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LIcensed, Bonded & InsuredWe serve homeowners and businesses in Charleston, SC with safe & ethical insulation services
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Spray Foam Insulation Charleston, SC
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It's an understatement to say it's important to find good insulation in Charleston, SC. We get actual seasons here, and while we may be blessed with gorgeous weather most of the year, there is cold, there is heat, and moisture is abundant.
Buffering against these elements is your insulation, stopping large changes in temperature and providing a vapor barrier against the outside world. Spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC is the leading way to get the best performing insulation in nearly any application.
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What exactly is Spray Foam Insulation?
Spray foam insulation is a thermal insulator just like the conventional fiberglass batting, the itchy spun glass fiber most people see in their attics or walls. While serving a similar function, spray foam is wildly different in composition. It is a binary compound similar to the expanding foam found in hardware stores that helps seal gaps against drafts and so on. It is installed before the drywall and is sprayed in the gap to expand and seal against drafts and thermal transfer. Thus, spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC is important because it keeps your home and building comfortable all year long.
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How Does Spray Foam Compare to Conventional Fiberglass Insulation?Overall, spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC is the most effective option. The main differences lie in the R-value, the ease of installation, and the coverage provided by the insulation. With conventional fiberglass batting, you need to ensure that you not only have the exact width to fit between your studs and joists, but you need to work around plumbing and electrical fixtures. If you don’t, then you have to worry about cutting the batting to fill gaps, but you will always have small gaps and inconsistent coverage with conventional fiberglass.
With spray foam insulation, it is applied in a liquid form with a sprayer similar to the ones you may see in a body shop. When it is sprayed, it fills all gaps and spaces and seals solidly against temperature changes. If applied in certain mixtures and thicknesses, it can even act as a vapor barrier, providing additional protection that fiberglass never could. Spray foam is also incredibly fast to install when a trained professional is applying it. An experienced team can often do a prepped room in mere minutes, a prepped and ready home in a few hours. |
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Arguably one of the greatest benefits over traditional insulation is the efficiency. The R-value is an insulator’s ability to resist thermal change. Generally speaking, the higher the R-value the more the material will insulate against temperature fluctuations. The R-value for spray foam can range from R-3.5 per inch to around R-7.1 per inch. Conventional fiberglass batting hits its maximum at about R-3.8 per inch. This means while the average fiberglass batting will provide an R-value of about R-13.3 while the same thickness of closed-cell spray foam could provide R-21 or more. For this reason, fiberglass insulation isn’t as helpful as spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC.
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Different Types of Spray Foam Insulation
There are different variants of each that you can use for spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC, but the two main varieties of spray foam insulation are open-cell and closed-cell. Each has its specific applications and uses, primarily in the residential and commercial construction fields.
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Open CellOpen-cell spray foam insulation is a softer and lower density material. Open-cell is a popular form of spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC when it comes to wall spaces, attics, crawlspaces, basement walls, and roof decking areas. Since it is low density and moisture-permeable, it can be used quite effectively for moisture management and bi-directional drying of the wall itself.
Open-cell insulation can also accommodate long-term creep and seasonal movement from thermal expansion and shifting. It works well in areas prone to mold since it is not classified as a food source for mold. Additional benefits include acoustic dampening qualities, so it’s great for media rooms or home theaters. It is also significantly cheaper than closed-cell insulation. |
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Closed CellClosed-cell spray foam is a much more rigid material that is technically medium-density. Closed-cell insulation is frequently used in exterior applications like continuous insulation projects, in addition to interior uses. Since closed-cell insulation has the highest R-value between open and closed-cell foams, it is often the preferred choice of spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC for small areas and areas that need maximum insulative value. The density and rigidity of closed-cell spray foam mean it rejects bulk water and is a flood-resistant material according to FEMA.
The higher cost per board foot of closed-cell spray foam insulation is often justified through its additional benefits beyond the significant insulative qualities. It can be successfully applied at temperatures down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit. For engineering purposes, it adds wall racking strength and a degree of impact resistance and has a much higher tensile and bond strength than open-cell foam. Its higher density means it has lower vapor permeance and can be a Class 2 vapor barrier. |
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Which Is Best for Your Needs?If you need spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC, you will want to sit down and think about what qualities you need from the insulation, and what role it will play beyond the obvious thermal insulation. If you are working with a contractor, they will discuss with you in detail what you want from the project, and they will help guide you to the product that is perfect for your needs.
For example, if you are insulating a new home theater, you may find the sound-dampening qualities of open-cell attractive, as well as the lower price. However, if you are finishing a basement, and want to make sure you have a solid insulating barrier, along with a vapor and moisture barrier, then you may find the additional cost per foot of closed-cell to be a wise investment. When you are remodeling an interior room and you just do not want to deal with the mess of fiberglass, then open-cell will be a great solution. Discussing your spray foam needs with your contractor or retailer is an ideal way to make sure all your bases are covered and that you are considering everything. So, be sure to speak to them before deciding on spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC. |
Common Applications of Spray Foam Insulation
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ResidentialThe residential applications are almost too numerous to count. There are applications for spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC for nearly every room in your home. Not only can it be used during extensive renovations as your default insulation and moisture barrier, but it can be used when doing work on just a single room or changing room purposes. When used as the insulation between the interior and exterior of your home, changing to spray foam insulation can cut your energy costs by half.
Other common residential applications of spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC include a general air barrier, to help prevent conditioned and cooled air from escaping and to prevent unconditioned air from entering. Air exchange between the exterior and interior of a home is one of the prime causes of high energy bills, so spray foam insulation on perimeter walls and near HVAC equipment and windows can help mitigate that exchange. The closed-cell foam used on perimeter walls will also increase the resistance to wind-related structural damage by increasing the racking strength. Another common point for this exchange is in the attic and the basement. Spray foam can be used as a barrier in the attic to prevent the loss of warm air in the winter, lowering heating bills significantly. Closed-cell spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC can also be used below-grade on basement and foundational concrete as an additional thermal and moisture management measure. Open-cell insulation can be used on interior walls as both thermal insulation, and sound deadening insulation. By using it on the interior walls, you can acoustically isolate all of the rooms of your home or just one or two, such as a home theater or library. |
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CommercialWhen used in commercial settings, spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC can provide a host of benefits that would otherwise need secondary or tertiary steps to provide the same economy. One of these ways is by being a one-step continuous insulation solution for the exterior of your commercial facility. With the proper, professional application, the spray foam insulation can provide thermal insulation, as well as air and a water-resistive barrier. This can save thousands during construction or renovation.
In new construction commercial applications, spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC can be incorporated into the building model for unsurpassed efficiency in R-value per inch, as well as the barrier qualities. In addition to the exterior insulation, it can be used on the interior of perimeter walls, and even applied directly to the roofing material for maximum heat retention over the much larger commercial roofs. With the square footage of some commercial roofing systems, this can amount to tens of thousands of dollars saved yearly in climate control alone. Smaller facilities can see benefits just as large facilities, and in some cases to even higher degrees of efficiency. In large warehouses, shipping, or manufacturing facilities, the air handling ductwork can be insulated with spray foam as well. This helps raise the efficiency of the entire system, keeping the cold air colder and the hot air hotter, for longer, meaning your HVAC equipment doesn’t have to work as hard. Since our city is packed full of commercial businesses, there is a large need for commercial spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC. |
Can I Apply or Install Spray Foam Insulation Myself?
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The short answer? Absolutely! There are a few caveats, however, and they may be deal-breakers for those in need of spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC. Before you start any application, you need to remove all the drywall from one side of the wall being insulated. So, if you are insulating a new media room, first thing is to take down all the drywall on the interior of that room. This is one of many parts of the process where a professional will be handy. They will take care of the drywall as a preparatory measure before the job. Not only will they do it quicker than you can, but they’ll clean it up and get rid of it as well.
After that, you’ll need to lay down your protective barrier on the floor, since overspray can be difficult to clean up, particularly from flooring materials. After the barriers are up, you can start your compressor and begin spraying according to the directions for the brand and type of foam you are using in your insulation. You will need to know exactly how far away from the wall to hold the application gun, proper pacing as you spray, and proper technique for laying the spray down evenly. Be sure to pay close attention to the pacing. Since the foam is expanding foam, lingering too long or going at too slow of a pace can spell disaster as the expansion quickly gets out of hand. This can mean a significant clean-up effort, as well as potential property damage in removal if you are using rigid closed-cell foam. If you are afraid of pacing gone wrong, consider allowing a contractor to handle your spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC. |
Is Hiring A Contractor Worth It?
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Always. Spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC is highly important and tricky. While you may spend a little more than doing it yourself, there is incredible value in the peace of mind of knowing that if anything goes sideways or breaks unexpectedly, your contractor will be taking care of it, or their insurer if needed. When working on a project yourself, particularly something you have likely never done before, there is a much higher chance of making a mistake, and that mistake, however minor, can cost you big bucks if you are on your own.
Additionally, there is priceless professional knowledge that the contractor will bring with them to your job. They do this for a living, and bad contractors generally do not survive very long in a business that relies heavily on personal recommendations and word of mouth. They do this kind of project day in and day out, and the expertise they bring can be worth the extra expense itself. Another benefit to using a contractor is the timeframe to completion. When you take on a project like spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC, you are locking yourself in for at least several lost weekends. Even doing just a single room, by the time you get the drywall down and the rest of the prep and setup done, most of your first day is going to be gone before you even pull the spray gun trigger. When you work with a contractor, not only will expected quick jobs be finished quickly but regardless of the job size, you will have a timeframe and a deadline for completion. Make your spray foam insulation in Charleston, SC easy by hiring a contractor. |
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