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spray foam insulation in crawl space

How Much Does Insulating a Crawl Space with Spray Foam Cost in 2022?

Posted on | by John Blackwelder

Insulating your crawl space with spray foam can save you hundreds of dollars in energy bills. However, if the spray foam insulation installation is not done professionally, you may incur the cost of completely redoing the job. Thus, the cost of insulating your crawl space will depend on how much work you plan to do yourself, as well as if you’ll hire a professional to install your insulation. It’s prudent to contract insulation contractors because their experience allows them to apply the spray foam properly and ensure it stays in place for decades.
Costs also vary according to geographical location, local labor rates, and material costs, considering spray foam is one of the most expensive crawl space insulation materials. That said, you should be prepared to fork out an average of $3,500 for a 1,000 square foot crawl space. In this article, we will give you insights into how much you should expect to pay for your insulation job and the factors that go into pricing.

The Crawlspace Size

The size of your crawlspace is probably the largest determining factor when it comes to the overall cost of installing spray foam insulation. The larger the crawlspace, the more material and time you will need to complete the installation. In other words, a smaller crawlspace will normally cost less than a larger one.
The cost will also depend on whether you’re only applying insulation underneath the floor or insulating the walls and the floor as well. The crawlspace’s wall height can also factor into the cost – the higher the walls, the more insulation you’ll use.

Crawl Space Condition

If you have an older, uninsulated crawl space, you may be wasting energy, impacting your indoor air quality, and contributing to excessive moisture problems.
Signs of damp, rotting wood, mold, or sagging floors above the crawl space, indicate that you need to do some prep work before insulating. You’ll need to inspect your crawl space, and if you identify mold, contracting a professional mold remediation company to remove the mold before insulating is recommended. This mold remediation step will add to the overall cost of your insulation job, but it’s a necessary step if you want to prevent future problems.
In addition, your contractor may recommend other changes to the environment of your crawl space before insulating. For example, if you have an older home with a dirt floor, you may need to install a vapor barrier before insulating. This step will increase the cost of the insulation project but will also protect the crawl space from moisture, which can cause mold. A vapor barrier might cost around $640 for a 1,500-square-foot home.

Crawl Spaces: Whether They Are Vented or Unvented

As a general rule of thumb, vented crawl spaces tend to cost more to insulate than closed crawl spaces. Since the presence of vents will allow moisture and humidity to build up in your crawl space, insulated installations need to include additional sealing. Unvented crawl spaces don’t require this step, which means installation is quicker and less expensive.

Type of Spray Foam Insulation

You have two choices when it comes to the type of foam insulation that you use. The first option is open-cell spray foam insulation, which has an R-Value between 3.5 and 4 per inch. This fills most gaps but doesn’t have a vapor barrier, so it’s not recommended for homes in colder climates where moisture might enter the crawl space.
Closed-cell spray foam insulation provides leak protection and extra durability because of its high R-value (6.5 per inch). Closed-cell foams are more expensive than open-cell foams, but they will generally provide better results when installed properly by a professional contractor; this makes them worth the higher cost.

The Thickness of Foam Insulation

The cost of installing foam insulation in your crawl space will depend largely on its thickness. The thickness of foam insulation required in your crawl space depends on your local climate. Homes located in mild climate areas that do not experience significant temperature changes might only need a thin layer of foam insulation. In contrast, homes located in climates that experience greater fluctuations in temperature will require thicker insulation. While this will increase the cost, creating a more completely sealed space will result in lower energy bills.

Taking Out the Old Insulation

If the insulation has been in place for many years and has absorbed moisture, it should also be professionally removed. Old insulation in crawl spaces isn’t as energy-efficient and is a source of wasted energy, higher monthly utility bills, and an uncomfortable living space.
The main reason to have a professional remove the old cellulose insulation is that they have the tools and equipment needed to safely remove and dispose of any hazardous material that may have been present in the insulation. Unfortunately, this will also add to the cost of insulating your crawl space.
Crawl space insulation is a cost-effective way to reduce energy loss and make your home more comfortable. Spray foam insulation will provide your home with better thermal resistance and improved air quality. The cost of installing foam insulation in your crawl space will depend in a large part on its thickness. The thickness of foam insulation required in your crawl space will depend on the climate where your home is located. Homes located in climates that experience greater fluctuations between cold and hot seasons may require thicker insulation, thus increasing the overall cost. Other considerations include whether or not the crawl space is vented (closed) or unvented; if you have an older home with dirt flooring then installing a vapor barrier before insulating may also increase costs.
For more information on installing foam board or spray foam insulation in your crawl space, visit our website at https://fdinsulation.com/attic-insulation/spray-foam/ today

First Defense Insulation,

11715 Anderson Road Willis Texas 77318,

713-808-9853

Open Cell Spray Foam in Unvented Attic

High Energy Bills: How To Lower Cost

Posted on | by John Blackwelder

Receiving high energy bills has happened to many of us at one point or another, and it’s never a fun experience. You’re not alone, the 13 largest U.S. metropolitan areas have seen higher bills this year. After receiving a high energy bill, we wonder how does this happen and how do we fix the problem. Everyone can save energy in their home. Saving energy or becoming more energy efficient, makes our homes more comfortable and saves homeowners money. 

Audit Your Home’s Energy Efficiency

The first step to improving savings and comfort of your home is obtaining a Energy Assessment, also known as a Home Energy Audit. Knowing where energy is potentially being wasted is important. If you’re not testing, you are guessing. Professionals will use interviews, inspection of the home, and diagnostic tools. The process should take about one hour to complete. The professional will review findings and make recommendations for improvement. 

Air Sealing

Among the greatest sources of energy loss in a home is air leaks. Imagine driving down the freeway on a hot afternoon with the vehicle’s air conditioner on high. We feel pretty comfortable, right! Now roll down the windows. All of sudden we are hot again. Our homes work the same way. We want to keep air that we pay to heat and cool on the inside of the home. One of the best money saving task you can perform to your home is to caulk, seal, or weatherstrip all cracks, openings, and seams to the outside. A homes conditioned space are areas and rooms in the home that the air conditioning system serves. Unconditioned space is the outside, and sometimes is found in our homes: vented attics, kneewall spaces, room above garages, or crawl spaces.  According to the Department of Energy, sealing uncontrolled air leaks, you can save 10%-20% on heating and cooling bills. First Defense Insulation provides expert air sealing services.   

Insulation

After air sealing, the second most energy saving task is looking at the homes insulation. Insulation is an essential piece of limiting heat flow through a homes outer shell (building envelope). Insulation is a home’s thermal boundary, separating outside from inside. The greater the difference between the outside and inside of a home temperature, the more energy it will take to maintain a comfortable environment inside the home. R-value is a measure of insulations resistance to heat flow. The higher the value, the more effective the insulation is at slowing heat flow. So how much insulation do we need? The U.S. is broken up into 8 climate zones. Homeowners in south Texas are in Zone 2. U.S. Department of Energy recommends attic insulation to be between R-30 and R-60. Local and state codes also have an effect on minimum accepted R-Values. If you need help determining the correct R-value for your home, First Defense Insulation comfort specialist can help you. First Defense Insulation provides different options with regards to insulation products.   

Heating and Cooling

35%-40% of a homes energy usage comes from heating and cooling. You can save money and increase comfort by properly maintaining, using, and upgrading your HVAC equipment. Air ducts are very important. They are in charge of delivering heated or cool air to the home. Improperly sized, poorly sealed, or poorly insulated, they are likely contributing to higher energy bills. As discussed previously, a home has a inside and outside. Duts located in a vented attic are considered to be outside. This is not ideal placement. Ducts that leak, are literally leaking air you pay to heat and cool to the outside, never to be seen again. Underinsualted ducts do not have a good resistance to heat flow. Remember that the under insulated ducts are located in the “outside”, the same outside that gets incredibly hot in Texas. The 55 degree air that is supposed to be inside the duct can’t stay cool long as the Texas heat bakes the air before distributing to the home. Imagine placing your duct work through an oven and hoping you get cool air at the end, you don’t. The same principles apply during cold months. 155 degree air is cooled by a cold vented attic space. Ducts perform better and save money when air sealed, better insulated beyond current offerings, or located on the inside of the home. Houston area homeowners are turning to spray foam insulation for superior air sealing and R-Value properties. Spray foam can be used to better insulate ducts or be used to convert the attic to unvented, thus allowing duct work to remain on the inside of home and protected from the Texas heat. 

Window Solar Film 

Tinting windows from the inside is an economical way to boost energy efficiency. Solar film absorbs or reflects up to 99% of UV rays. This helps keep rooms cooler during the summer and reduces the chance of interior furnishings fading. There are considerations before just installing the film as not all film is compatible with all types of window glass. Before installing, a simple check with the window manufacture is recommended.

High Energy Bills? We Can Help

First Defense Insulation

713-808-9853

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Spray Foam - First Defense

Tips For Efficiently Operating Froth-Pakâ„¢

Posted on | by John Blackwelder

Spray foam tanks are widely used for building insulations by sealing any cracks or gaps within. These are readily available in the market and are meant to make your home more energy-efficient and soundproof from outdoor noise. Spray foam is a form of spray-applied plastic produced from chemical reactions. A professional spray foam insulation contractor can efficiently use the technique for the proper insulation of your house. Here we discuss essential tips for operating a spray tank.

Maintain Tank Temperature

Temperature is critical for producing superior quality foam in terms of its density and other physical properties. Optimum tank temperature could ensure maximum yield of foam for your purpose. You should maintain this optimum temperature for the chemicals inside the tank between 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit for best results. Anything less or more could push down foam yields substantially. You may require prior warming of the tank during winters to get to this range of temperature. External air heaters might do the job of warming up the internal chemicals for you.

Controlling the High Pressure

Foam spray tanks come in pre-pressurized forms, which keep the chemicals inside in their liquid forms. This tank pressure decreases gradually with the decrease in the volume of chemicals inside. The amount of pressure you apply on the release trigger defines the force for the dispensed chemicals. Controlling the trigger pressure gives you control over the foam spray as per your application needs.

Shake the Tank Well

After you ensure the optimum temperature for the tank chemicals, you should shake the tank vigorously before spray operations. Such forceful agitations lead to proper mixing of the propellant before the spraying. Shaking the foam spray canisters with your hands for a couple of minutes should be sufficient for this purpose. Proper mixing of the propellant gives you uniform pressure release until the tank goes empty. Some spray tanks could need more shaking time than others, depending upon the chemicals inside and their properties.

Check on the Nozzle Tip

Foam spray tanks would have a nozzle tip attached to the end of the application gun. The primary purpose of this nozzle tip is to act as a mixing chamber for both types of chemicals to produce foam. This nozzle would have a ribbed internal structure. This would support mixing the chemicals in an internal whirlpool effect when they are released under pressure from the tank. A rest time of 30 seconds or more between foam spray sessions is perfect for changing the nozzle tip.

The hardening time for released foam could be around 30 to 45 seconds typically. As such, the mixture inside the nozzle tip may also harden and block the passage for further chemical flow if interrupted for rest. A continuous flow of the chemical mix would not allow the mixture within the nozzle to solidify. But you might still need a new nozzle tip after consistent application of about 8 minutes to avoid any chemical leakage that might disintegrate the tank assembly. For further information on spray foam insulations, you should visit https://fdinsulation.com/attic-insulation/spray-foam/

First Defense Insulation
11715 Anderson Road Willis Texas 77318
713-808-9853

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Spray Foam Insulation

Open Cell vs. Closed Cell Foam: Which Should I Choose?

Posted on | by John Blackwelder

Open-cell foam is a spray foam in which cellular structure is not completely encapsulated. That is, they are left open on purpose to make the material more flexible. Closed foam, on the other hand, has completely closed cells that make them more rigid. In case you are not sure of which Houston spray foam insulation option to go for, we have listed the major differences between the two below.

What Are The Differences?

The difference between open-cell spray foam and closed-cell spray foam is that the latter is more rigid than the former. However, these two materials also differ in density, cell structure, expansion, R-value, and Cost. These differences make one more preferable than the other for certain projects.

Cell Structure

As mentioned above, the difference between closed-cell spray foam and open-cell spray foam is that the former has completely encapsulated cells, and the latter does not. Open-cell foams tend to have room inside each cell that is somewhat like little air bubbles. This makes them relatively softer and more flexible. As a result of the cell structure of an open-cell, it will retain less than 5% of the water that comes in contact with it and dry up naturally afterward. On the other hand, Closed Cell Foam has no space in their cells to retain air or moisture. The rigidity of a closed-cell also helps the structural integrity of the building.

Density

Due to the cell structure of closed-cell foam, it is much denser than open-cell foam. The density of a Closed-cell spray foam insulation is enough to prevent drafts, protect it from air movement, and trap regulated temperatures. Its higher density also helps prevent and slow down the growth of molds. It does this by reducing the level of humidity. On the other hand, open-cell foams have a density of about 0.5 pounds per cubic foot, which is about three times less than the value of closed-cell foams.

R-Value

The R-value of spray foam is determined by how well the material insulates, that is, its ability to resist the flow of heat. Closed-cell foam has a higher R-value than open-cell foams, which makes them more suited for extreme temperatures. In terms of expansion, an open-cell can expand up to 120 times its original size because of its lower density. A closed-cell, on the other hand, can only expand up to 33 times its original size.

Cost

Due to the chemical makeup of the two cell foams and their expansion rates, it may be more expensive to use closed-cell foam. This is because you will need more of it to cover up a larger space.

So Which Insulation Should I Use?

Your choice of spray foam is usually determined by your budget, insulation goals, the location of the house, and the climatic conditions of the region. However, if you need more help choosing the right insulation for your current project, visit https://fdinsulation.com/attic-insulation/spray-foam/.

First Defense Insulation

713-808-9853

11715 Anderson Road

Willis Texas 77318

Social Accounts:
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https://www.instagram.com/firstdefenseinsulation/

Attic Insulation Houston, Tx

Under Insulated Home- Problems That Can Occur

Posted on | by John Blackwelder

 

 

Did you know that 90% of homes in the United States have insufficient insulation?

 

A problem we see quite often in homes across the greater Houston area is insufficient insulation, and even on the rare occasion there is enough insulation, it’s usually installed incorrectly. Here are a few issues caused by improperly or insufficiently installed insulation especially for crawl space insulation in Houston.

 

High Electric bills

 

When a home is not air sealed and insulated properly, the air that you paid to condition is constantly leaking out of the home through various penetrations in a process commonly referred to as stack effect.  As the air in your home warms slightly and begins to rise, it escapes through various cracks and gaps in the ceiling that are sometimes unable to be seen because of the fiberglass materials covering them up.  As that air leaves the home, so does the money in your wallet that you paid to cool that air.  This process makes the homes mechanicals work twice as hard to heat or cool new outside air. Customers often complain that their HVAC units run almost all day and never shut off.  A/C units running all day equals waisted money. 

 

Hot or cold rooms

 

Have you ever notices a room that always stays hot or cold from other room in your home depending on the time of year? This is a definite sign of insufficient or improperly installed insulation. In addition to insulation issues, improperly air sealed homes will further the A/C unit to continualluy run. Air that is leaking out all the cracks and gaps it can find, can cause a home to depressurize. If air escaping from the home wasn’t bad enough, when Texas summer attic temperatures rang from 125-155° F with insufficient insulation- imagine how much heat gain comes into the homes. One of our recent customers had a room on the opposite end of their homes that count not maintain temperature like the other rooms. What we found were ceiling penetrations with no air sealing, improper and low insulation in the attic above the room, and the HVAC ductwork not insulated properly. This customer’s uncomfortable room was leaking air out and taking in heat gain from an under insulated attic. To make matters worse, this room was directly below the low sloped portion of the roof, which caused the HVAC ductwork to be crammed in-between the roof decking and ceiling of the room. With under insulated ducts, the HVAC system was sending cold air through an over “attic” before distributing the air to the room. First Defense Insulation was able to fix the customers uncomfortable room. If you are experiencing an uncomfortable home or rooms that wont heat or cool, contact us. 

Poor Air Quality

 

In the words of Isaac Newton, “what goes up must come down”, so in a home, what goes out must have a way to come back in such as allergens and pollutants.  This is quite bad for people with sensitive allergies.  Once we can air seal and insulate properly we can then create a much safer air quality in your home.

 

Although there are many more issues that come with under insulated home, these are just a few that we come across quite often.  If you are experiencing any of these issues from your home being under insulated give First Defense Insulation a call today to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient.

How Often Should You Replace the Attics Insulation?

Posted on | by John Blackwelder

The average homeowner rarely checks what’s happening in the attic and it will be easy to neglect whatever is going up there. This shouldn’t be the case as problems with the attic could also interfere with the roofing structure. If you notice that there has been an increase in energy bills, it could be time to look for an attic insulation contractor to do the replacement. There are signs that your insulation needs to be replaced that will be hard to ignore.

How Often Should The Insulation of the Attic Be Replaced?

It is important that you’re inspecting the insulation in place, especially if you live in an old home. There are some situations that will warrant the replacement to be done sooner. This is particularly true if the installation was not done right. That is why it is imperative that you’re getting an experienced attic insulation contractor for the job.
There are a couple of tale-tale signs that your attic needs to be replaced and they include:
High energy bills: This is one of the main signs that there is a problem with the attic’s insulation. Aging insulation will not be effective in deflecting heat. Doing minor repairs might not cut it anymore when the insulation is worn out.
Problems with heating and cooling: Blasting the AC or the heater for the house to cool and warm respectively will be a sign that attic insulation needs to be replaced.
Mold insulation: The presence of mold in the insulation will be a warning sign of the condition of the attic. This is already a health hazard and you wouldn’t want the mold to spread to other parts of the house as it could trigger allergic reactions and interfere with the comfort in your home.
Drafts: The presence of cold drafts will be a sign that air is getting inside your home and the insulation or lack of air sealing isn’t doing a good job keeping it out.

Types of Insulation

Once you’ve decided to insulate the attic, you’ll be faced with a couple of options when it comes to the choice of insulation:

Batt Insulation: It is made from fiberglass and is used in homes and commercial buildings.

Blown-In Insulation: This type of insulation is a loose-fill blown material.

Spray Foam: This type of insulation is a customer favorite, known for superior r-value and the ability to achieve an air barrier. Spray foam also is a great choice for hard-to-reach areas thus making it ideal for attic insulation.

If you’re adding insulation for the first time or would want to replace the existing one, it is crucial that you’re getting the right contractor for the job. The project will need to be done right the first time so that you’re not spending money on unnecessary repairs down the line. If you suspect there could be an issue with the attic insulation, First Defense Insulation will be more than willing to do the inspection for you. To get started, visit https://fdinsulation.com/

First Defense Insulation
Phone: 713-808-9853
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