Is There A Downside To Spray Foam Insulation?

As you’ve researched your insulation options, you’ve found pros and cons for all of them. Fiberglass, for example, is quite affordable and can be installed as a DIY. However, the downside of fiberglass is its lack of performance. You’ve heard all about the benefits of spray foam insulation. But what if there are downsides?

South Central Services has insulated hundreds of homes with spray foam. No insulation product is perfect, and that includes spray foam. Before you commit to spray foam insulation for your house or project, you should be fully informed.

By the end of this article, you will understand:

• The potential drawbacks of spray foam insulation
• Whether or not spray foam is worthwhile for you

Don't have time to read right now? Check out everything you need to know at a glance.

The Potential Downsides Of Spray Foam Insulation

What is considered a downside of a product will depend on the person buying it and their situation. Homeowners who are price-conscious and on a tight budget are more sensitive to cost. Other homeowners who have paid off their mortgage or have more discretionary income may not be as bothered by price.

When it comes to insulation, there are some potential drawbacks to choosing spray foam. Whether or not these are deal breakers for you will depend on your situation and how you view purchasing.

There are three potential downsides to installing spray foam insulation. Here’s a preview.

1. Cost
2. ROI turnaround
3. Installation requirements

Let’s examine these drawbacks in more detail.

1. Spray Foam Insulation Is An Expensive Investment.

The biggest frustration related to spray foam insulation is often the cost. As you research insulation, you determine that you want the great benefits of spray foam: lower energy bills, better air quality, and a more comfortable home.

However, when you see the price tag attached to those benefits, it can be disheartening.

Spray foam insulation is more expensive than most insulation products on the market. The higher costs can be linked to both the manufacturing process and the specialized equipment.

The premium performance of spray foam is not the only reason for the higher pricing. Spray foam components are developed in chemical processing facilities for at least a year before going to market. Even after those components are for sale, spray foam can only be installed with equipment that costs about $100,000 to be state-of-the-art.

Every product has a different cost. However, getting spray foam installed will be a minimum of $1,500. The larger and more involved the project, the more expensive spray foam will be.

The high initial investment cost for spray foam can be a considerable downside for price-conscious homeowners. Despite knowing that spray foam will pay for itself over time through lower energy bills, not everyone can make that investment.

2. Spray Foam Can Take Time To Offer Return-On-Investment.

Even though spray foam insulation is expensive, it will pay for itself eventually, right? In most cases, spray foam insulation does pay for itself over time. Depending on how much air leakage a building was facing, spray foam insulation could cut energy costs by 30% to 70%.

However, those lower energy costs are not a universal spray foam guarantee. Spray foam can only fix the problems that were already there. A home with more problems will see greater returns because there were more significant changes.

Some spray foam insulation projects have a long ROI period. When we recommend spray foam insulation as a retrofit job, it could take at least 5 years before you break even.

We don’t always recommend spray foam for some commercial projects because of the ROI period. You may never recoup the investment cost of some commercial work if the ROI period is too long.

If you can commit to the investment cost of spray foam, it is exciting to know that you will recoup that investment eventually. However, it can be frustrating to realize how long it may take for your lowered energy costs to “cover” the cost of spray foam.

3. Spray Foam Requires A Qualified Professional Installer.

Maybe the cost of spray foam doesn’t phase you, and you don’t mind waiting a few years for the investment to break even. Even so, it may bother you to know a qualified professional must install that spray foam insulation.

This downside to spray foam actually touches on two frustration points. Let’s examine these in more detail.

Spray Foam Insulation Should Not Be Installed DIY.

Any homeowner who loves the challenge of remodeling their house will be disappointed to discover that spray foam shouldn’t be installed DIY. If you search online for a DIY spray foam insulation kit, you’ll find plenty of them for sale.

Even though DIY kits are available, they should not be used, especially not for any project larger than 100 square feet. Remember how we described an average investment cost of $100,000 for the equipment in a spray foam rig? A DIY spray foam kit does not compare to a professional rig.

Spray foam insulation is created through a chemical reaction that must be monitored and possibly adjusted. There are many variables that professionals monitor and control while spraying. A DIY kit cannot ensure the chemical reaction happens successfully or safely.

Not All Professional Spray Foam Contractors Are Qualified.

Another query you can type into Google is a search for used spray foam rigs. Searching “spray foam rig for sale” will lead to many professional rigs available for purchase.

Not all of those rigs will cost $100,000. Some may have outdated equipment. But most importantly, there is no training required to purchase a spray foam rig. Anyone who can afford a rig can buy one, whether or not they understand how to operate it.

One of the biggest downsides to spray foam insulation is that homeowners have few ways of knowing which contractors know what they’re doing and which will offer shoddy work.

If you can invest in spray foam insulation, you must find a qualified contractor to install that insulation. Your insulation should be installed with a professional rig operated by trained installers.

Because it is so difficult for homeowners to know which contractors are trustworthy, we have created a resource to help evaluate contractors.

The Bottom Line About The Downsides Of Spray Foam Insulation

Spray foam insulation is a great product that can lower your energy bills, improve your air quality, and make your home more comfortable. However, to get that benefit from spray foam, you have to invest more money upfront than with other insulations.

Depending on your situation, the cost of spray foam insulation could be a real barrier. Even if you can accept the investment cost, waiting 5 years to break even may feel like too long of a wait. If the financial downsides are not of concern to you, you may be frustrated by the search for a qualified contractor.

While we can’t make spray foam insulation any less expensive or make it pay for itself faster, we can help you find a qualified contractor.