How Does Spray Foam Insulation Work?

At one point or another, you may have seen workers go into a residential or commercial building being built and use a spray gun to apply foam to the insides of the walls. While this may seem foreign compared to traditional insulation methods, spray foam is actually becoming a very prevalent way for builders to efficiently insulate homes. Spray foam contractors Virginia love this method of insulating because the spray foam never loses its shape and can completely fill crevices, gaps and cracks in a surface. Read on to find out more about how spray foam works.

How Exactly Does Spray Foam Insulation Work?

The main way that spray foam works is by creating an air seal. This air seal creates insulation that can help to deter mold growth, diminish sound transfer and reduce airflow like cold drafts. Because spray foam doesn’t compress or settle over time, it’s known to be very efficient and can help reduce your monthly energy bills. The insulation’s main job is to keep heat from moving in or our of a certain space. The idea is it will help to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Whatever method you use of heating or cooling will be more efficient because the temperature of the air won’t easily escape through the walls.

Because most homes have air leakage that affects their energy-efficiency, spray foam is a popular way to seal those leaks up. Some cell spray foams can expand 40 to 100 times their original size to accurately fill any cracks or crevices that you may find. Traditional insulation doesn’t have the same effect, and air will continue to leak between gaps in the fiberglass and cellulose.

What are the Different Types of Spray Foam?

There are two main categories of spray foam – open-cell spray foam and closed-cell spray foam.

Open-cell spray foam is lighter, softer and has less density than closed-cell. Because of it’s lighter form, it’s more pliable. This allows for moisture to regulate better between surfaces as it settles. Open-cell spray foam is usually a bit cheaper than closed-cell spray foam when it comes to cost.

Closed-cell spray foam is much denser and heavier once it dries. Because it can create such a hard surface, it’s used a lot in outdoor or exterior insulation projects. It’s been rated as being weather resistant and can handle extremes in temperature and moisture changes.