Benefits Of Insulating Your Attic With Spray Foam

No matter what attic insulation you choose, you need to know what you're getting for your investment. What's the bang for your buck? Spray foam insulation is one of the most expensive insulations available. What can you expect from spray foam if you have it installed in your attic?

That's a vital question, and we're glad you asked. South Central Services has insulated hundreds of homes with spray foam. Nine out of ten homeowners we speak with would benefit from additional insulation in the attic, and we almost always recommend spray foam insulation. This article will explain why.

By the time you've finished reading, you will know:

• What feature spray foam offers that no other insulation has
• What benefits you can expect from that spray foam feature

Why You Should Choose Spray Foam Insulation For Your Attic

If your attic needs more insulation, you could install fiberglass batts or a blown-in product. Those are insulation options, too.

So why does South Central Services recommend spray foam in the attic, even though it is much more expensive than those budget insulation products?

Spray foam insulation is unique because it both insulates and air-seals. Every insulation product can insulate, and that ability is measured by R-value or resistance value. Since spray foam insulation is liquid-applied, it fills every crack and crevice in a space. Its R-value is not easily compromised by installer error, unlike fiberglass batt insulation. A fiberglass batt may never achieve its advertised R-value if installed incorrectly.

While every insulation product is expected to insulate, no other insulation offers a built-in air seal. The air-sealing feature, along with consistent R-values, contributes to spray foam’s superior performance.

Compared to other insulations, spray foam often yields a 30% to 70% increase in energy efficiency.

Here's a preview of spray foam's benefits, powered by air-sealing and consistent R-value. When installed in attics, spray foam directly impacts the following.

1. Improved air quality: no risk of airborne particles
2. Permanent solution: no need to repair, replace, or top off
3. Lower energy bills: no more spending money to “heat the world”
4. Longer-lasting HVAC: no longer handling heat transfer from uncontrolled air leaks
5. Increased comfort: no more inconsistent temperatures throughout the home

Let’s examine each of these in more detail.

1. Spray Foam Improves Your Indoor Air Quality With An Airtight Seal

Spray foam insulation is the only attic insulation that will not introduce airborne particles to your home. Cellulose and fiberglass insulations can be disturbed and dislodge glass, plastic, or dust particles into the air. Spray foam insulation is a solid finished product that cannot be disturbed.

With its airtight seal, spray foam insulation prevents allergens, dust, and outdoor air pollution from entering your home.

If you already struggle with allergy problems or are concerned about outdoor air pollution, spray foam insulation is a way to keep those irritants out of your home.

2. Spray Foam Insulation Is A Permanent Solution For Your Attic

Budget insulations like blown-in fiberglass and cellulose can sag or settle over time, compromising their efficiency. These insulations either need to be topped off or replaced every fifteen years. The effectiveness of spray foam insulation does not change. After insulating with spray foam, you will never need to consider attic insulation again.

You may read that spray foam can deteriorate or lose performance over time. Spray foam insulation can deteriorate, but only if exposed to ultraviolet rays. If your attic has direct sunlight, coatings can be added to the foam to protect it from the sunshine.

It is also true that spray foam performance decreases after initial installation, as measured by R-value. However, the advertised R-value is the aged R-value after this performance decrease has occurred.

Spray foam does not promise a higher level of performance than it will actually offer. The R-value that is advertised is the same R-value you can expect over its lifetime.

3. Spray Foam Will Lower Your Energy Bills

We pay to make our homes more comfortable than it is outside. In our climate zone, Climate Zone 5, this is especially prevalent in the summer and winter months. When the outside temperature is so much higher or lower than it takes to be comfortable, our energy bills can skyrocket as we attempt to make up the difference.

Residents of southern Pennsylvania and nearby counties in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia often experience these temperature extremes.

Insulating your attic with spray foam gives you a built-in air seal to prevent air from randomly infiltrating your home. In the summer, this prevents heat from pressing through the attic floor and compromising your air conditioning. In the winter, it stops the heat you pay for from leaking out of your home as the hot air rises.

Other insulation products can lower energy bills, but not by as significant of a margin as spray foam insulation. We have found that homes moving from minimal or traditional insulation to spray foam save 30% to 70% on their energy bills. You should expect to save at least 30% more on energy by insulating with spray foam instead of fiberglass.

4. Spray Foam Supports Your HVAC Equipment

You might be wondering how an insulation product can extend the lifetime of your heating and cooling system. South Central Services has a background in refrigeration and HVAC equipment. One of the reasons we choose to insulate with spray foam is the support it offers HVAC systems.

Spray foam insulation supports your HVAC equipment by stopping preventable airflow and the temperature differences it brings. Without an air seal, your HVAC system fights to regulate the temperature in your home by itself, including any temperature changes from leaking air. By insulating with spray foam, your HVAC equipment is spared the extra work of combatting random temperature changes.

When you insulate your attic with spray foam, unconditioned air cannot enter your living space. Insulating your attic's roof can extend your HVAC system's lifetime even more by turning the attic into a conditioned living space.

Any ductwork in the attic will not absorb additional heat because the attic temperature is regulated like the rest of the house.

Traditional attic insulations like cellulose and fiberglass cannot support the HVAC equipment in the same way. Without the air-sealing feature, air can still infiltrate and cause heating and cooling system difficulties.

5. Spray Foam Makes Your Home More Comfortable

With your HVAC system well-supported and random temperature fluctuations blocked, your home will be much more comfortable. We sometimes do not realize how much of a difference a few degrees can make.

Installing spray foam insulation in the attic will stop heat from infiltrating in the summertime and escaping in the wintertime.

As we already established, traditional attic insulations do not air seal. Air-sealing is the key to noticeable increases in comfort.

Fiberglass and cellulose insulation will stop heat flow through conduction but cannot prevent heat traveling through convection and radiation.

The Bottom Line About Why Spray Foam In The Attic Is Best

Spray foam insulation is an expensive insulating material. Budget insulations may be cheaper, but their performance is also lower. If you choose spray foam over budget insulation, you can expect better air quality, increased comfort, lower energy bills, and a fairly quick ROI. Spray foam will never need to be replaced, so you will never need to insulate your attic again.

Now that you know why spray foam is best for your attic, your next step is to:

• Calculate an estimate for installing spray foam in your attic
• Find out the process of having spray foam installed in your attic
• Learn where spray foam should be installed and if you can do it yourself