Hybrid Foam Installation

The Hybrid Foam Installation Method combines energy efficient expanding spray foam product with conventional insulation to create a lower cost alternative to using foam alone.  Let us start by considering the benefits of foam vs. other standard insulating products such as fiberglass, cellulose, wool and other 'mass' type insulation.

See larger image below.

Foam has several benefits over fiberglass, cellulose and other standard insulation.  Probably the single most important benefit is its air sealing capabilities.  Fiberglass insulation does little to stop air leakage, it merely filters the air as it passes through.  Other benefits of foam include: higher R-Value per inch, ability to conform to non-standard sizes and spaces, and it is generally easier to install.

Standard Insulation has only one main benefit over spray foam: it is much cheaper!

The Hybrid Installation takes advantage of benefits of both products.  By combining a layer of foam with conventional insulation we can achieve an extremely effective and air tight insulation system at a relatively low cost.

Installation:

Installation is fairly straight forward.

1. Prepare the wall assembly as normal.
   
   
2. Spray in a 1/2" to 1" thick layer of spray foam.  Be sure to cover the corners and any seams of the exterior sheathing.  One FOAM605 kit will cover roughly 1,200 sq ft at a thickness of 0.5 inches.
   
   
3. Once the foam has cured, fill up the remainder of the cavity with conventional insulation or lower cost Open-Cell foam product.  If you spray more then 0.5" thick layer of foam and are planning on using standard insulation batts, you may need to remove a thin layer of insulation from the batt prior to installation.  Compressing a fiberglass batt can reduce its actual R-Value.

Don't forget to seal your bottom plate to the floor.  This makes sense energy wise, not to mention it is now required by most building codes.  Our Single Component Foam Sealant works well for this job.