Insulation is arguably the most important energy-saving component of our green home. We experience strong winds here almost constantly, and have incorporated several heating systems, as it turns out. In theory, we would only need to use the centrally-located thermal mass fireplace for heat, as long as the house is well-insulated.
The idea of R-Value as a measurement of insulative ability of an insulation is quite misleading. We might choose to use R40 fibreglass batt in our ceilings, but because it is impossible to prevent spaces or compression of batts once they are installed, wind and air can make their way into the heated space in hundreds of places.
The soy-based, closed-cell, 2-pound spray foam insulation fills every possible space to prevent air leaks. 3.5″ of foam is rated R28. Effectively, it is much better as an insulator than R40 batt. It costs about 4 times as much as regular batt insulation (average of $5/sq. ft. in our case) but the cost will be recovered in a short time in energy savings. (I will do more research and provide specifics and a few links later.)
Action Spray Foam came over from Surrey to spray our house. The compound they use is heated iso-cyanate, which is nasty stuff in its liquid form. It smells like the inside of a dirty rubber hose times ten. The sprayers use full gas filter masks and risk burns and hair removal on areas not covered by protective clothing. The rest of us work outside or in the RV.
Spraying produces lots of inert waste pellets (labelled “popcorn”). Currently, Action takes them to the landfill.
The foam that spills over the stud edges needs to be cut away with saws or scrapers so that drywall can be applied without bulging.
spray foam in the crawl space
insulation in the basement bedroom
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Happy Birthday, Gail! Hope you had a great day. Looks like your fabulous new home is coming along well. Can’t wait to see the studio.