The price of everything seems to be going up these days, with the cost of energy being no exception. Spikes in energy bills are especially noticeable during extreme weather months. This is because the majority of energy costs in a home come from heating and cooling. During the colder months of the year the heater in many homes is constantly in operation and the same goes for the AC in summer. Lowering heating and cooling costs and maintaining a comfortable home can be accomplished with the use of spray foam insulation kits.
Have you noticed during summer the temperatures in the attic and basement areas are hot enough to barbeque in (sans grill!)? Each room in the house should be inviting, but during extreme weather months entering these areas seems more like self-inflicted torture. If you are profusely shaking your head in agreement, may I suggest that now is the time to consider proper insulation? Spray foam insulation kits seal your home from this unwanted air, and with the acquired savings in heating and cooling costs; the kit pays for itself within a year.
Weighing in at 120 lbs. and allowing for a tax credit of up to 30% is what we like to call the spray foam insulation kit. Spray foam insulation kits are essentially two tanks of chemicals which expand up to 30 times when applied to walls and floors, which then work to close up tricky air leaks in a home. You may not realize it, but over the course of 5 years these leaks can cost up to $3,400 (Somewhere out there is an endless list of much better ways to spend that money). The spray polyurethane foam kit continues to save you money long after it has paid for itself, as you will no longer need to tamper with the heating and cooling system in your home.
When choosing to insulate a home, tackle the attic and basement areas first. Once you have used a spray foam kit to seal the largest sources of air leaks, the energy spent (and money needed to provide that energy) will noticeably decrease. As if this wasn’t good enough, the spray polyurethane foam kit also prevents molding and helps keep bugs out. The time has come for you to conquer your fear of that blazing hot room. If you feel yourself faltering, just consider how happy your wallet will be once this task is done.
Know where to apply foam
Before you start applying the foam throughout the house, determine where the largest sources of air leaks are. In most homes, the most significant sources of energy loss include the areas that are not lived in, thus poorly insulated, such as the basement, attic, and garage. Once the air leaks from these rooms have been taken care of, the amount of unwanted air coming into the home from these spaces will greatly decrease.
Choosing the right kit
The right kit for the job depends on the square foot measurements of the area being insulated as well as the foam thickness. The foam is applied near and around places where air may be escaping, which includes near windows and along exterior walls in the home, and should be measured in square feet. Also take into consideration that the thicker the spray foam, the more effective the insulation will be. Closed cell spray foam insulation kits provide the thickness necessary to prevent any unwanted exchange of air through many surfaces, making it the most commonly used.
Now that the measurements in square footage and foam thickness has been figured out, you can then choose the kit that provides the “board feet” necessary for this project. This can be accomplished by multiplying the square feet of the designated space by the amount of thickness (in inches) the foam should cover. The resulting number will help you decide which size spray foam insulation kits are best fit for the job.
Time to spray on the foam
When it comes to the application of spray foam insulation kits, keep in mind the measurements and thickness you originally started with. The foam expands up to 30 times. As a result, it is important to not be too generous when applying. Otherwise, you will be left with spaces that originally should have been covered and were not.
Spray foam insulation kits add protection to the home from having unwanted air entering, and wanted air leaving. Reducing this exchange allows for more control over the temperature in the home, which leads to less tampering with the thermostat and less money spent on heating and cooling every year.