Foam Wall Insulation

Larry Janesky from Dr. Energy Saver talks about how to inject foam insulation in a raised ranch house with vinyl siding.

It's not surprising that foam insulation is gaining popularity. Rigid foam insulation board is very versatile because of its high R-value, water resistance and air-sealing ability. Spray foam insulation can also be used in a wide variety of ways. Both insulation materials can perform well in walls.

Rigid foam insulation is best for basement and crawl space walls

Rigid foam insulation provides an R-value that can range from about R-4 per in. to over R-6 per in., depending on what type of foam is used to make the panel. In most applications, the foam board is glued to the foundation wall; joints between boards are sealed with 1-part spray foam and then covered with aluminum tape to keep the insulation coverage continuous. In a basement, building codes typically require that this layer of rigid foam insulation be covered with a fire-rated wallboard material.

Injection foam insulation can upgrade insulation levels in wood-frame walls

Most existing wood-frame walls will either have no insulation installed in wall cavities (between studs) or fiberglass insulation that isn't performing well. In either case, energy efficiency and comfort can be dramatically improved by filling wall cavities with injection foam, a special kind of spray foam designed specifically for use in building cavities. This water-based foam insulation has the consistency of shaving cream when it's injected into walls through access holes. It flows around obstacles and existing insulation, filling gaps completely to seal air leaks and provide more complete insulation coverage. It hardens after a few minutes and will net settle, shift or compress like fiberglass insulation.

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