You might be considering utilizing spray foam insulation in your next job due to the incredible benefits it has over other types of insulation. Some of the benefits include heat efficiency, air and water resistance, and durability. You may sometimes wonder, though, if it is worth the investment. To determine that, you need to understand the different factors that go into calculating the final cost.
Types of spray foam insulation
There are two different types of spray foam insulation: open-cell and closed-cell. The difference between both boils down to the R-value, or thermal resistance, they possess. Thermal resistance is an indicator of how well a material will resist heat transfer, making it either an effective or ineffective insulator. The open-cell type has an R-value of 3.5-3.6 per inch of material, while the closed-cell has an R-value of 6-7 per inch. The higher an insulation’s R-value, the more effective it is in resisting heat transfer and loss. Due to the higher R-value, closed-cell insulation is used in exterior walls while open-cell insulation is used in internal walls.
Factors to Consider
There are several factors you need to be aware of when insulating a house. Some factors apply to both new houses and old ones, and some apply only to houses that have already been built. It is easier to have your insulation installed during construction, but it is common to have new insulation installed in older houses as well. Here are some of the factors to keep in mind:
- Where is the house located? Houses in areas that have a lot of weather variability will have different insulation requirements than houses in areas where the weather is more stable. For example, a new house built in Minnesota will have different insulation requirements than a new house built in Texas.
- What part of the house will be insulated? Does it include an exterior wall, or is it all interior?
- How thick will the insulation need to be? The thicker the insulation, the more expensive it will be.
- What is the square footage of the area that needs to be insulated? Again, the larger the area, the higher the cost.
To help you to get a good idea on how much spray foam insulation will cost, many home improvement websites offer a calculator to aid in the process. You need to know the following information: building size, spray foam insulation type, insulation R-value, number of floors in the building, the slope of the roof, whether the attic needs to be insulated, the joist size, wall stud size, number of windows, and the number of doors.
Here is an example for a house:
| Building size | 1900 sq ft |
| Spray foam type | Closed-cell |
| R-value | Code maximum R-value |
| Number of floors | 2 stories |
| Roof slope | Medium (6) |
| Insulate attic? | Yes – whole |
| Joists/rafter size | 2×8 |
| Wall stud size | 2×4 studs |
| Number of windows | 12 |
| Number of doors | 3 |
| US region or national average? | National average |
| Estimated cost for materials * | $19,074 – $25,949 |
*This does not include installation. This is for materials only.
Want to know how much a Carlisle Fluid Technologies IntelliSpray Foam System can save you? Check out our calculator here: https://carlisleft.com/en/roi-calculator/. Keep in mind that materials costs may change due to market dynamics.
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Whether you are the sole operator, have a small crew, or have multiple rigs running daily, our spray foam insulation system maximizes your most important asset: your reputation. If you’d like to find out more, click here to learn how the Carlisle Fluid Technologies® IntelliSpray system can help you eliminate off-ratio jobs and get jobs done faster, increasing your bottom line.