I'm building a new home and am thinking of using one or more different types of foam insulation. What kind of questions do I need to ask when getting a bid?
Thanks, John
Browse Forums Heating, Cooling & Insulation Re: Foam Insul 3Jul 10, 2008 7:34 pm john,
there is basically two types of foam. 1. o.c. which is open cell or known as 1/2 pound foam. it is like a spounge and can hold water so it needs a vapour barrier. 2. cc which is closed cell foam or known as 2 pound foam. it is hard material that can be walked on. it will not hold water and if it thicker than 50mm its it own vapour barrier. there are good and bad points to both systems. the main advantage of both systems is that they stop air leakage they say that it will save up to 50% in heating and cooling costs. so john before you worry about a geothermal system make sure you insulate your house properly with foam your heating and cooling costs will be greatly reduced. a geothermal system would have little change from 30K so if you live in a mild climate it would probably take 20-30 years to get a payback. Re: Foam Insul 4Nov 04, 2008 9:23 pm johnstaci I'm building a new home and am thinking of using one or more different types of foam insulation. What kind of questions do I need to ask when getting a bid? Thanks, John We explored one product - insulfoam. Not suitable for retrofitting so you have to decide on this from the outset. Hideously expensive partly because you have to add extra battens and plywood to roof and studs walls to spray the product against. There are lots of theoretical benefits. Very airtight and doesn't breakdown. It also has structural benefits. Our builder pointed out that putting services in later would be a nightmare. In the end we canned the idea and just maxed out on standard insulation. We could always top up the ceiling in the future. Oh no! I would use a can of expandable foam ( there are some that will take render) then cut it back and render over the top 1 4148 There is nothing in the various codes and standards that puts this requirement on the builder to do. I think that is what you are asking. Don't waste time trying to get… 5 2417 |