What’s The Best Type Of Insulation For Each Area Of My Home?
The geographical location and orientation of your house make it unique to other homes, even ones that are just down the street from you. We bring this up because knowing this before installing your new insulation is crucial for getting the best experience. Leave it to your local experts at Foam Bear Tampa to introduce you to spray foam insulation and how to use it in different areas of your home!
Spray Foam Is Your Home’s New Best Friend
Your typical insulative materials might get a passing grade in most other states, but spray foam is the only fitting type of insulation that can protect Florida homes with its flexibility and overall quality. Before you start making plans with spray foam, you should know that there are two main types for different uses:
- Open-cell spray foam expands the most, up to three inches. This makes it useful for air-sealing homes and closing up gaps. It’s also a cost-effective way to cover the most ground.
- Closed-cell spray foam only expands one inch, but it’s a denser compound. This tight-knit substance can act as a barrier against water, wind, and pests. It also offers the highest r-value between home-appropriate insulation options.
Both types of spray foam are worthy upgrades from fiberglass insulation, and they can be used interchangeably between rooms or specific areas of the house that need insulating. Now, learn the trick to knowing which type of spray foam to use for each area of your home:
Your Attic is High Maintenance. Give it Your Best Stuff.
Your attic (or general roof area) gets hit with the worst of any weather conditions like hurricanes, rainfall, you name it. That’s why this spot requires the most protection to shield you from nature’s wrath. Since we mentioned high winds and heavy rain, you’d be right to assume that closed-cell spray foam is the best type of foam for the job. Getting expert installation will keep the inside of your home dry and your indoor temperatures where you want them to be. This is especially true for Florida homes during the peak of summer, saving your air conditioning unit from collapsing under pressure.
Never Underestimate Crawl Space Insulation
Keeping exterior temperatures outside of your home is only half the battle. The second step is to make sure any conditioned air that you generate in your home stays inside so your AC won’t have to keep conditioning more air.
One way to lose conditioned air is by letting it seep through the floor. How do you stop air from falling through the floor? By insulating your crawl space. Since you’ll need wide coverage for this task, most people often go with open-cell spray foam since it’s more cost-efficient, but you can also choose closed-cell if it’s within the budget. Either way, encapsulating your crawl space is a great way to increase your home’s value while staying comfortable any season of the year.
Getting the Best Coverage With Wall Insulation
Of course, your walls will need to be heavily insulated as well. This is a perfect opportunity to reap the benefits of both open-cell and closed-cell insulation because both can be used in a situation where your walls are older or worn out. A common method is to use closed-cell spray foam for the majority of the wall for the best insulating effect and touch up corners and edges with open-cell foam. This technique will take care of any gaps or cracks in your walls since open-cell foam has a greater expansion rate.
Want the Best Home Insulation? Leave it to the Experts at Foam Bear Tampa!
Call Foam Bear Tampa today at (727) 580-1090 for a free estimate on top-notch spray foam insulation near you! Our experts know all of the best practices, methods, and techniques for a comfortable home all year round.
