How to prepare for spray foam insulation
Spray foam insulation is one of the most efficient methods of insulating your home. Not only does it regulate your home’s temperature and noise, but it also makes it comfy, all of which increase its resale value. But you can’t apply this insulation without any preparation. There are a few preparatory steps that need to be taken before applying spray foam insulation.
One of the first steps to prep for spray foam insulation is to clear out the area where it will be applied. Also, you must ensure the space is suitable for the insulating team to move about with their heavy equipment. Also, ensure no children or pets are present in the room while the insulation is being applied.
Let’s take a detailed look at how you have to prepare for foam spray insulation.
How do I prepare my home for spray foam insulation?
Every procedure regarding your home requires some level of preparation before it is commenced. Applying spray foam insulation is no exception to this either. So, when people wish to apply spray foam insulation to their homes, they often ask “How do I prepare my home for spray foam insulation?”
Spray foam insulation preparation includes the following steps:
1. Cleaning out the space
The very first and one of the most important steps of preparation for spray foam insulation is to clear out the space where it will be applied. It can be your basement, your attic, or anywhere else. If you have any items in these areas, moving them to some other place will be a good idea to avoid getting the spray onto them.
Whenever spray foam insulation is applied, they always spill out. Once they land on a surface, it is somewhat difficult to get them off that surface. So if you don’t clear the space out from the area, the furniture, and other items will catch the overspray and you’ll have a hard time getting the foam off them.
If the items present in the areas where the foam is being applied are too heavy to move, just covering them properly will also do. All in all, you have to make sure no foam is sprayed onto your items.
2. Ensure insulation is applied at last
It’s a must that spray foam insulation is applied at the very last. The HAVC, laying the electrical lines, and plumbing must be completed before you call in insulating services. This is a very important part of the preparation for spray foam insulation. There is a reason behind this.
Once the insulation is applied, it must not be touched again to preserve its integrity. So if you delay any of these works and apply insulation first, you then have to take the insulation off to, for example, lay the electric cables. This will seriously harm the purpose of the spray foam insulation and you will most certainly not get your intended result.
Additionally, it’s mandatory to install backings before applying spray foam insulation as well. So ensure knee walls, soffits, etc are already installed before you call an insulation service. Make sure you don’t keep the service waiting because you don’t want to pay more for their time. Also, if you had any previous insulations, make sure it is removed.
3. Ensuring the space is big enough and safe
Preparing a home for spray foam insulation goes far beyond just cleaning stuff out. Usually, insulating services don’t use ladders while doing their work. This is because of two reasons. First, the ladder will most certainly lean against the surface on which the insulation is being applied. Second, using a ladder to do this kind of work is risky for the workers.
Because of all this, insulation services use scaffoldings while doing their work. The space should be big enough for them to set up their scaffolding. Also, the workers have to move large hoses, the diameter of which can be up to three inches. So they need enough space to move that around without any hassle.
Another way of making sure is to cover the HAVC vents present on the floors. These vents are extremely dangerous for workers as it is very easy for them to fall because of them. Also, as the workers work, the debris from their work will undoubtedly fall into these. So it’s best to cover them up.
4. Making sure children and pets aren’t nearby
Applying spray foam insulation needs the utmost precision and attention to detail. Children and pets don’t understand these concepts very well and thus unwillingly create a situation that is not ideal for working. Also, since the procedure of insulating includes a lot of heavy materials and tools, it is not safe for them to be in there either.
So, it’s best if the space is free of children and pets so that all the parties involved are safe and the work can be done efficiently and properly.
Final Words
The best way to prep for spray foam insulation is to prepare early and ensure the safety and convenience of both the house and the workers. Once you ensure that, the work will go very smoothly and you will have an insulated home that is every bit as energy efficient as it is comfy.
FAQ‘s
1. How long should you stay out of the house after spray foam insulation?
Spray foam insulation is harmful to human beings. So it’s best to stay out of the house after spray foam insulation is applied. The average time one should stay out of their house after the insulation is applied is between 24 to 72 hours.
2. How long does it take to spray foam a house?
The time it needs to spray foam a house depends on how big the house is among a lot of other things. Usually, it takes between 2 to 5 hours to completely spray foam a house. But depending on a lot of factors, the time can change.
3. How warm does it have to be to spray foam insulation?
It’s best to apply spray foam insulation when the temperatures are a bit on the lower side. So, storing the drums of the spray foam at temperatures of between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit should be more than enough.