Spray Foam Insulation: The Pros, Cons, and Risks Nobody Talks About

Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code ATTICUS at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/atticus This week on the build of our mountain home outside Bryson City, North Carolina, we’re finally insulating our house — and I got to suit up and follow the spray foam crew through the entire process. I’ve been really curious about spray foam insulation because it’s not just insulation. It also air seals the house, fills every little gap between the framing and sheathing, and turns the roof/attic area into part of the conditioned space. But it also comes with some serious trade-offs: cost, installation quality, roof leak concerns, and the need for intentional ventilation once the house becomes this airtight. In this episode, we watch the crew prep the house, protect the windows and floors, mix the spray foam chemicals at the gun, spray the wall cavities and roof deck, trim the foam flush, and then install fiberglass batt insulation in the interior walls for sound control. Then I walk through why I chose spray foam for this build, what problems I think it solves, and what concerns I still have about it. Huge thanks to the crew who helped make this happen — links to everyone involved below. SprayFoam by Cohens (843) 761-6587 Plans@cohens.com Ellis Earthworks & Custom Homes - General Contractor ellisearthworksinc@gmail.com (828) 226-9153 ➤New to the channel? 👉 Subscribe and follow our journey! @ProjectAtticus ➤ Love our videos? Become a Patron to help support the channel & get early ad-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/ProjectAtticus ➤ Gear we use: Sunglasses: https://shrsl.com/35iim Discount Code HPATTICUS Keen Footwear: http://bit.ly/2GSEMjt Our Mobile Internet Solutions - MobileMustHave: https://mobilemusthave.com Bluetti Portable Power Station: https://www.bluettipower.com/products/home-backup-power-ac500?variant=46381280493787 Chapters: 0:00 Spray Foam Insulation Day Begins 1:17 How Spray Foam Chemicals Mix at the Gun 1:42 Suiting Up with PPE for Spray Foam 2:26 Watching Spray Foam Expand in the Wall Cavities 2:54 Spray Foam Thickness, R-Value, and Heat Problems 4:06 Air Sealing the House with Spray Foam Insulation 4:56 How a Spray Foam Rig and Spray Gun Work 5:50 Cardboard Baffles for Roof Eaves and Spray Foam Control 6:28 Incogni Sponsor: Removing Personal Data Online 7:42 Spray Foam Installer Technique and Thickness Control 8:35 Cutting and Trimming Excess Spray Foam 9:02 Filling Stud Bays and Avoiding Insulation Voids 9:43 Does Spray Foam Get Harder as It Cures? 10:06 Special Tools for Cutting Spray Foam 10:26 Heat From the Spray Foam Chemical Reaction 11:04 How Spray Foam Changes Sound Inside the House 11:59 Fiberglass Batt Insulation for Interior Wall Soundproofing 12:19 Checking Spray Foam Coverage in the Stud Bays 13:06 Installing Fiberglass Insulation Before Drywall 13:58 Spray Foam Pros and Cons for a Tight Home 15:04 Spray Foam vs Fiberglass Air Sealing 16:13 Vented Attic vs Conditioned Attic with Spray Foam 17:36 Spray Foam Roof Deck Leak Risk 18:42 Metal Roof, ZIP System, Underlayment, and Ice & Water Shield 19:45 Airtight House Ventilation and Makeup Air Problems 20:58 Is Spray Foam Insulation Worth It? 21:24 Outro