cost of foam insulation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

19 years ago

I just got a bid to blow foam insulation into the walls of my house $17,000.00!!!! WTF! does that sound right????? Does any one have experience with this??? I just want to cry.

Featured Answer

jimo096_gmail_com

13 years ago

I bought a foreclosed 1257 sq.ft. rambler in Minneapolis (very cold). The house was a wreck. I removed interior rock and wall insulation. I rewired, replumed, new windows etc. Called every foam contractor in town. Got a good job for $2,450. They foamed all exterior walls full & the rim joist. The house is very quiet & my January 2011 heat bill was $103., & it was damned cold. The thermostat is set for 68 at night and 70 during the day. I am very impressed with foam. I plan on building an attached garage this spring & I plan on using DIY kit. You can D.I.Y. & save a lot of money. Hope this helps someone.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (39)

Guy_DoorandWindows
19 years ago
Foam is a very time consuming and labor intense method of insulation. Also the cost of the foam is way above anything else. All I can say is shop it around a bit. Good Luck!!
mal5898
19 years ago
Hello everyone....$17,000 for wall insulation?? Outragious estimate considering the material is quickly injected into the wall cavity. I am having blown in fiber insulation in the walls of my 1300 sq. ft home and A very respectable firm gave me a quote of the entire job of $1900 and is completed in one day. Job involves removing aluminum siding and drilling entrance holes thru perma stone front and all regrouting,cleanup etc. in the Buffalo NY area. Have you considered using this type of insulation instead. Best regards,Mark
Related Discussions
Foam insulation is saving us a bundle in heating $$
Q
Comments (24)
I'll jump in with my two cents worth. The type of insulation is not the only factor - just as important is the quality of the job. Our builder said the home was built with blown in fiberglass to R38 in the attic. Recently we had an insulation contractor come in to do an estimate to increase the insulation to R50. What he found was appalling. There were places where workers had pulled the insulation away to do electrical work and didn't repair their damage to the insulation. In hard-to-reach areas there was considerably less insulation than the amount needed to reach R38. There were some small places where there was actually no insulation on outside walls. In the 'box' built for the fireplace insert, there was no insulation at all. So our family room was always so cold! I attributed it to the tall ceiling and wall of windows. In the return air ductwork in the attic, while it was insulated, there were so many places for air leaks. Our insulation contractor first hand-patted down the blown-in fiberglass insulation. Then they blew in cellulose to R50. Then also sprayed foam over the return air ductwork and at any junction where air could enter such as at the end of the joists. Our home is 4000 sq feet which includes a finished basement and located in central Indiana. Our builder had a good reputation and we had the home inspected, even though it was new, before we moved in. No one commented on the condition of the attic insulation. I know to accurately compare the savings we'll see with this improved insulation, I need to track degree heating (or cooling) days, etc. That is more than I want to tackle! What I do know is, this winter has been brutal here in the Midwest and our bill last month was $80 less than the same time last year, and the month before was $60. The insulation job included more than I listed here and was $3000. Yes, even with some energy tax credit, payoff will take a while. But the comfort level of our home is SO much better - even the wind noise has decreased! We used to sit in the family room and hear the wind roar down the fireplace box - now we know why.....there was no insulation in there....it was like an open window to the attic. Excellent insulation is like putting money in your pocket every month for the life of your house! How many things in your house pay you back every month?
...See More
Insulation level needed with options
Q
Comments (6)
A. Exposed Ceilings. a. 10.5" Icynene LD-C-50 Open Cell Spray Foam(R-39) $9,200.00 OR b. 10.5" Icynene MD-C-200 Closed Spray Foam(R-60) $20,625.00 A..if equipment & ductwork are in attic. meet code requirements with foam. here in La. our code is R-30. if attic is encapsulated with foam 7" open cell meets requirements. but 7" everywhere..not up to 7" 'average' fill. this is a big thing. where insulation is less in your climate ice dams could form. B. Slope Ceiling. a. 9.25"Icynene LD-C-50 Open Cell Spray Foam(R-34) $1,850.00 OR b. 9.25"Icynene MD-C 200 Closed Spray Foam (R-53) $4400.00 A..again total fill..but how are you getting 9.25"? rafters are 2x10?? C. Overhang a. 7.25" Icynene LD-C-50 Spray Foam (R-26). $195.00 OR b. 7.25" Icynene MD-C 200 Closed Spray Foam(R-53)$660.00 why foam overhang? this would be where foam makes the roof to attic floor seal. no need to insulate overhang, unless it is a climate specific thing. D. Exterior Walls a. Certain Teed R-21 Kraft Fiberglass Insulation. $720.00 OR b. 5.5" Icynene LD-C-50 Open Spray Foam (R-20). $5,500.00 well installed conventional insulation. no gaps no voids batts split around wires, plumbing. followed up with air tight drywall approach to interior. E. Garage Walls Dividing Living. (basement level) a. Certain Teed R-21 Kraft Fiberglass Insulation. $80.00 OR b. 5.5" Icynene LD-C-50 Open Spray Foam (R-20). $600.00 don't know that I'd opt for foam here. again air tight drywall on both sides of the walls. F. Garage Ceiling. (there is a bedroom above so this makes sense) $1,550.00 a. 7.25" Icynene LD-C-50 Spray Foam. not a bad price. but if you don't foam the roofline at this area, this room will be difficult to heat & cool. one option would be the same extruded polystyrene sheathing on attic side of insulated walls. keep temps in attic from transfering into living space. tape seams, caulk to seal. G. Band Joist (In Between Joists @ Exterior Wall Pockets) a. Certain Teed R-21 Unfaced Fiberglass Insulation. $55.00 OR b. 5.5" Icynene LD-C-50 Open Cell Spray Foam(R-20). $495.00 B. band joists being well sealed even will help to keep house tight enough to cost effectively heat & cool. I'm not an advocate of foam in walls. studies show that the foam sheathing to exterior is a better savings. breaks thermal conductivity of studs, creates an air tight barrier to outside. but if you put ductwork in the attic..then having it inside a semi conditioned foam sealed attic takes care of a lot of other issues. things like oversized plumbing pentrations in the attic, oversized cuts for bath fans, supply boxes for hvac, recessed cans (just to list a few) pull attic air into the house. while trades people make lots of holes in the ceilings..they seldom seal them once they are done. other areas are thermal bypasses, fireplaces open to the attic, dropped ceilings over shower units.. moving the air & thermal barrier to the roofline instead of the attic floor makes these areas less of an issue unless you have the thermal bypass & unsealed hole police (lol)on the job, these areas are often missed. simple things like an IC recessed light instead of ICAT recessed light make a big difference. builders who have built to this higher standard of better building practices have trained crews to ensure that these areas are being addresed. without that or without someone to actually oversee the sealing of these different areas, your living space to attic have lots of areas of air communication. in a perfect world tradespeople would seal each opening. then the higher cost of foam insulation to make these building mistakes wouldn't be necessary. of course then..ducts and equipment would be inside of the space we live in..instead of stuck in attics where they work to perform in extreme temps. its too bad that the front of the house doesn't have foam sheathing & hardi on strips..but it is what it is. the goal is to build a tight house. tight enough to be affordable to live in as utility costs rise. testing the house for air leakage & ducts for ductleakage is always a good idea. if you can manage to do this during construction..when blacked in & insulated..then you can find leakage sites while trades are still there to address these areas. know that foam insulating the attic is a long payback compared to conventional insulation. in my hot humid area a 2500 sq ft house generally has a 15-18 year payback. but utility costs..when hvac is correctly sized..and not oversized, offset this long roi. if you want an unbiased agent to help with efficiency then an energy rater is a good idea. Resnet & BPI have professionals to help you decide what is affordable to you, and they work for you. not the hvac or insulator. here we only use closed cell in floors of houses with crawlspaces. I'd make sure that the open vs closed cell is correct for your climate and not just sales speak. best of luck.
...See More
Foam Insulation - cost? in/on rafters...
Q
Comments (14)
I didn't address wall or sole plate leakage as the questions were for unvented attic. you handled the air tight drywall approach nicely, btw. for my clients..I always recommend sill seal or a double bead of caulk between slab & sole plate..even on second floors we caulk sole plate to subfloor. I've tried to make it work where if someone made a hole for example a hole cut in the ceiling for a supply box that they were responsible to properly seal the hole. too hard to ride heard over a bunch of tradespeople. this is where our situations differ..you run the job, I'm just there for efficiency recommendations, installs and performance. I never ever recommend foam in walls. roi is too high..and we seal walls ok..its the ceilings & floors (on piers)! instead I recommend a 1" hi density foam sheathing board to exterior..conventional insulation and ada. air sealing such as sole plates, around windows doors etc. caulk is a wonderful product..my clients usually start with a case. most quickly understand that it is in their best interest to take an active part in the air sealing. but for our climate..and the many mistakes in air barriers ducts & returns...foam for the roofline is a no brainer. in a perfect world...houses would be designed in the south with ducts in cond space. every tradesperson would seal each hole they make. I'm going to have to think about this for a bit! "Also in a heating climate homes can dry in either direction. Its where you place your moisture barrier (if using one) that helps dictate that direction."
...See More
Spray Foam Insulation & Sizing AC
Q
Comments (6)
This is from Manual J 8th edition version 2 ACCA Improper Practices 2-4 Do not use "rules of thumb". The idea that the required equipment capacity equals the floor area multiplied by some magic number has resulted in many customer complaints and legal actions. Heating and cooling loads depend on individual circumstances. Floor area to tonnage ratios for the U.S. housing stock can range from less than 500 sq ft per ton to more than 1,200 sq ft per ton. Efficient single family detached homes with a normal amount of well distributed glass typically fall in the 700 to 1,200 range. Limted exposure dwellings with concentrated glass (that produces a time-of-day peak)may fall into the 500 to 800 range. Homes with exceptional features can be all over the map in this regard. Just rotating a home on the site can change the ratiio by 100 to 400 sq ft per ton. I edited out the replacement equipment paragraph... Comfort system performance is only as good as the accuracy of the load calcuation. Efforts to "adjust the load" to provide a "safety factor or to produce a solution that is compatible with the " I have been doing it this way for thirty years" syndrome only produces designs that generate customer complaints about poor temperatureand humidity control, or more serious problems, such as mold and mildew. _______________________________________________________ and Bob...please- this isn't a DIY or best case house we are talking about, but a homeowner trying to get his house right.. save your diy projects for your indulgent threads on that topic. As he is trying to decide to spend xxx dollars insulating his roofline and the timeline for payback your project does not project the numbers he will be paying someone to do his job as yours is diy. I have yet to see a foam insulation company do a job that has a payback of less than 20 years, and I do these projections often. depending on the pitch of the roof the cost of the foam insulation is a consideration. having a complete thermal barrier at the attic floor is a much more conservative approach if detetmined to use foam, although this thermal barrier can be achieved with out foam with attention to sealing of ALL penetrations into the conditioned space (wire, plumbing, recessed lights and knee walls where ceilings change heights). I would recommend the latter, sealing and insulating well with conventional insulation for same performance at a lesser cost and faster payback. the load calcs are only as good as the inputs and the information provided to the person doing the load calcs. I would question the information that has been provided by taking the house plans, a copy of the current load calc to another more experienced hvac company for comparism.
...See More
cjra
19 years ago
Have you priced out how much it costs to rent the machine and buy the foam yourselves?

We did it as part of a bigger project, so I can't price that out, really, but can guarantee it was well less than half of that. Now, we already had the drywall down, and it was pretty easy to blow in. But still, I'd say the most we paid was a few thousand (1600 SF house, exterior walls only).
wangshan
Original Author
19 years ago
I looked at the diy foam..it's pretty costly materials. Fiberglass insulation has too many disadvantages( low r at low temps, and hazardous.Cellulose would be ok, but the thought of all that dust, plus the r-value still not what the foam can do. This is Chicago after all..it can get pretty cold for pretty long. Part of the problem is that this house has multiple small roofs, sunrooms jutting out , and is about 3000 sq feet not including basement.It's stucco, old stucco with plaster walls so they have to drill many holes and some HAVE to be done from the outside.The attic is only partially insulated so that needs to be done also.I talked to the contractor today because I was about to have a panic attack(due to this and another issue you don't even want to hear about) and he is not pushy at all, says it's ok to do in steps. Even the diy website says its costly so just do it in sections.Considering the price of gas...maybe I should just bite the old bullet. I'm definetly calling my accountant to see about tax credit for this.
naturelle
19 years ago
wangshan,

Would you please kindly share where you got the info on diy foam insulation?

Thanks,

Ted
wangshan
Original Author
19 years ago
Sure Ted here's a link

Here is a link that might be useful: fomofoam
bemis99
19 years ago
I can't imagine that a 17,000 dollar investment in insulation will EVER pay itself off in reduced energy costs. Have you thought about having a pro come in and look over the house for areas of air infiltration. I'm guessing remediating areas of leakage will be much cheaper and may improve a drafty house.

I also have a home with stucco and plaster walls. I cannot imagine it will ever look the same after holes are drilled.
wangshan
Original Author
19 years ago
I did have a pro come in ...complete with infrared camera and blower door. They expected to come at 1 and be done at 4..they were there til 7 that nite and that was just to find out what the problem was and how to fix it. The "energy detective" guy told the insulation guy in an email that wasn't meant for me that mine was the most complex house they've ever seen! And I did the math...assuming that there are NO increases in the price of heating gas from now on it will take 12 years to recover the cost.And fat chance of the price staying the same,so it's more like8-10 years. So if you've seen the cost of the foam, consider that there are 3 sunrooms that they had to do the ceiling floor and walls in,3 other areas of roof extending off the 2nd floor that had to be filled....this crew also went in from the inside..the drill bits for stucco cost a fortune and they would go thru several if they did it from the outside, so at least that won't need repairing right away. I wish I would have done this in the fall actually but better late than never. Ted did you check out that fomo site? What did you think?
dunwell
19 years ago
That seems outrageous. Just how BIG is your house? Did they break the price down for you? Give you a price per foot or anything? If not, they should so that you can compare apples to apples when you get other bids (and you SHOULD get other bids--foam is worth it if the price is right and prices vary greatly, at least over this way--NY/NJ area).

Also, did they give you any depth specs (e.g. 5.5" in a 2x6 cavity, or 11.25" in a 2x12 roof rafter)?

These can vary as well.

Good luck!
Dunn
spewey
19 years ago
HGTV had a show last night about denim insulation. It's recycled, VOC and formaldehyde free, fire retardant, and it's what James Dean would have used. Link below has some more information...

Here is a link that might be useful: Ultra-Touch Denim Insulation
wangshan
Original Author
19 years ago
I've seen that episode...does anyone know how much that is?My house is about 3000sf not including basement, and has true4" wall studs.Plus like I said about 4 little rooflets,2 floors sticking outfrom 2nd floor.SoI guess it adds up.
lyc5e
19 years ago
Has anyone actually used that Fomofoam? I'm not sure that it's that much cheaper than the professional quote I got for the same type of foam insulation but I may be calculating wrong. I'll have to go back and look at the professional quote to make sure.
wangshan
Original Author
19 years ago
Right that's exactly what I thought after looking at it. The guy insulating my house said that it is going up 11% at the end of this month also, so if anyone is contemplating this should lock in your price for materials like NOW. He claims cellulose went up 7% 3 times since last fall...it's scary.
naturelle
19 years ago
wangshan,

Thanks, I just looked at the fomo info.

I've been looking at the backpages of these forums, as I wanted to catch the good information before they dropped off. I finally made it to these front pages.

Ted
Triton586
18 years ago
Hi,
Have you considered a wood stove to help with the cost of heating your home... My wife and I have a 200 year old farmhouse that we heat with oil and firewood it involves some work but it keeps the house warm and reduces the cost of heating this old place with oil.

Paul
buddyben
18 years ago
I'd get a second and a third estimate. Also, can you skip insulating the sunrooms (I don't know anything about insulation but isn't the purpose of a sunroom to let the sun shine in and warm you up?)
I've heard that the cost of building materials continues to rise because of the Chinese who are building like crazy, thus increasing the demand for concrete...
lazy_gardens
18 years ago
Wangshan -
For starters, FINISH the attic insulation. Then seal all the drafts around the windows and outlets with caulking.
scott2006
16 years ago
Well.........here is something you can use.. when I was in Germany ...sometime ago...the farmers would take in a COW at night and have it sleep in the living room. Everyone would sleep around it for warmth at night. If it was very very cold... well you guessed it... a 2 Cow night.

PS " NO SMOKING" in there. hehehe. But it's a true story they only had central heating.
Scott
wangshan
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks Scott...actually my cats are so big I call them CATtle...they keep me warm at nite but take up too much of the bed...I can't imagine having a cow in bed with me ! (insert significant other joke here)
Anyway , since it's been 2 years since I had all this done , here's an up date. I love love love the results. Not only is my house warmer...it's much quieter. My gas usage is about little more than ONE THIRD of what it was, and same with the A/C. I live in Chicago where there are about 3 weeks of 'nice' weather each year , so it has made my life much better. I have also been slowly going over all the windows , doors and sill plate in the basement, upgrading and fine tuning the insulation there , which already had been done somewhat. There are 28 windows just on the first floor, so it takes time to get it all done.
Bottom line , I would do it again. To anybody who is trying to make their house warmer, I would say ,of course check doors and windows , but unless you know what's in the attic and walls , you won't get very far.
candler
16 years ago
'Morning, Folks. Wangshan, I just came to this discussion after posting a note on heating/insulation about DIY foam insulating. I'm looking for someone who has done it and what there afterthoughts might have been.

You said it's been two years since you had all of this done. What did you have done? Fibreglass? Foam? Other? You sound very pleased. I'm in the mountains of Western NC. Compared to Chicago I suppose we have it pretty good. Thanks, Gene
wangshan
Original Author
16 years ago
Well they put foam into all the walls, cellulose into the finished attic ceilings( the foam gets too heavy), foam onto the attic where it was not finished (against the inside of the roof), and cellulose into the ceilings and floors of all the sunrooms. I have 2 floors plus an attic . I paid a contractor because it was not something I wanted to deal with and it wouldn't have been worth it .It was a lot of work , but definitely worth it here. The weather is very extreme , I can't imagine it being that bad where you are. But if I had a project with open walls anyway ,I could definitly see doing it yourself and saving some bucks, especially if you are very handy and energetic.
worthy
16 years ago
So a 2/3 savings in gas and summer electric. Very good! Did you figure out your payback period, i.e., how long it will take for the savings to equal the cost?
wangshan
Original Author
16 years ago
I think it came out to be about 10 years...that was for 2005 gas/electric prices.
eandhl
16 years ago
Beside pay back on the foam - there is the advantage to consider of less problems with insects and rodents.
sdilley
15 years ago
How about a hybrid approach? On new construction, some custom home builders are using just enough foam to seal the house and fill trouble spots around windows and doors, run a line of foam all around each wall cavity, where the studs sills, etc., meet the siding, and anything that penetrates the wall or is difficult insulate with Fiberglas. Then they fill the 6" walls with Fiberglas. A contractor friend claims 80% of the benefit for 30% of the cost. (I don't know how he derived those numbers.)
It seals the house against infiltration of air and insects and the foam glues the studs, sills and runners to siding adding a lot of strength. If you are in a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake area, that is a factor. It also appears to be quieter than just Fiberglas. Most of the cost of caulking and stuffing around doors and windows is eliminated.
Has anyone had experience with this approach in existing buildings? It would only seem to apply to areas that had sheet rock removed or attics.
tuckerj
13 years ago
ok- I just got 3 estimates for foam insulation in my crawl space and basement. They range from $5800 to $12000! Now I'm more confused than ever!
Wangshan- did you finally decide it was worthwhile or not?
I tried some fiberglass bats last year but it was half-*ssed and was a disaster (soaking wet and falling down). The estimates I got are for vapor barrier on floor and spraying foam on the walls, rim joists and floor joists. IS IT WORTH IT?
macv
13 years ago
The post you reference is 3 years old. Best to start a new thread.
wangshan
Original Author
13 years ago
I went with the foam. There were a few spaces that because of the wieght( attic cieling ) they put in cellulose. My energy bills were cut by 2/3 rds ! And the noise reduction was probably about 90% !!! So I am very happy with the results.
wangshan
Original Author
13 years ago
tuckerj, where do you live? How big is your space ? For me, well Chicago is up 100 in the summer and down to 10 below in the winter, like I said there are precious few weeks when the weather is actually nice. I was so fed up , honestly I didn't care if that was going to be the only thing I could afford ! My 1905 4 square with 28 windows just on the first floor and then a second floor, plus an attic and a full basement , well you can see why I needed major insulation. I am right in the city , one block from a large intersection and 3 blocks from a 8 lane highway, so you can see why the noise thing was such a great BONUS! But if these things are not that big of a deal, maybe wait, or do a little at a time, or use something else.
homan
13 years ago
whangshan: i too live in chicago in cottage home 1893 that has been remodeled extensively, with two large dormers recently added with a second zone hvac w/ great insulation. unfortunately, the prior rehabs didn't insulate the first floor so it is COLD in the winter. what contractor did you use? my first floor is about 1000 sq ft with vinyl siding. i hope my estimate for foam/blown in insulation will be smaller!!
wangshan
Original Author
13 years ago
This is the guy...he came highly recomended by the team that did the evaluation (with the blower door, infrared camera, etc). pm me if you have any questions

Precise and Snug Insulation in Roscoe, IL, US (United States)
impy200_aol_com
13 years ago
i'm thinking about foam insulation in the crawl space area of my home. is the foam a good way to go, or should i stick with that fiberglass batting
worthy
13 years ago
Fiberglass is worse than useless. See link for acceptable alternatives. And, more important, where to place it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Building Science on Crawlspace Insulation
brickeyee
13 years ago
See the most recent issue of Fine Homebuilding for a decent article on using spray foam to seal and then other insulation to reduce the expense of a fully foamed wall.
brickeyee
13 years ago
Infiltration is still a huge factor.

It is VERY hard to seal up every tiny crack and crevice.

No matter how much fiberglass or cellulose you put in the walls or the attic they are NOT very effective at stopping infiltration.

They work only when the air is NOT moving, and that requires sealing up ALL the cracks and openings.
eric_price_yahoo_com
12 years ago
For proper insulation nothing can be in the wall. I am working on a beta estimator for people like yourself to see what the cost are. This is phase 1 beta test and depending on how many foamers are in your area. I do foam inspections and Hurricane home fortification for insurance discounts. This is an estimator for Hurricane (Tornado) "Roof Upload Resistance". If you have your pop-up blocker set too high it will not work properly. Simple Form but if you have any questions call me @ 504-383-4786. If you refresh the screen it clears out everything (to start fresh) and if you do not click on the "Foam Seal" it does not add the Hurricane protection in to the TOTAL. You will need to know if the foam passed the NFPA 286 Apendix X, if it is going in your home
http://homefortification.com/foamseal.html if a foamer screws up your home you can sue him, if you screw it up it is your issue. call me

Here is a link that might be useful: Beta Foam Estimator
Logan123
11 years ago
Ever look into a Thermal Coating? I've been researching this for a while, and have found some amazing products. It defiantly seems to be the least evasive process to add insulation to an existing structure. At about $1.05 per square foot for the product, it seems to be cheaper than the alternatives. You could even do it yourself....

logan@atlasthermalcoatings.com
worthy
11 years ago
How often does it have to be proven that the King's New Clothes are imaginary?

cost of foam insulation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comments (39)

Related Discussions

wangshanOriginal Author

wangshanOriginal Author

wangshanOriginal Author

wangshanOriginal Author

wangshanOriginal Author

wangshanOriginal Author

wangshanOriginal Author

wangshanOriginal Author

wangshanOriginal Author

wangshanOriginal Author

wangshanOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

wangshan
Original Author

wangshan
Original Author

wangshan
Original Author

wangshan
Original Author

wangshan
Original Author

wangshan
Original Author

wangshan
Original Author

wangshan
Original Author

wangshan
Original Author

wangshan
Original Author

wangshan
Original Author