Spray Foam Insulation in Grand Rapids, MI

Spray Foam Insulation is a two-part liquid that reacts and expands as it is sprayed, filling gaps and sticking to wood, concrete and steel. Because it blocks air as well as heat, it fixes the leaks other insulation only covers. In Grand Rapids houses we use it most on basement rim joists, attic rooflines that hold ducts or living space, kneewalls, cantilevered floors, garage ceilings under bedrooms and the walls of pole barns and shops.

Closed-cell foam

Closed-cell foam cures into a rigid, dense layer at roughly R-5 to R-7 per inch (HomeGuide). At typical thickness it slows water vapor and will not hold water, which suits it to cold concrete, rim joists, roof decks with no attic and metal buildings that drip with condensation. It also adds some stiffness to what it is sprayed on. It costs more per square foot, so we use it where its strengths matter.

Open-cell foam

Open-cell foam is lighter and softer, about R-3.5 to R-3.8 per inch. It expands a lot, fills irregular cavities well and quiets sound between rooms. It is permeable to vapor, so in Climate Zone 5A, where Kent County sits, it needs a vapor retarder or a sound plan on the warm side when it goes against a cold surface. It is a good fit for attic rooflines that need deep coverage at a lower price than closed cell.

How to tell if foam is the right call

Foam makes sense when air leakage is the main problem and the space is hard to seal any other way: a rim joist with dozens of gaps, a roofline over ductwork, a bonus room floor, a steel building. It is often the wrong call for an open attic floor with good access, where air sealing plus blown-in cellulose reaches R-49 or R-60 for less money. We tell you which is which before you spend anything.

Curing, odor and re-entry

Spray foam gives off odor and vapors while it cures. HomeGuide advises leaving the house for at least 24 hours after spraying, and we ventilate the work area while we spray and afterward. We plan the schedule with you so nobody is home during the job and the space is aired out before you return.

Older Grand Rapids houses

Many city homes were built before 1940 with balloon framing, where wall cavities run from the basement to the attic. Foam at the top and bottom of those cavities stops the chimney effect that pulls cold air through the house. Old knob-and-tube wiring should not be buried in insulation, so we check for it first.

Call (616) 219-1886 or book a visit and we will tell you where foam earns its cost in your house and where something cheaper works. Get a free estimate