I decided to try one of those DIY spray foam insulation kits to help insulate the heck out of my basement. One of the recommendations from a friend on Facebook said to "make sure you cover everything - including hair". I decided to choose the spry foam insulation kit from http://www.sprayfoamdirect.com/. The seemed to have a similar kit to many others and their warehouse was only a few miles from our house, which meant we could pick it up and save some shipping costs.
Foam It Green 202 square feet kit
Foam It Green 102 square feet kit
I decided to use their spray foam 102 kit, since I only needed to do about 60 square feet of rim joist insulation. They have a good video showing the rim joist spray insulation process on their website. I should have know better and ended up buying the 202 kit to finish the job, probably because I put it on thicker and also made sure the area was well covered. There were a lot of tools on their website to understand the process and estimate how much foam I needed.
For my job the Tyvek suit (had one laying around) might have been overkill, but the organic vapor mask and nitrile gloves were absolutely necessary. It would have been different if I was spraying the foam insulation overhead.
The material when sprayed reminds me a lot of Great Stuff out of a can. It's real sticky. I found it best to let it dry if it dripped onto something, then scrape it off after it dried. Definitely cover anything that you don't want something glued to.
The basic steps for the process are available on their website and I found the instructions included in the kit very helpful and through. I'd recommend reading them a couple times and take a look at the videos on their website.
Spray Gun and Removable Spray Tips
The kit came with everything that you needed. When I bought the the second kit (202) it came with 17 optional accessories that were a pretty good value (extra tips mainly). In the picture above you can see the black regular spray tip and two of the green screw on fan tips. The 102 kit came with one piece fan tips. In general, I found that the regular black tip worked best for my project.
You do go through quite a few tips, if your not constantly spraying insulation. Stopping for any more than 30 seconds will cause the insulation to start to clog the tube. I never really had a problem with this, but you should get extra tips, if you have a job that requires a lot of long stops.
Spray Gun Close-up -Trigger is black with a safety catch
I found the gun easy to use and tips easy to change. They include some Vaseline in a packet to put on the end of the gun to keep it from getting sticky around the black o-ring. This also worked well. I found the amount included with a standard kit sufficient for my needs (didn't really need the extra free ones).
Here is a picture showing the inside of the box:
Two tanks in the box - handle allows for easy carrying
You can see the two parts. This picture is after the valves were opened, so you can see the tubes filled with brown and blue liquid. The liquid mixes in the spray tubes just outside of the spray gun. There is a temperature sensitive strip (top of white tank) that makes sure you have the chemicals at the right temperature (in the green area of the strip). The box and tank assembly was well thought out and easy to use and carry around. The box also keeps everything from tipping over as you move around. The 202 kit was reasonably heavy at about 40 lbs and the 102 about half that.
I shot a video of me starting the job and then spraying it. You can see that video on YouTube here:
When it was all said and done here is what my job looked like between the 1st floor floor joists. The foam is expands quite rapidly and is hard to the touch in a minute. I was amazed how quickly it sets up. You don't need much to get excellent insulation. I went and checked my application depth and pretty consistent sprayed 1-2 inches of foam after it expanded.
My spray floor joist foam DIY job after spraying the green foam
The kit did a nice job sealing to the outside and to the top of the rigid pink foam insulation that I used on the basement walls. I'd definitely recommend the process to anyone that has some tough to insulate areas. In my case it was a good complement to the rigid and fiberglass insulation in my Midwestern basement finishing project.
Someone had asked how much it cost. The 202 (200 square foot) kit cost $329.99. That included the 17 free extra tips, tyvek, and goggles. I picked mine up at their warehouse, so there was a $10 will call fee.
I have been considering using a DIY kit like this for just this job. From your experience with the product, would you consider it for a large scale project like insulating the second floor of a Cape style house? I've been back and forth on that and I have been leaning towards allowing a contractor to work.
It was great for this project. I had a larger project to do a wine seller (6'x15') and it's a bit more challenging to work overhead and be efficient about it. If it were spray foam insulating the whole 2nd floor of a cape cod -based on my experience I'd recommend a professional contractor. Their equipment and speed (based on what I've seen on TV) seems better suited to a job that size.
That said I don't see any reason you couldn't do it using the system I used, if you wanted to spend some time perfecting your technique of applying it. Not sure of the cost difference between DIY and a contractor.
I was looking for a DIY insulation installing process and come across this post, this is really an informative and useful post for me, Many thanks for sharing.
The company name is "Foam It Green" -I reference it in the first paragraph. I also provide a link to their website. I bought the product from them direct...
I live in San Antonio Tx.. Can this product be used outside under a patio cover with rafters? The wood gets very hot in our South Texas summers, and acts as a radiator on the patio. Once sprayed, it will be covered with tongue and groove cedar planks.
Very Informative. I have a similar situation to SyberSaint, but in the cooler climate of PA. My Lstiburek book on Moist Humid climates says I can insulate under a roof deck with spray foam and no air space, so I'll be spraying upwards.
I sent you a FB message, but it went to your other folder. I am trying to put some insulation in my basement. On my south wall, there is about a 7" space between the rim joist and the first floor joist. There is no insulation between the two joists. The rim joist sits solidly on the sill plate. The first joist has about a 3/8" - 1/2" gap between the bottom of the joist and the foundation. I am considering getting some cans of spray foam to spray between the joists. Do you have any other recommendations or suggestions?
This is a very interesting DIY spray foam kit. using a lot of the same materials that our company uses however, we also specialize in attic insulation removal. In Fort Worth it is vary important to keep your attic insulated in order to keep you home comfortable and keep your energy prices down. attic insulation is a must.
I have an old house and I had no insulation at all, so I ordered 602 Slow Rise kit to fill the emptiness between the walls.
3 things that are wrong with this product
1. You will never fill the entire gap, and if you missed spots the wall will be cold in those places, and you cannot redo it. I spoke with professionals, and even they said it's almost impossible to fill it our 100%, that is why professional almost never do injections with spray foam. I did mine and I can tell you the job is NOT GOOD. I wish I wound't not do that. I know it looks good on their video, but you will NEVER, repeat NEVER get this results.
2. On their site "Sq/f calculator is based on 1" thickness, turns out I have 4", so to insulate the house with this product is not realistic.(this my mistake, but just wanted to bring it up, so you will be aware of this too)
3. I did not like how it insulated the wall that I did, so I started doing research for alternatives and found out that this spray foam is EXTREMELY TOXIC, read this
I wish I knew that before I bought it, I was spraying with my wife and 3 year old kid in the house (on a different floor of course, but in the house), even worse I did not know that 'sanding' is the same TOXIC as when you were applying the spay, their instructions doesn't warn you about any of it.
At the end I went with cellulose, it covered all 4" 100% dense, it costed me 4 times cheaper, and are you ready? that is with professional installation, not by me.
Just wanted to share it so people will not make mistakes that I did.
Is your your Moen single handle kitchen faucet hard to use or leaking around the handle? If it is you can easily lubricate or replace the 1225 cartridge in the faucet. If you're the original owner owner of the faucet Moen warrants them to be leak-free for lifetime. I called the 800 number at 1-800-289-6636 and requested a replacement cartridge kit for the faucet (think ours is model 7730). They sent it out no charge in about 10 days. If your in a hurry you can also buy it from Amazon ( Moen 1225 One-Handle Replacement Cartridge ). Our Moen 7730 Single Handle Kitchen Faucet I shot a video of the dis-assembly and re-assembly of the kitchen faucet: The kit contained everything you need to replace the cartridge and get the faucet working like new again 1225 Cartridge Repair Kit 1225 Cartridge Kit Contents Here is a link to a pdf with the Moen 1225 cartridge installation instructions that came in the kit: Here are the components in the kit: Moen 122
Just bought my wife a new thermostat for our house. We missed the HAI home automation thermostats in our previous house and their ability to display outdoor temperature. The NEST removed too much of our ability to control our thermostat and didn't show outdoor weather conditions. We choose the Honeywell RTH9580WF (from Amazon) for a few reasons: RTH9580WF Outdoor Temperature - shows waiting for update Pros: Ability to control from a remotely Easy WiFi connectivity Reliable thermostat company Good 4 star plus reviews from Amazon Ability to show outdoor temperature and humidity Easy to use touchscreen and nice design Cons: C wire required No external temperature sensor Replacing our existing heat pump thermostat was uneventful. I just carefully followed the instructions from Honeywell on how to install it. Our system was new enough to have a C-wire run but not connected to the existing thermostat. Honeywell's online tools and video helped me through this q
Today I picked up two Comcast Xfinity uDTA (HD Digital Transport Adapters). These are the latest DTA's from Comcast that allow you to view HDTV using a tiny cable box as opposed to the huge boxes. They also have the advantage of being much less expensive to rent than the settop boxes. In my area they are easily exchanged for the for the original Thompson DTA's ( http://blog.trebacz.com/2010/03/comcast-dta-digital-transport-adapter.html ) from a couple years ago. Advantages of Comcast Xfinity HD DTA: Small compact size HDMI output or standard cable TV RF remote option (no line of site needed) Same monthly rental as standard definition DTA's Disadvantages of Xfinity HD uDTA: No menu system (or extremely limited) No on-demand programming No channel favorites Below is the unboxing process and what it took to hook it all up. If you'd rather see a video of the process, I did that also. You can see the video on my YouTube channel at: http://www.yo
How much did it cost?
ReplyDeleteSomeone had asked how much it cost. The 202 (200 square foot) kit cost $329.99. That included the 17 free extra tips, tyvek, and goggles. I picked mine up at their warehouse, so there was a $10 will call fee.
ReplyDeleteHi David,
ReplyDeleteI have been considering using a DIY kit like this for just this job. From your experience with the product, would you consider it for a large scale project like insulating the second floor of a Cape style house? I've been back and forth on that and I have been leaning towards allowing a contractor to work.
It was great for this project. I had a larger project to do a wine seller (6'x15') and it's a bit more challenging to work overhead and be efficient about it. If it were spray foam insulating the whole 2nd floor of a cape cod -based on my experience I'd recommend a professional contractor. Their equipment and speed (based on what I've seen on TV) seems better suited to a job that size.
ReplyDeleteThat said I don't see any reason you couldn't do it using the system I used, if you wanted to spend some time perfecting your technique of applying it. Not sure of the cost difference between DIY and a contractor.
I was looking for a DIY insulation installing process and come across this post, this is really an informative and useful post for me, Many thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteDoes it really reduce costs dramatically, honestly my heating bill are really high.
ReplyDeletehugely, youll save between 40% -60% over all.
Deletecan you provide me where or who is the supplier carrying this product? thanks, Lee.
ReplyDeleteThe company name is "Foam It Green" -I reference it in the first paragraph. I also provide a link to their website. I bought the product from them direct...
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI live in San Antonio Tx.. Can this product be used outside under a patio cover with rafters? The wood gets very hot in our South Texas summers, and acts as a radiator on the patio. Once sprayed, it will be covered with tongue and groove cedar planks.
Thanks, Dale
Very Informative. I have a similar situation to SyberSaint, but in the cooler climate of PA. My Lstiburek book on Moist Humid climates says I can insulate under a roof deck with spray foam and no air space, so I'll be spraying upwards.
ReplyDeleteI sent you a FB message, but it went to your other folder. I am trying to put some insulation in my basement. On my south wall, there is about a 7" space between the rim joist and the first floor joist. There is no insulation between the two joists. The rim joist sits solidly on the sill plate. The first joist has about a 3/8" - 1/2" gap between the bottom of the joist and the foundation. I am considering getting some cans of spray foam to spray between the joists. Do you have any other recommendations or suggestions?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Scott in Billings, Montana
This is a very interesting DIY spray foam kit. using a lot of the same materials that our company uses however, we also specialize in attic insulation removal. In Fort Worth it is vary important to keep your attic insulated in order to keep you home comfortable and keep your energy prices down. attic insulation is a must.
ReplyDeleteHi I've got a 30x50 pole barn, any suggestions
ReplyDeleteI have an old house and I had no insulation at all, so I ordered 602 Slow Rise kit to fill the emptiness between the walls.
ReplyDelete3 things that are wrong with this product
1. You will never fill the entire gap, and if you missed spots the wall will be cold in those places, and you cannot redo it. I spoke with professionals, and even they said it's almost impossible to fill it our 100%, that is why professional almost never do injections with spray foam. I did mine and I can tell you the job is NOT GOOD. I wish I wound't not do that.
I know it looks good on their video, but you will NEVER, repeat NEVER get this results.
2. On their site "Sq/f calculator is based on 1" thickness, turns out I have 4", so to insulate the house with this product is not realistic.(this my mistake, but just wanted to bring it up, so you will be aware of this too)
3. I did not like how it insulated the wall that I did, so I started doing research for alternatives and found out that this spray foam is EXTREMELY TOXIC, read this
http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2011/5/3/EPA-Takes-Action-on-Spray-Foam-Health-Risks/
I wish I knew that before I bought it, I was spraying with my wife and 3 year old kid in the house (on a different floor of course, but in the house), even worse I did not know that 'sanding' is the same TOXIC as when you were applying the spay, their instructions doesn't warn you about any of it.
At the end I went with cellulose, it covered all 4" 100% dense, it costed me 4 times cheaper, and are you ready? that is with professional installation, not by me.
Just wanted to share it so people will not make mistakes that I did.
Apparently you didn't read the whole article you posted a link for or didn't understand it.
DeleteWho will sell me just a gun and extra tips? I was given a half full kit but the gun is broken.
ReplyDeleteIm doing my pole barn roof ends.