The Dangers of DIY Spray Foam Insulation Kits

Spring is nearly upon us. That means men and women’s thoughts turn to …putting in some spray foam insulation so they don’t freeze like they did this past winter!

Anyone who has lived through one icy Chicago winter knows that if you don’t want to spend a fortune on your heating bill, insulation is a big MUST!

Perhaps you’ve been thinking about saving yourself even more money by picking up one or two of those DIY spray insulation kits. Looks easy enough, right? And it’s the same as what the contractors use, isn’t it?

That would be a big NO and NO.

Common Problems with DIY Kits

The Dangers of DIY Spray Foam Insulation Kits

Before we talk about some of the things that have happened to people who have used these kits, these are the most common problems I hear from people who tried to save money by using a DIY spray foam insulation kit.

✓ When properly mixed, the foam is very, very, and I mean very sticky.

✓ You need to wear a plastic or rubber suit with a hood, gloves, and eye protection

✓ You need to wear expensive, Volatile Organic Compounds Masks and filters that are properly fitted to your face! Mask retails with filters run around $125 and the replacement filters last 4 hours and run $40 per pair.

✓ The DIY plastic disposable spray gun clogs very quickly, you essentially have a couple of hours from beginning to end to use a kit once it is opened. Think of a can of Great Stuff, you cannot go back and use more of it the next day, it is hard and won’t work. Use it or lose it!

✓ When the product doesn’t mix correctly, or if the tanks are not hooked up properly, your entire purchase is worthless. You also must maintain the temperature for the boxes during and before the usage. If it freezes, you just wasted your money.

✓ While the foam is sticky, other times, if it isn’t mixed correctly, it won’t stick to anything. It’s like trying to make soap bubbles stick to the wall.

✓ If there is overspray and it gets on something, it might be on there for good since the foam is extremely difficult to remove once it cures.

If that Wasn’t Enough

Using a DIY kit can make some homes unlivable. Even if you should manage to get the spray foam where you want it, if it wasn’t mixed properly and doesn’t cure as it should, it creates a smell called off-gassing, that smells something like rotten fish. This smell permeates everything, and no one wants to live in a house that smells like a giant fish market. No, the smell does not go away with time.

Another thing many homeowners don’t know is that until the spray foam has cured, it contains flammable ingredients, so all sources of possible ignition, such as flames or cigarettes, need to be removed from the area. You would be surprised how many people never consider their oil-fired furnace as a possible source of combustion.

This customer’s story has an interesting twist that he didn’t mention in this video. He began this project due to numerous complaints from his wife about a cold house. He spent so much time trying to apply the DIY kit and then trying to correct his mistakes, his wife finally told him that if he didn’t hire a professional and quit tinkering with it, he was going to start sleeping on the couch!

Why Bother with All That?

I realize that many people think that they are saving “big bucks” when it comes to using a DIY kit, but is that true?

The average kit advertises that it will spray a 650 square foot area at one-inch thickness. That would be approximately $1.24 per square foot but only 1 inch deep, assuming you can spray all areas equally (you can’t spray all areas equally!).

Comfort Is Only a Foam Call Away

Call Chicago Green Insulation for a quote, and I’m betting that we are in that general price range. Not only will the price shock you but remember that this price would include the surface prep materials, the thermal protector if required, a vapor barrier, and clean up afterward!

You won’t have to do a thing, just back and let us get to work. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Give me a call today and I will be happy to answer all your questions and talk to you about how spray foam insulation can save you tons of money- when it is installed correctly!

Remember, as I always say, Comfort is only a FOAM CALL AWAY! 847-987-3626

REQUEST AN ESTIMATE

About the Author, Tom Decker

With ten years of experience selling spray foam insulation in Chicago, Tom Decker is THE person to call and the Chicago Green Insulation is the organization to hire when you are looking for top notch quality and performance as well as someone who can deal with the needs of code officials, home owners and general contractors. Call the others in Chicago, if you are interested in the cheapest price, call Chicago Green Insulation if you are interested in using your dollars to make Chicago a better city for all of us!