Joseph Gilday
Foam It Up
Fiberglass has been the standard for home insulation. Now polyurethane or cellulose foam spray is getting a lot of play--particularly when we renovate.
Oddly, foam has the same R-value (heat transfer resistance) as fiberglass. Also, it's significantly more expensive. So why are we recommending it? Because it works much, much better. It cuts your utility bills. And you can get a $1500 tax credit for using it.
Foam insulation expands on contact as it is installed and, because of that, creates a very tight air seal inside wall cavities. It fills in all the joints, crevices and areas where pipes and wiring pass through. So the effective R-value of foam insulation performs at a much higher level due this air sealing property. Heat can't sneak around the insulation barrier on air currents as the building "breathes".
Foam It Up
Fiberglass has been the standard for home insulation. Now polyurethane or cellulose foam spray is getting a lot of play--particularly when we renovate.
Oddly, foam has the same R-value (heat transfer resistance) as fiberglass. Also, it's significantly more expensive. So why are we recommending it? Because it works much, much better. It cuts your utility bills. And you can get a $1500 tax credit for using it.
Foam insulation expands on contact as it is installed and, because of that, creates a very tight air seal inside wall cavities. It fills in all the joints, crevices and areas where pipes and wiring pass through. So the effective R-value of foam insulation performs at a much higher level due this air sealing property. Heat can't sneak around the insulation barrier on air currents as the building "breathes".