Spray foam and injection foam insulation are two types of insulation. Oftentimes, the injection foam insulation gets lumped into spray foam insulation, as if they are the same thing. However, they are different in both their components and installation. We are going to review the differences in the installation process for each of these types of insulation, the performance of each product and what insulation product is best for what situations.
Installation Process
The installation of these two products is going to differ. Spray foam can be administered in open cavities such as attics, crawl spaces, and open walls of new construction homes. With this process, old fillers such as fiberglass must be removed before installing the new insulation. You want a clear and clean area so the spray foam can attach and fill all open space including any nooks.
On the other hand, injection foam is installed into enclosed structures, such as existing walls by discretely opening the walls up to inject the foam. This can be handled in a few different ways depending on the materials on the exterior of a home. Holes are drilled and the injection foam is pumped inside. Unlike spray foam, removal of old fiberglass filler is not required.
Product Performance
In addition to the installation being different between for these two insulations, there are some also differences between the makeup of these products. Since these products’ installation can be specific to the space, it is important that their expansion rate be different. The injection foam expansion is going to be slower than that of the spray foam insulation. This is because injection foam is being pumped inside of wall cavities and a quick expansion could potentially blow the wall due to too much pressure. Spray foam insulation expansion is much quicker as it is needed to set faster due to its application and were it is installed.
What they do share in common is the quality of the air seal. This air seal locks out allergens and moisture. It also works hard at reducing air leakage, which in turn, reduces the energy loss in houses.
How to Get it Right
The specific use of spray foam and injection foam insulation are distinctive due to the product composition. These insulations are applied with specific applicators to administer the product appropriately.
It is also crucial to wait for these products to set before beginning the application of another layer of spray foam or section of injection foam. With spray foam, one must wait for the first later to set and cool before applying an additional layer. With injection foam, one must wait for the foam to finish expanding to begin another layer or section. Remember, it takes a few minutes for injector foam insulation to expand fully so this can be time consuming. However, if patience is achieved, the quality level of the job and insulation will be significantly better than not maintaining patience.
Conclusion
Insulation is meant to keep things warm in the winter and cool in the summer—it is a protector from the extremities that buildings and structures endure. With proper installation and understanding of these two types of insulation, the results will be successful. It is essential that these products are understood completely before beginning the process of installation. One must be fully aware of the best insulation product for his/her intended structure.