It had now come time to insulate the house, and due to the small wall cavities of the place, I chose to insulate the entire house in spray-foam insulation. Any other insulation material would not provide an R-value which would be desired to effectively meet code and the energy efficiency requirements we wanted to hit. This, in combination with the reflective housewrap, should provide an R-25 in the walls, and about an R-40 roof. The R-value is a measure of thermal transfer resistance, and the higher the number, the better for the energy efficiency of the building.
Spray foam is known for its ability to effectively seal air gaps, as well as provide superior insulation against the elements. As with many products, there is a debate as to the environmental footprint and health effects of such a product. However, these products have been widely tested and utilized. To mitigate any potential offgasing of any chemicals, we will rely on the introduction of fresh air from the high efficiency A/C system and the inclusion of houseplants which are highly effective air cleaners. A list of plants which are wonderful for improving indoor air quality are listed here:
We decided to do closed-cell throughout the house, as it would provide an effective moisture barrier from the elements. The floor was sprayed first, the roof second, and the walls last. After a few days, some of the wall insulation started peeling away from the wall studs and shrinking, indicating that the wall batch might have been mixed improperly. The contractor was gracious enough to come back in, tear out the bad parts, and respray the foam in the parts where it was peeling away. After the second spray, it held up and we were ready to close in the walls. However, before the drywall, we decided to start on one of my favorite parts of the house: Solar!
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