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LazMan
Premium Member
join:2003-03-26
Beverly Hills, CA

1 recommendation

LazMan to doechsli

Premium Member

to doechsli

Re: Spray Foam or Batts

Bonus with sprayfoam; if you go with close cell foam of sufficient dept (1.75-2" I believe) it also acts as a vapor barrier...

I don't know if that's a requirement where you're at, but up here in Canada, it is - and the labour savings in not having to hang and seal the poly vapor barrier helps offset the increased cost of the spray foam...

As for DIY foam kits, they are out there, Tiger Foam (»www.tigerfoam.com/) is the one I'm most familiar with - comes in two tanks, with a set of hoses and applicator - works well, when you get the hang of it - but it's not cheap... If you have a substantial amount of foaming to do, it may be cost-neutral or even a better value, to bring in pro's. Worth a call, anyways...

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
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tschmidt

MVM

said by LazMan:

the labour savings in not having to hang and seal the poly vapor barrier helps offset the increased cost of the spray foam.

Not to mention that even a pinhole in the poly vapor barrier can transport a huge amount of water vapor into the insulation.

/tom

ArgMeMatey
join:2001-08-09
Milwaukee, WI

ArgMeMatey to LazMan

Member

to LazMan
said by LazMan:

Bonus with sprayfoam; if you go with close cell foam of sufficient dept (1.75-2" I believe) it also acts as a vapor barrier...

Even some open cell foam qualifies as a vapor barrier in Wisconsin. Maybe not all of them but the manufacturer will give you a copy of a certificate from the state if they have gone through the process.

I have open cell and am very happy with it, although if I did it again I'd also get bids from some closed cell contractors. The foam draft sealing is far superior. A few Januaries ago, I took a look at some FLIR images of foam vs. blown-in and batts. The difference was night and day. Batts looked more like the no-insulation images.