Spray foam insulation has many benefits including high R-values or thermal resistance, even in small amounts, air sealing properties and soundproofing. Spray foam insulation has many applications in home insulation, and expert spray foam application by the team at York Home Performance will make your home in the greater York, PA or North Central Maryland area more comfortable.
What is Spray Foam?
Spray foam is a type of insulation that is created when two separate ingredients are combined. When these two components are mixed, a chemical reaction produces the foam material. The foam is then applied in even layers to the thickness required. When dried, the spray foam forms a heat, air and water barrier.
High-Performance Spray Foam Insulation
While spray foam is extremely effective as a general insulation product, it can also be more expensive than other types of insulation such as fiberglass or cellulose. The insulation experts at York Home Performance can review your home’s insulation needs and advise you about the relative costs and benefits of each type of insulation. Because it’s a bit more expensive, we try to use spray foam strategically for a cost-effective solution.
Air Sealing with Spray Foam
For most insulation upgrades, we’ll apply spray foam to air seal areas like the attic, walls and ceilings before installing less expensive — but equally effective — blown-in fiberglass insulation. By sealing off the gaps and cracks with spray foam, the newly installed insulation will perform to its peak capacity.
Maximum R-Value in Small Spaces
Applying spray foam as the complete solution in attics may not make sense because of its higher cost. However, there are often small spaces where spray foam can provide the needed R-values with smaller volumes. Some areas in homes where we recommend spray foam insulation include:
Knee walls in finished attic spaces
Around the band joists
Floor system joist boxes
Garage ceilings with living areas above
Crawl spaces
Cost-Effective Solutions Include Spray Foam
Often customers contact us to install spray foam insulation in their homes. Upon inspection, we find that a combination of spray foam and other types of insulation is the most cost-effective means to achieve the final goal: a cozy, comfortable and energy efficient home.