An attic or other part of your home that's exposed to the outside, if poorly constructed, can be quite a source of annoyance. On the one hand, these happen to be great wasters of indoor heat in the winters; usually, it isn't just that the spaces are constructed with thin materials that lets the heat indoors escape; there are usually actual cracks and spaces that let the heat out. When there are cracks and spaces, of course, water can get in when it rains. And whatever you have stored in that part of your home stands to get infested by pests and get destroyed. Expanding polyurethane foam insulation is almost always the perfect answer to construction problems like these. This substance has proven to be so well-suited for the purposes of insulating and weatherproofing homes that commercial contractors have taken to using it almost exclusively - even if the materials and the tools needed in its application cost a little bit more than the alternatives.
When applied correctly, expanding polyurethane foam can shoot forward, stick to the surface it is aimed at, and then slowly expand to eight times its original size to seal every crack in the surface. This kind of action makes sure that there isn't a single open crack or other space that can allow any leaks in. If you happen to have an outdoor shed or barn where you store grain or anything, this kind of foam insulation can keep everything dry and protected.
Expanding polyurethane foam works well in both the basement and the attic spaces of most homes. These aren't usually built to be properly sealed from the outside. The cost of your insulation project can actually depend on the scale of it. Large-scale projects where you need to seal your entire attic or your entire foundation can cost you less per square foot. Buying expanding polyurethane foam, you'll find that the packaging lists the kind of area is meant to cover.
Preparing a surface for foam insulation, it would be a good idea to sweep the surface free of dirt and debris first. If there's any oil anywhere, it needs to be got rid of with soap and water. Almost any other kind of impurity on the surface, foam insulation can completely take care of. It's a pretty tenacious substance, expanding foam is; if you get any on your hands, you'll have quite a time getting it off. Wearing gloves and a full body suit should be considered required attire.
Before you begin to apply the expanding foam to your home, make sure that you place the tanks in warm water for some time. You need the foam to be warm to begin with to get the kind of coverage promised. Begin your project with cold tanks and you should get only about a third as much mileage.
No comments:
Post a Comment