 degrees at least. Tanks need to be at that temp before using! The cost is about $1.05 a board foot (yes they use the wood term). So 1" of foam in a 12" x 12" square. I looked into it for my house, and then called a contractor. Their price was $.85 a board foot. It may be lower now since homebuilding has gone down. If you need more than 1 wall to do, I would call a contractor for estimates.

[Ron Knapp]

I used the tigerfoam kit to do my Garage/Workshop. The area is 24X26 and I received a quote of $3,000 for a local spray foam contractor. This was for the walls and the first floor ceiling (over 8') and not the second level. The quote was ok with me considering that they would fill the cavities and scrap everything down. The problem I have is that the area had my woodworking machinery in it and the contractor needed to get in, get the job done and get out. A few of my friend thought about moving the machinery to one half letting them spray, moving the machinery over and letting them finish. I would have also had to remove all the wall hung stuff I had and after considering the problems I decided I would have to do the job myself at a slower pace.

I basically used encapsulated fiberglass insulation but although it is easy to trim for length it is more difficult to trim to fit non standard bays such as in the corners. I decided to use the foam kit for the difficult to fit locations and any remaining foam I used for the more common areas. The kit was a little over $300.00 and includes the foam canisters for about 200 sq ft @ 1”, Rubber Gloves, Goggles, a tyvek suit and numerous spare nozzles which snap on the foam gun. The nozzles are need because if you stop or pause to long the nozzle foam hardens and you have to replace it. I believe they have a deal where for $600.00+ dollars they will give you three kits so if one won’t do it you can get a deal.

It process worked fine but as someone else has already noted you need to have the temperature around 70 degrees and the tanks also have to fairly warm. The tanks have a temperature strip on them and you can see if the temperature is ok for spraying. You can keep the tanks warm in the house as there is nothing really dangerous in the tanks.

One complaint I have is that the hoses from the tanks could have used a couple more feet in length. When I was spraying the ceiling area in the corners I had to get on a ladder and the hoses were too short to reach. I had to move a table around with me to set the tanks on so that I could reach the corners.

I haven’t quite finished everything but I’ve been able to heat the area with a 4000 watt 240 volt heater. During the coming year I’ll look into adding some type of other heat but the 240 volt didn’t prove to be as expensive as I thought. I don’t leave the heat on overnight band I have a remote thermometer in the garage and as I progressed with the insulation I could see the garage retained more heat for a longer period of time. I am located in New England which is not the coldest part of the country but during the prime heating season is usually below freezing even during the day.

Can’t think of anything else but if you have a clear area to work in I would check out having it professionally done. It took me some time to work my way around and the total cost of the insulation does add up and I’m sure the professional job would be much more efficient. Given my circumstances I’m pleased with what I was able to accomplish but I don’t feel I achieved a great cost savings.

[David G Baker]

Henry,
On another site that I spend time on the subject has been discussed several times and the result was that it is cheaper to pay someone that is in the business to do the foaming for you. The cost in most cases, the end result is much neater, considerably less messy and more than likely will work better than if you did it your self.
In my opinion the learning curve that you will go through by DIY is going to be a life experience that you may not wish to repeat and you may still end up hiring the work done by a pro any how.

[John Fricke]

We built a new house 3 years ago. All exterior walls and the Joist bands were foamed. It cost just about double what it would have cost to have fiberglass batts installed. Was worth every penny in my estimation. I deliver propane for a living and I use about 2/3 as much gas as many of my customers with much smaller houses. The insulation contractor cmae in and did the whole house in just a few hours. Took them longer to scrape off and bag up the excess than it did to spray it.

[John Daugherty]

It was cheaper for me to have someone spray mine than I could do it myself also. Get a couple estimates.

[henry kemp]

Not really. You can get a "portable" 2-part spray foam insulation kit. It comes in a box with two small tanks and a mixing nozzle, but the kit costs about $400 and is mainly for touch up work. Not cost effective to use it for an entire room.

Jason
Thanks for your so kindly reply.
As you said the kit cost is about $400 so is it long life? I mean to say that can I use it more than one time. And is it easy to use?

[Chuck Isaacson]

Another alternative is to use spray in cellulose insulation. It is made from recycled paper and a chemical to keep it from molding. It has a respectable r-value and it is green. I am getting my 24x61ft garage/shop with 10ft ceilings done for about $2600. I am getting r-21 in the exterior walls, r-13 in an interior separating wall and r-40 in the ceiling. It is pretty good stuff. It also does a good job of stopping sound.

Chuck

[phil harold]

Thanks for your so kindly reply.
As you said the kit cost is about $400 so is it long life? I mean to say that can I use it more than one time. And is it easy to use?

The kit is a one shot deal

not very cost effective


Tiger Foam® 600 bd. ft. Kit - FR
ASTM E-84 Fire Rated Foam Kit. All kits are complete with hose and gun and extra nozzle tips. This kit yields 600 board feet (square foot at 1") or 50 cu. ft.
Shipping weight per kit = 120lbs *ships in two boxes Price $610.00

Approximate Shipping Costs: Ground:$66.75
600 board feet divided by a 3.5, thickeness of a 2x4 wall, equals 177 square feet,
so that is $3.82 a square foot plus your labor to install

consider using filling the walls with fiberglass and then sheet the wall with 1" blue board will cost you $0.62 sqft. will provide an r rating of 18 and have a thermal break over the stud wall you will have a effcient wall system for less money and headache


just my 2¢

[Jay Radke]

your better off paying someone to do it. we had a mouse problem in the basement after 5 years in our new house. the only thing i could think of was that they were entering around either a water line or elect. line. we had spray foam above the basement walls to the sub-floor. also had them come out and sray in the garage attic along the outside walls of the second floor of the house. in the process they found some decent size gaps. when filled our problem room (northwest corner) became much more livable. no longer freezing in the winter or hot as heck in the summer. when the guy came out for the estimate he should me a gap the builder had left between the second floor floor and the beginning of the dry wall. you could actually see the carpet from the garage attic. no wonder why our feet were always so cold in the winter.

for small jobs you only have to pay the minimum charge...as they have to get the truck out there and everything. with all that they did they were done by noon. not much to clean up when they were done. i think we paid around a grand. but we were able to write part of it off our taxes.

it was well worth it. i dont think the mice will be in anytime soon. they have to chew through about 3 inches of the stuff, plus all the gaps are now filled as well. cant find the heat source. :D

[Jason White]

When you use it for the first time, you've got about 30 days of shelf life.

Jason


Thanks for your so kindly reply.
As you said the kit cost is about $400 so is it long life? I mean to say that can I use it more than one time. And is it easy to use?