Spray Foam Adds Energy Efficiency, Helps Clean Air
Spray Foam Adds Energy Efficiency, Helps Clean Air
Wednesday September 24, 2008 – Want to save on your energy bills while improving the quality of your indoor air? Consider the multiple benefits of spray foam insulation. Choose from closed-cell or open-cell, depending on the specific application. At HealthyAir, we recommend our customers apply the closed-cell foam insulation in their crawlspaces to provide not only insulation, but to act as a vapor barrier as well. Moisture does not penetrate this type of foam, so both your basement and your living space above it will stay drier and healthier.
Recently, we have been recommending that our customers also foam the sub-floor between the floor joists. This increases the rigidity of the floors, while blocking air infiltration from the crawl space into your living space. The combination of insulating both the foundation walls of the crawl space and the sub-floors for the living space above it make the air in the home incredibly clean and healthy. The closed cell foam encapsulation creates a barrier from moisture, rodents and insects that thrive in crawl space environments.
Attics are another place where spray foam insulation can be utilized. In areas where snow does not accumulate on the roof for long periods, we recommend using the open-cell spray foam between the roof rafters. Applying spray foam here will reduce air infiltration by filling even the tiniest cracks. The reduction of air infiltration will not only help reduce your energy bills, but will also dramatically reduce the amount of dust that finds its way into your home.
So how does this work? As with all types of insulation, the key is to limit the amount of air movement within attics and crawl spaces, and between the floors of a building. Filling cracks completely is essential. Heat will naturally move from warmer to cooler spaces, so in the winter, your heated living space air will make its way out to the garage, attic or basement. In the summer, those same spaces will be forcing hot air back into your cooled home. Additionally, the difference in temperature between adjacent hot and cold areas can create condensation in your sub-floors, which will lead to mold growth. Closed-cell spray foam insulation stops the air infiltration while adding a moisture-blocking vapor barrier to stabilize this situation.
Every step you take to increase the efficiency of your home will translate directly into savings on your energy bill. By addressing the areas of your home that are not directly heated and cooled (attics, basements and garages) you will increase the overall energy efficiency of your home. As an added benefit, your home will have less dust, less indoor air pollution and be less likely to grow mold.
Want more information on spray foam insulation? Visit Value Tech’s website for details on these products . We have done quite a bit of work with this company and our local customers have been very pleased with their work. We think you will like them, too. Not located in Atlanta? Contact us at HealthyAir and we will help you find a provider in your area.