Essentials of Spray Foam Insulation
Although people have been using spray foam insulation since the 1940s for aircrafts, the past 30 years have seen extensive product innovation leading to increased adoption of spray foam for building insulation. In fact today, the insulation material sits confidently alongside traditional insulation types such as cellulose insulation and fiberglass insulation. Let’s explore all the essential information you need to know before getting spray foam installed in your Minnesota home. Insulation Contractors Maple Grove MN
How Is Spray Foam Insulation Installed?
Spray foam insulation is a material that insulates, seals air, and blocks moisture wherever it is applied. Usually, the material comes in 55 gallon drums; one is an iso while the other is a resin. These two drums are kept separate and the liquids are mixed right at the time of use. This process is not so straightforward and you need qualified professionals such as those working at Century Insulation to mix the 2 drums. The mixture is then made to travel up through a heated hose to a spray gun from where it as applied on the wall. where they are combined to create the foam. The foam expands within seconds to fill the cavity surface. Depending on the type of spray foam used (more on this below), the foam expands between 40 and 100 times its size upon application.
What Are The 2 Types?
Open cell and closed cell spray foam are the 2 types of spray foams commonly used for residential and commercial construction. Open cell spray foam is a soft low-density material that is typically used to insulate the interior spaces of your house such as wall cavities, underside of roof decks, attics, basement walls, and crawlspaces. The open cell nature along with low density of this insulation allows moisture to permeate, and this contributes to moisture management and bi-directional drying of the walls. On the other hand, closed cell spray insulation is a rigid medium-density material that is primarily used to insulate the exterior spaces of your building. This foam boasts a higher R-value per inch making it extremely suitable for small areas that require the highest possible R-value to meet building code requirements.
What Is Its R-Value?
In insulation terminology, R-value refers to how effective the insulation is. Basically, the higher the R-value, the better the insulation material. Spray foam insulation has one of the best R-values. When it comes to spray foam insulation materials, there is a difference between the two main types. The R-value for open cell spray foam is between R-3.5 – R-3.6 per inch. The less dense open cell structure means the R-value is lower than its closed-cell counterpart. Nevertheless, open-cell spray foam does offer superior and consistent thermal insulation and air sealing properties compared to other methods of insulation. Talking about closed cell spray foam, R-values actually range between R-4.9 to R-7.1 per inch. Using this allows builders and architects to achieve R-21 in a mere three inch pass. To see what would work best for you, fell free to contact Century Insulation, the best spray foam insulation contractor in Maple Grove MN, today!
Insulation Contractors Maple Grove MN | Century Insulation
Century Insulation can help you insulate your home or commercial property in Maple Grove Minnesota. Our services include spray foam insulation, attic insulation, cellulose insulation, and fiberglass insulation. If you’re not sure which one is best for you, feel free to contact one of our insulation contractors to come and inspect your house and help you determine which solution works best for you!