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The 2015 Energy are making today’s homes tighter and tighter. New construction homes are turning to spray foam insulation to pass inspection so your having to build a house and almost have to put foam in most houses now, not all of them, it is just more and more difficult to be able to pass code unless they have foam. As a result of seeing that trend, they wanted to explore that option and launched Smart Seal Foam Insulation. We are a spray foam insulation contractor and that is about 95% of what we do.

There are a few minor differences in foam. There is an open-cell (.05 lb) and a closed-cell foam (2.0 lb) that are the two major comparisons for the average consumer. Roofing foam (3.0 lb) is even harder and is applied to low-slope metal roofs.

A recent interview with Michael Reed at Granburyradio.com and Rodney Geisler.

So let’s first start with an open-cell versus closed-cell comparison. Open-cell is typically something that is spongier and cheaper per square foot per inch and you get the R-value typically that you need to pass your code. So on a home, I can fill the cavity at 3.5″ and I may be at .90 cents per square foot. If I was going to fill that same cavity with closed-cell foam, I would be at $3.00 a square foot.

There is a difference in R-value, but there is also a difference in price. The thing of it is, there is a point of diminishing returns. So, I know that 2″ of closed-cell foam will do the same thing as 4″ of open-cell foam, but the 4″ of open-cell foam, I may be at $1.00 and the 2′ of closed-cell foam, I may be at $1.90 or maybe at  $2.00. So sometimes, if I can do the same thing with less money, then usually the homeowner or builder, is interested in being smart about their money. And so, that is why we try to guide them as to what their application is and what they are doing. On most homes, we use open-cell spray foam on the whole house. 

What are some options to consider when foam insulating a metal building? Smart Seal Foam offers a standard, premium and paint options. Option 1 – 1″ of closed cell foam will reduce heat transfer by 84% and will increase racking strengthen in the building up to 400%. Option 2 – 2″ of closed cell foam will reduce an average of 89% in heat transfer and will prevent condensation issues if the building is heated or cooled, and the foam will have a more uniform appearance. The paint option will brighten the shop and prevent the foam from darkening since it will be exposed to UV rays due to the many roll-up doors and windows. One last thing, be sure to check out the video at the bottom of our website to see the difference in the Standard, Premium and Paint options.