7 Benefits of Spray Foam Insulation
Winter in Minnesota can be bitterly cold, especially when your home isn’t well-insulated. And during the coldest winter months, that bitter cold can expose every vulnerability in every nook and cranny of your home.
At Powers Premier Contracting, we work hard to help homeowners get warmer, more efficient homes with high-performance insulation installation. To learn more about insulation installation solutions from Powers Premier, give our general contractors a call today.
In this post, we’re covering everything you need to know about spray foam insulation and how it can benefit your Twin Cities home.
The Importance of Good Insulation
Like all types of insulation, spray foam insulation is meant to completely seal a home against air and moisture infiltration. Together with your home’s siding, windows, entry door, and roof, insulation forms a thermal envelope, keeping heat on one side and cooler air on the other.
In the winter, your thermal envelope prevents heat from moving through your roof and walls so your house stays warmer, bringing down energy costs and reducing ice dams. In the summer months, it keeps hot air from penetrating the walls of your home so your interior stays cooler and more comfortable on the hottest summer days.
Our insulation installation team is happy to answer all of your questions about insulation. Our team of insulation installers can replace your old insulation to create a more comfortable and energy-efficient home.
Spray Foam Insulation Basics
There are several types of insulation that are commonly used in homes from insulation rolls to loose fill insulation. And one of the best-performing options for Minnesota’s extreme cold is spray foam insulation. Spray foam insulation was first developed a few decades ago, and over the years, it has continued to evolve into a more efficient, easily-installed product.
Spray foam is made of two separate liquids stored in separate containers and works by taking advantage of a chemical reaction that occurs when they are combined. A product like polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (pMDI) or methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) is used for one side.
A combination of catalysts, surfactants, polyols, flame retardant, and surfactants are used for the other, and each spray foam manufacturer typically uses a proprietary blend. Together, these products create a type of spray polyurethane during spray foam application.
Now there are two types: Open cell and closed cell. Open cell foam insulation is lightweight, pliable, and easy to work with, whereas closed cell foam is rigid and very dense.
If you need to run new electrical wiring, open cell spray foam is going to be much easier to work with because it is so pliable. All you need to do is use fish tape and push it through the foam to get it where you want it to go.
Closed cell’s rigid structure and durability make it ideal for exposed walls because it won’t be easily damaged by ongoing construction, especially bumping by machinery or tools.
How Spray Foam Works
Unlike more conventional insulation, spray foam can be blown into all types of spaces to completely seal them including ceilings, walls, crawl spaces, attics, and floors. Because of its foam properties, spray foam insulation creates a complete seal, creating an airtight barrier that fills and closes every cavity, even around light fixtures and outlets. With a more airtight seal, you’ll see lower energy costs and enjoy a more comfortable home.
And while conventional insulation can settle and become compressed over time, spray foam insulation maintains its shape years down the road. Spray foam insulation is also rated to be watertight and fire retardant.
The recommended values for cold climates such as Minnesota are R-30 to R-40. The R-Value is a measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat traveling through it. The higher the R-Value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.
Top Benefits of Spray Foam Insulation
These are just some of the benefits you’ll get with spray foam insulation in your home.
1. Fresher Air Quality
Air quality is more than just a comfort issue. It’s also a health issue. And one of the leading causes of air quality problems is mold growth. Mold can be extremely toxic depending on the type of spore.
Since mold grows when moisture gets into your walls, the airtight seal of spray foam insulation helps to keep moisture out of your home and stops mold from becoming a problem.
2. Reduced Energy Bills
Having a home with air leaks and poor insulation will add up fast on your monthly energy bills. If you wouldn’t leave your front door and windows open all day, why would you be willing to overpay due to poorly insulated walls?
Because spray foam insulation closes up all of those little leaks and creates an airtight seal, you’ll experience lower energy costs every month that can add up dramatically over the years. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, those savings can add up to as much as 30% savings in a month.
3. Peace and Quiet
An airtight house is a quiet house. When homeowners talk about a house having “thin walls,” the real reason they can hear every little sound from the street is that their walls are poorly insulated. With spray foam insulation, your home will be quieter and more peaceful so the neighbor’s garage band doesn’t keep you up at night.
4. More Comfortable Home
When a home lacks adequate insulation, it can be drafty and uncomfortable. Spray foam insulation helps to keep heat inside your home on the coldest winter nights so you don’t have to worry about adding an extra sweater or wearing thick socks just to achieve a basic standard of comfort.
5. Long Life Span
Spray foam is composed of inert polymer which allows it to have an indefinite lifespan. The benefits of spray foam can be enjoyed for years before needing to reinsulate.
6. Extends the Life of Your HVAC
Spray foam expands and hardens to close gaps and form an airtight seal. Air leaks are one of the biggest sources of overworked HVAC systems and rising energy costs. Keep in mind though that if you are considering re-insulating your home with spray foam, it’s crucial to ensure that your HVAC system’s ventilation component is working properly before getting started.
7. Could Increase Home’s Value
With every benefit mentioned above, spray foam insulation can add to the value of a home, especially if the home is in a noisy neighborhood. The insulation serves as a soundproofing agent by filling small cracks and absorbing sound waves. Homeowners can enjoy the benefits of a quieter home which is highly attractive to potential buyers.
Schedule Your Spray Foam Insulation
If you’re paying too much on your energy bills every month, it’s time to invest in spray foam insulation from Powers Premier Contracting in Minnesota. Spray foam insulation is easy to install so you can enjoy a warmer, more pleasant home sooner.
Call us to speak with our exterior remodeling contractors at 612-710-7283 or contact us online to get your free insulation quote today.