Homeowners invest in house insulation for many reasons. Insulation minimizes energy costs, regulates temperatures, improves comfort, and boosts home value. One of the common types of insulation is foam insulation. Many homeowners use foam insulation as it helps with deterring pests, minimizing noise, and reducing humidity. Many people use the phrases “spray foam” and “injection foam” interchangeably, but that’s inaccurate. Spray foam and injection foam have different installation procedures and have different levels of performance. If you’re looking for quality house insulation, you can contact Clean Air Doctors – insulation installers in Chicago. Our experienced contractors deliver quality house insulation.
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The Installation Process
The main difference between injection foam and spray foam is their installation method. Injection foam is typically installed on closed wall spaces. You don’t need to ruin the drywall; the injection foam can be positioned from the outside.
On the other hand, spray foam insulation is typically installed in open spaces. Spray foam insulation is ideal for different areas like attics and crawl spaces. The spray foam installation is performed with a gun, and the insulation is ideal for different types of structures.
Between spray foam insulation and injection foam insulation, the ideal insulation is dependent on your specific needs. It’s always important to talk to a specialist to see what is best.
Tips for Spray Foam and Injection Foam Insulation
Follow the following tips to ensure perfect house insulation:
1. Ensure You Comprehend Spray Foam Insulation and Injection Foam Insulation
For the best application of spray foam and injection foam insulation, you need to understand their differences. Most people are familiar with spray foam, but it’s also important to recognize when the conditions are ideal for installing injection foam.
2. Use the Best Ratio
Different elements are needed to make for perfect foam insulation. But these elements need to be used in the perfect ratio. When you use a poor ratio, the foam typically ends up being low-quality, not to mention toxicity problems.
3. Measure the Lift Thickness
Spray foam products are typically installed at the thickness that their manufacturer recommends. Sometimes, the thickness might be as big as six inches, but for the most part, manufacturers recommend two inches. This ensures that the spray foam is optimized.
4. Use the Correct Substrate
When installations are performed during cold seasons, the temperature of the substrate plays a critical role. If the substrate is too cold, it can minimize the capability of the foam to expand evenly or bond, which affects the results. And so, it’s critical to observe substrate needs.
5. Dampen While Curing
Foam insulations typically need dampness for them to expand and cure. If you’re applying foam on some dry surface, you can choose to work on a humid day. The mist helps the foam to expand and cure properly. But then you need to be careful. The idea is to dampen, not wet, the surface.
6. Make Sure the Sealant Isn’t Expired
Sometimes the processes might become a bit intricate and stop the contractor from being meticulous. For instance, the sealant needs to be fresh. Using low-quality or expired sealants can usually make for less than impressionable results.
7. Cut Excessive Foam with a Knife
After foam installation, you may notice that some parts have excessive foam, but it’s not ideal to leave that type of foam there. And so, you may use a knife to cut off the foam to ensure that your home looks perfect. But you should only cut off the foam once it cures.
8. Avoid Drips
When you’re done applying the foam, be mindful of where you rest the can. Sometimes, the foam can run out and make a mess. You can avoid this by always putting the can on a cardboard box to avoid creating a mess.
9. Don’t Be Fixated On Instant Remedies After an Error
Sometimes, the foam might end up on a spot that you didn’t mean to apply. The kneejerk reaction is usually to wipe it off, but that only worsens the situation. If you apply the foam at the wrong spot, just wait for it to grow hard, and then you can easily scrub it off.
10. Be Extra Careful Around Windows and Doors
Foam application includes even your windows and doors. But you need to be extra careful because the wrong thickness can end up jamming the window or door. Minimum expanding foam is ideal, as it fills out the area around windows and doors, and it doesn’t experience excess expansion. You can avoid errors by using foam that is specially made for windows and doors.