We have been serving the residents and commercial building owners of Williamsburg with spray foam insulation products and services and we would like you to know how spray foam insulation helps to cut down on energy costs, how spray foam in the attic helps to create an envelope around the building structure and how spray polyurethane foam is a great option for roofing systems.
Also, did you know that installing spray foam insulation in your crawlspace can eliminate cold floors and cut down your energy bills? Here at Virginia Spray Foam Insulation we not only provide great service but also educate our customers. We welcome you to use our website as a source of information to learn more about this great insulating product.
Before starting on any project, one of the most important factors when it comes to spray foam insulation in Williamsburg VA is the cost that is involved. When doing your research about spray foam insulation, you may have noticed that the labor cost is higher than the raw material itself. This is because installing spray foam insulation in Williamsburg VA is labor intensive and it requires a lot of care during the installation process.
The average cost of spray foam insulation in Williamsburg VA is between $1,900 and $2,500 for installation. The cost of installing spray foam insulation includes; the cost of the raw materials which will depend on whether it is open cell or closed cell spray foam.
Open cell spray foam costs between $0.44 and $0.65 per board foot and closed cell spray foam costs between $1 and $1.50 per square foot, costs for labor, costs for additional materials and equipment and costs for preparation, components, machinery and cleaning up. Costs that are not included here are any permits that may be required for installing spray foam insulation in Williamsburg VA, sales tax, inspection fees of the building or house, and general contractor fees.
Most of the heat in your home during the winter and cool air in the summer will escape through the attic. Spray foam insulation in Williamsburg VA helps to create an envelope around your building structure and acts as an air sealant. It blocks the conditioned hot air from exiting the building structure or house in the winter and cool air from escaping in the summer. An attic that is not well insulated will lose about 25 to 30 percent of heat. This puts extra strain on your HVAC system and you will be spending more money in just heating and cooling your house or building structure, and as a result, your expenditure on your energy bills will be high.
When you insulate your attic with spray foam insulation in Williamsburg VA, the contractor will either install spray foam on your attic floor or the underside of the attic roof depending on whether you have a vented or an unvented attic. A vented attic is one that has vents for air to flow in and out of the attic. When you install spray foam insulation in Williamsburg VA on the floor of the attic in a vented attic system, it will prevent the loss of heat during the winter and cool air during the summer.
On the other hand an unvented attic system will not rely on vents but air sealing in order to create a condition space in the attic. Using spray foam insulation on the roof deck stops any movement of air because it is an air barrier. Once the whole house or building structure is completely air sealed and a building envelope is created then the air that travels to the attic will not be hot and there will be no need to cycle it out with any vents.
Some people think that if the unvented attic is insulated with spray foam in Williamsburg VA, the roof needs breathing and this will increase the temperature of the roof. But in reality, when spray foam insulation is used on the underside of the roof it will raise the temperature of the roof only by a few degrees. This will not cause any damage to the roofing material.
Most chances are that you have a vented attic if your home has been built in the traditional way. In some cases using spray foam insulation on the floor of a vented attic can be a good option.
Spray polyurethane foam is also known as SPF. SPF is a liquid material that expands into when it is spread and it creates a solid layer across the roof. This technology has been used since the 1960s for industrial, residential and commercial buildings.
This type of roofing system is very long lasting and under ideal circumstances it can last more than 50 years. It can be applied in any type of climate by a professional spray foam insulation contractor in Williamsburg VA. Once it is installed it should be maintained.
Before the installation of spray polyurethane foam, the substrate which is the roof has to be repaired and cleaned. This is done by getting rid of the dust, dirt and contaminants that have settled on the existing roof. For this a good spray for insulation contractor in Williamsburg VA will use a vacuum cleaner, air pressure or manually sweep the area.
The first layer that is sprayed is the spray polyurethane foam itself. Once it is sprayed on the existing roof, the foam expands up to 20 times in size and it forms a seamless solid layer on the surface of the roof. It is about 1 to 1.5 inches in thickness. Spray polyurethane foam is very sticky and it can adhere to most surfaces that it is sprayed on.
It can be installed on any type of roof shape, even if the roof is sloping. After the spray polyurethane foam has been applied, a layer of acrylic or elastomeric silicone coating is applied over that. This protects the SPF from harsh weather conditions, UV light and everyday wear and tear. There are many benefits of using spray polyurethane foam for the roof.
Since spray polyurethane foam provides the highest R-value, and it acts as a moisture barrier, it protects the building and provides high insulation quality for the building structure. This can also prevent the formation of ice dams and protects the roof from the entry of cool and hot air.
Spray polyurethane foam will last longer than any other type of roofing system because it can contract and expand along with the building, according to the outside temperatures. This highly decreases cracking and splitting that might take place with other types of roofs. Once SPF is installed it can be walked on and no damage will be caused. In case the roof is damaged due to some harsh weather conditions, in most cases there are no leaks because the puncture and holes do not go through the total thickness of the form
SPF is applied when it is a liquid and this enables it to fill seems cracks and gaps in the existing roof structure as it foams up and solidifies. There is no requirement for seams or joints when using SPF and therefore this completely eliminates the question of leaking. A good spray foam insulation contractor in Williamsburg VA will be able to install SPF in such a way that it levels out any uneven roofs and this will reduce the chances of standing water.
Unlike other types of roofing systems, spray polyurethane roofs do not produce any waste and if it is properly maintained SPF roofing systems will last a long time. Nowadays there are a large variety of eco-friendly SPF products which have zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) and does not pose any risk to global warming.
All types of insulation need to be at a certain R-value in order to pass the building code in your state. Building codes define the type of insulation to be used, how deep it should be after it is installed and whether it meets the required R-value.
However, when it comes to spray foam insulation in Williamsburg VA what you need to pay attention to is not so much the R-value but the performance of the spray foam insulation. Spray foam insulation creates and air seal that meets all the requirements. Unlike other traditional types of insulation such as cellulose, fiberglass or mineral wool, spray foam is the only one that can create an air barrier. This means that it will prevent the leakage of air in and out of your house or building structure.
Though cellulose and fiberglass meet the prescribed R-value, it does not stop air from entering and leaving your house or building structure. Thus, sometimes spray foam insulation may not be at the exact prescribed R-value, it will still meet all the requirements of the building code and keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer.
Your spray foam insulation contractor in Williamsburg VA can explain to the building code inspector and prove how spray foam insulation passes all the tests when it comes to building codes. In order to do this, a performance test can be conducted by entering data related to insulation, room assemblies, heating, cooling and so on, on a computer software program which can show whether your house or building structure has passed or failed the test.
If you are convinced that spray foam insulation will help you to save on energy costs and you have decided to install spray foam insulation in Williamsburg VA in your attic, basement, crawlspace or walls, feel free to contact us in order to get a free quotation and assessment.
