How Does Spray Foam Work?

How Is Spray Foam Insulation Made?

This is a very popular question that most homeowners and business owners alike have when the initial thought of using spray foam insulation in the Myrtle Beach, SC area come to mind as a Energy Saving Alternative.  What I intend to do in this post is educate everyone a little bit on how Spray Foam Insulation Works, and why it saves not only Myrtle Beach, SC residents money on energy, but all over the Coast of NC, SC, and GA.  You'll hear me talk a lot about these areas as these are the main areas I worked when I was in the Spray Foam Insulation business.  So Lets Explain a little bit about how spray foam insulation is made.

Spray Foam insulation is made by combining 2 chemicals, pushed together with air, which react to form the foam:

1. Part A: A Isocyanate or Isocyonine Product
2. Part B: A Poly Based Resin, usually specifically designed for the part A Chemical.
3. Air: One of the most important parts of the spray foam process.
4. Heat: Heated by two powerful heaters on the proportioning unit, in hot climates like Myrtle Beach, SC the heaters may actually cool the chemicals in extreme heat conditions, without the proper heat requirements, you will not get good foam.

With the two chemicals pumped into the proportioning unit, they are heated up to the proper temperature to achieve proper spray foam insulation, once heated they are pushed thru 2 seperated hoses wrapped with a heater cord into the spray foam gun.  The gun is powered by an air line which forces the chemicals into the gun's mixing chamber, where they begin the chemical reaction which makes spray foam.  The process happens so fast that the two chemicals are pushed out mixed in almost a paint like looking substances.  Within 10 seconds on Open Cell Foam the paste or paint like substance will expand 100 times of itself within this 10 second time lapse.  Closed Cell foam will expand, but not as much, and generally takes 30-40 seconds to expand to full width, Closed Cell Foam is generally applied in two layers to meet the building code requirements for spray foam insulation in Myrtle Beach, SC and Coastal NC and SC areas. This expansion is a part of what makes spray foam insulation work so well at saving energy, as this creates the best seal you can get when it comes to insulation.

How Do Spray Foam Contractors Make This Work?

Spray Foam Insulation Contractors have specialized equipment, and when I mean specialize, only one equipment maker on the market, and only there parts fit them on repairs.  This is a huge investment for a spray foam insulation contractor, so you can tell a good one by the cleanlinest and respect they treat their equipment rig.  Plus all chemicals MUST be heated to at least 120-150 degrees for Open Cell, and I recommend 100-120 degrees for closed cell, however, closed cell foam is very tricky, and you should only use a contractor that has references for closed cell application.  Spray Foam Equipment Rigs cost a lot of money, with a fully stocked rig running $80,000 on the low end, to an avg. cost of $120,000.  Below is a general list of what a good spray foam rig should have on it:

• Industrial Size Generator - The backbone of the rig, without it nothing else works.  Should produce enough electricity to power the other equipment and then some.
• Proper Proportioning Unit - A proportionate unit that is specifically designed for proportioning the Part A and Part B chemicals.  This is crucial as well, it doesn't have to be new, as so much as well maintained and able to handle the air pressure and heat requirements the chemicals demand to create proper spray foam insulation.
• Well Maintained Hoses - the chemicals stay seperated, being pumped thru two seperate hoses, wrapped with a heater cord.  These are the only hoses that are made for spray foam insulation now, if you see anything different, your contractor is way out of date..
• Hose "Whip" - Sometimes you will see spray foam contractors that use a "whip" on the end of there hoses before going into the gun.  A "whip" is made of the same material as the hose, but can give the chemicals a last boost of heat, to help insure proper foam.  These are generally seen more in colder weather conditions
• Spray Foam Guns - Most serious spray foam contractors have more than one spray foam gun because the chemicals react soon as they touch, and tend to "cross-over" easily in extreme weather, so to keep the production going, they have a back-up ready to go.  Some even have more than 2 guns.  Graco models are the top of the line, however there is another maker of a spray foam gun, but not favorably liked by spray foam installers.  The Graco Fusion is personally the best gun I have seen on the market, however their Probler 2 is a popular gun as well.
• PPE or Personal Protection Equipment: A good spray foam contractor puts Safety number one, Sprayers should wear a protective suit, heavy duty gloves, and a forced air mask or respirator designed specifically for spray foam.  Helpers should have a respirator, goggles, and nitrile or heavy duty gloves when handling chemicals or entering into the construction area when spray foam insulation is installed.  As said before, Part A and Part B react immediately upon touching, this can also happen in your lungs, so Safety is a Must when in comes to spray foam insulation in the Myrtle Beach, SC, NC and SC areas, or any other part of the country. 
• Ladders, Scaffolding, aerial equipment, etc. - Spray foam contractors generally carry any type of necessary equipment to get to hard to reach places. 
• Masking Material - Some spray foam insulation contractors seperate their crew into teams, and have a prep team ahead of the sprayers.  But there should always be plastic and tape on the spray foam rig because good spray foam insulation contractors care about their customers personal belongings, merchandise, and homes.
• Gun Cleaning Tools - Specialized Tools designed to clean the spray foam guns.
• Fuel - A good spray foam contractor will keep spare fuel on site to make sure generator never runs out of fuel.
• Trailer or Box Truck - Last but not least, you can tell a true professional spray foam contractor by there truck or trailer, if they come in with the generator, and proportioning unit and materials all on seperate trucks, you might wanna find another spray foam contractor.

Many Spray Foam Contractors have all kinds of other ends and outs on their rigs, but this is a general list of must have things.  If anything from the list is missing, you might wanna consider a new spray foam contractor.   I hope this has been an informative blog post on How Spray Foam Insulation is actually made, and feel free to post any questions to my comments.  As you can see from all the specialized equipment, it cost a lot for a spray foam contractor to stay in business.  This is also what makes spray foam insulation a little more costly than traditional fiberglass or blown insulation, however a good contractor can keep cost low and offer you a competitive price at installing spray foam insulation in your home.  The Part A and Part B chemicals are also very costly, however this is the portion of the install that you can use for tax credits or deductions for using energy saving products.  The good news is a lot more chemical manufacturers are making these chemicals used to make spray foam insulation, so the cost have steadily been on the down swing, making it more affordable, and definitely paying for itself in 3-5 years generally.  If you would like more information on spray foam insulation in Myrtle Beach, SC or SC and NC in general, then give Dan a call at: 706-951-0158

Myrtle Beach Spray Foam Reviews

Myrtle Beach Spray Foam Reviews



This site is dedicated to giving you the most informative spray foam insulation Reviews and News in the Myrtle Beach area.  We we talk about spray foam insulation reviews, we are talking about a number of different aspects that can be reviewed.  So my first post on this blog is going to first educate you on Spray Foam Insulation, what the keys are to a successful spray foam insulation installation, the difference between closed cell and open cell spray foam insulation,  and local contractors in the area that do quality spray foam insulation installations in the Myrtle Beach, and southeastern US.   



Lets first talk about Why Do Spray Foam Insualtion?

• Energy Savings: Most homes in the coastal area of South Carolina see up to 33% by just spraying the rafters of the roof, inside the attic, creating a new building envelope, taking advantage of new sciences in the insulation and HVAC worlds.   More will be explained later about the building envelope and how spray foam insulation can reduce your energy cost in a coastal enviroment like Myrtle Beach, SC.
• Energy Efficiency:  Ever been in your attic in the summer and its 120 degrees or hotter and you just can't stand it?  Thats the reason your air conditioning has to work so hard in the summer to cool your home, most of the time running all day, and not shutting down until at nighttime when the sun goes down.  By using Spray Foam Insulation on the rafters, it creates a new state of the art building envelope, on which spray foam insulation uses the inefficiencies of the A/C system to create a more balanced enviroment in the house, thus  making your A/C run shorter.   By removing the fiberglass insulation from the ceiling, thus using the leakage of your home as a way to bring the attic enviroment down to within 10 degrees of the house space.  How does this help?  Well you have cool air being pumped in your home for one.  If its 120 degrees in your attic, the air coming out by the time it reaches the end of the duct is not temperature it should be, thus your system works twice as hard to get down to the temperature setting on the thermostat.
• Saving the Eviroment or "Going Green":  By reducing the amount of energy you use in your home, it makes your home more "Green" and we look to add more information on other ways to reduce energy in your home on some of our other blogs.  Spray Foam Insualtion has been so effective in reducing energy cost, that the US government offers tax credits and incentives for putting spray foam insulation in your home.  Being a coastal resident myself, I now how hot Myrtle Beach summers are, and trust me spray foam insulation will save you tons of money over the lifetime of your home, paying itself back almost double in energy savings, then the pricey upfront cost.  This is one of the reasons spray foam insulation is almost double the cost of fiberglass insulation.  Fiberglass insulation should be replaced every 5-10 years, as it loses R-Value over time.  With Spray Foam Insulation, it is a lifetime product, and will save you energy until the home is no longer of use to anyone. 
• Tax Credits: please check with your personal accountant, as tax credits and incentives vary from size of home, to area of country, and personal income as well.  Most tax credits are based on material cost, which is a big part of the spray foam insulation cost in the myrtle beach area.

Now we know why we want to do spray foam insulation in the Myrtle Beach, SC area, lets talk about the building envelope, watch this YouTube video for information on both the building envelope and Open Cell vs. Closed Cell Insulation.

Now that we know a little bit about why to use spray foam insulation in the Coastal SC area and Myrtle Beach, the building envelope and its role in the spray foam insulation system, and the difference between open cell and closed cell spray foam insulation, its time to talk about what to look for when picking a reputable spray foam insulation contractor in the Myrtle Beach SC and Coastal SC area.   Here is a list of things I looked for when I was doing quality inspections on the contractors I sold spray foam insulation materials and products too.  All these contractors met the stringent standards most spray foam insulation suppliers have for installer spraying their products. 

1. Cleanliness and Quality of Equipment:  The first thing I would always look at when I would go inspect a contractor, was the hoses, proportioning unit, spray guns, safety equipment, tips, tools, and other things necessary for a good spray foam installation like a larger generator than needed, and a bigger air compressor than the minimum requirements.  These last two play such a crucial factor in a proper spray foam insulation installation, its crucial that these should be top's on a experienced installer's list for there rig.
2. Experience of Installers:  Most quality spray foam contractors have their installation crews split up into teams with one team reamoving and prepping for the sprayers, then another team that does the spraying.  I can always tell when the guys doing the prep work have all large voids covered with landscape fabric, to create a more sound building envelope.  I also look at the sprayer, and a good sprayer really seals the hard to get places good.  A lot of spray foam installers are inexperienced, so these are some of the things you really have to look for when chosing a spray foam installation contractor in the Myrtle Beach, and Coastal SC areas.
3. Knowledge of Sales Staff: A Good sales staff should be able to ease your worries up front, being able to educate you on the building envelope, how your house is going to gain its unique building envelope, and what is going to be your energy savings are going to be near after spray foam insulation is installed.  Experienced sales staff also usually know a general idea of what your gonna get back on any available tax credits or rebates available to  you, however you should always contact your personal accountant as most credits and rebates are based on factors other than insulation, such as income, size of home, and others, but most rebates and credits are based on the material price, which is a huge portion of the spray foam insulation installation cost.
4. Timely Installation: Spray Foam Insulation is major construction to the home, and is very messy in its installation, as it is being sprayed on, rather than laid in like fiberglass insulation.  So a good prep team can ease your worries here, and a good sales person is gonna get you on there schedule and keep you within your schedule date, as it does cause a slight inconvience to install in new or existing homes.  However once the installation is complete, spray foam insulation is one of the most cleanest insulation products, reducing dust and allergens in the home.

My intent for this blog is to help educate Myrtle Beach and Coastal SC residents on the benefits, energy and cost savings, and quality install contractors in the spray foam insulation industry in the Myrtle Beach and Coastal SC areas.   How do I know so much about the spray foam insulation industry?  My first start was in the installation side of spray foam learning about guns, proportioning units, air, open cell vs. closed cell, material handling, and other things you can only learn from installing spray foam insulation, and spraying yourself for a little while.  My next venture was into sales for a chemical company, selling the 2 part insulation products to local contractors, selling guns and components, and other accessories in spray foam insulation.  I am now retired, and just want to promote spray foam as a energy saving alternative to residents of the Myrtle Beach area.  I know how hot Myrtle Beach SC summers are from living here for 16 years now.  Spray Foam Insulation is a life changing product, not only improving the cost of heating and cooling your home, but also in the overall comfortability of your home in the hot summer days.  So below is a list I am starting of the top spray foam insulation contractors, and I will be adding later why I rank these companies in this order.  For more information on spray foam insulation in Myrtle Beach, SC and the Coastal SC area, contact myrtlebeachsprayfoaminsulation@gmail.com for a reputable contractor in your area.

Certified Myrtle Beach, SC Spray Foam Insulation Installers:

myrtlebeachsprayfoam.com : call Dan @ 706-951-0158 for a free estimate and energy analysis report on your home.