Is There Any Upkeep With Spray Foam Insulation?

We don't always think about upkeep when it comes to a house. Buildings can feel like permanent structures that don't require maintenance. However, the maintenance question is essential, especially regarding insulation. Insulation is a product we stuff into our walls and forget about. But should we forget about it? This article will explain if spray foam insulation is a product that requires any upkeep.

South Central Services has installed spray foam insulation in hundreds of buildings. We are well acquainted with the specifications, features, and requirements of the product we install. We readily share this information because our customers need to understand what they're getting.

By the end of this article, you will know:

• Why spray foam you install yourself may require maintenance
• Why professionally installed spray foam doesn’t require upkeep

Self-Installed Spray Foam May Require Maintenance.

If you install spray foam yourself using a DIY kit, your insulation may have some upkeep. You may have heard DIY spray foam insulation is affordable and easy to install. In reality, DIY spray foam kits don’t save money on material costs and are easy to screw up. DIY kits offer little precision in the mixing and application process. The larger the project, the more likely your foam will have issues from improper installation.

We'll examine the two most serious and common issues in more detail. While these issues do not exactly fall under upkeep, they compromise the insulation's effectiveness and require an action step from already overwhelmed homeowners.

Off-Ratio Foam Must Be Removed

Off-ratio foam is a failed product. Spray foam insulation is created through the chemical reaction between two liquid chemical components. As discussed earlier, DIY kits offer little control over this chemical reaction. DIY foam is likely to go off-ratio.

Unfortunately, it is difficult for an untrained eye to recognize the signs of off-ratio foam. If you install off-ratio foam yourself, you may not know that the foam you installed must be removed.

But why is off-ratio foam a failed product? During the chemical reaction, the chemicals react in a 1:1 ratio. This ratio ensures that all raw chemicals react to create a new finished product. Off-ratio foam results from having more of one component than the other. Some amount of raw chemical is left over and can off-gas indefinitely.

You’ve likely heard the horror stories about off-gassing, and we have DIY foam to blame for many of those tales.

Off-gassing fumes should not be inhaled. While many products in our daily lives can off-gas immediately after manufacturing, these fumes are toxic. Inhaling large quantities of off-gassing fumes can lead to numerous health problems, such as nausea, difficulty breathing, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.

For off-ratio foam, the fumes can continue indefinitely and cause health concerns. These issues are especially prevalent for anyone with preexisting conditions like asthma and COPD.

No matter who installed off-ratio foam, it must be removed and replaced.

Uneven Foam Requires More Foam

DIY kits cannot support the complex chemical reaction that creates spray foam. The equipment for applying this foam is also rudimentary. Without experience in spraying foam, DIY spray foam can easily be installed unevenly.

If you’ve ever sprayed a pan with cooking spray, you’ll easily understand how difficult it is to get an even, uniform coating when spraying. More than likely, your muffin tin or baking dish had some spots with overspray and others with hardly any cooking spray at all. When you notice a dry spot on your pan, you can just spritz more to resolve the problem. But the equipment for DIY kits does not make spray foam corrections that simple.

Spray foam looks simple to apply, but a quick YouTube search will show that using expanding foam products for the first time leads to uneven coverage. You may spray a wall yourself and have so much foam that you have to shave off excess. Even in these situations, you could discover cold spots later on. These physical cold spots indicate that you sprayed too thin of an insulation layer in certain places.

In the cases of uneven foam, more foam can be applied. However, that will require an additional investment cost. Using more DIY foam also runs the risk of off-ratio foam.

Professionally Installed Spray Foam Should Not Require Maintenance.

When working with an experienced spray foam contractor, you benefit from their equipment and expertise. A professional contractor will ensure that your insulation stays on ratio and is applied at the appropriate thickness across the board. Spray foam insulation should not need maintenance. As a permanent insulation solution, spray foam does not need to be topped off or replaced.

If you work with an inexperienced contractor, the finished spray foam may have the same problems as DIY spray foam. However, a professional contractor should install on-ratio and even layers of foam at the appropriate depths.

If you choose a contractor who leaves you with ineffective insulation, reach out to them about correcting their work. Their insurance should cover the replacement at no cost to you.

The Bottom Line About Spray Foam Maintenance

Spray foam insulation is not an insulation product that requires upkeep, unlike all other insulation products. Spray foam insulation will not sag or settle. When installed correctly, spray foam insulation is a safe and effective option.

If the spray foam is installed improperly, the insulation may need to be removed, replaced, or topped off. We recommend working with a professional contractor you trust to avoid any potential upkeep with spray foam.

Now that you understand why spray foam should not require any upkeep, your next step is to:

• Determine if spray foam is a good investment for your home
• Learn what to look for in a qualified spray foam contractor
• Estimate the cost of spray foam upgrades for your project