Cost of Spray Foam Insulation

Is this high-performance material worth the extra expense?

Benefits of spray foam insulation: higher R-value, ability to reduce energy loss by sealing air leaks, and immunity to mold and moisture damage.

Spray foam insulation is getting a great deal of attention for a number of reasons. For starters, it's vastly different from fiberglass and cellulose, the "fluffy" insulation materials that have been used for many years. Spray foam not only looks and feels different; its application details are truly unique.

In a typical two-part spray foam installation, two liquids are mixed at the application nozzle, triggering a chemical reaction that turns the liquid compounds into expanding foam. After expanding too many times its liquid volume, the foam hardens and cures to its final form.

Dr. Energy Saver dealers know all of the pros and cons about all kinds of insulation. Talk to us to have a certified contractor look at your home and tell you your best option!

It's important to make an apples-to-apples comparison.

Spray foam insulation also sparks many conversations because it is typically more expensive than traditional methods. Insulating a wall, floor or roof with spray foam can be two to five times more expensive than insulating the same space with fiberglass batt insulation, but it's not accurate to consider spray foam and fiberglass insulation as equals. Before dismissing spray foam insulation as too expensive, consider the following factors:

Spray foam insulation outperforms fiberglass in many ways. Spray foam...

• ...provides higher R-value than fiberglass - about R-6 per in. vs. R-3.4 per in. for fiberglass batt insulation.
• ...achieves air-sealing and insulating in one step. Fiberglass and cellulose insulation won't stop energy loss due to air leakage; spray foam will.
• ...won't settle, compress or fall out of place, like fiberglass batt insulation will.
• ...won't be damaged by moisture or support mold growth.
• ...improves a building's structural integrity when sprayed between studs, joists and rafters.

Spray foam insulation is typically priced by volume

When you get an estimate for installing spray foam insulation, the contractor will usually base the estimate on the volume of spray foam that will be applied. "Board feet" is the term often used for this volume measure. The degree of difficulty will also factor in the price. For example, it's more difficult to apply spray foam in a cramped crawl space than to apply foam to the open stud bays in new construction.

Have your local Dr. Energy Saver dealer discuss with you the pros and cons of spray foam for your specific needs. Sometimes it's the best solution and sometimes other types of insulation (rigid foam board or blown in cellulose for instance) are going to be better options. Dr. Energy Saver dealers offer free, no-obligation estimates. Have your local dealer out today!

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