Spray Foam Attic Insulation Problems

Incorrectly installed spray foam insulation can trap moisture in the home encouraging rot and mold problems.

Spray foam attic insulation problems.

The coverage needs to be uniform because a lot of heat will go through the under insulated areas. Applying an even sheet of foam to the underside of a roof or other space can eliminate the routes that water vapor uses to leave the house. Unfortunately good average thickness doesn t cut it. Poor application includes off ratio spraying of the material bad odors and the lack of adhesion.

Poor application of the spray foam insulation. Insulating with spray foam insulation at the roof line will cause moisture problems with the roof sheathing. In fact spray foam insulation can help avoid problems like these. A lot of builders and homeowners are going with spray foam insulation because of the airtightness benefits but then the questioner mentioned that the spray foam contractor had intentionally left big holes to the outside by not sealing the gable vents.

Below we are going to list the most common problems with using spray foam insulation in your home s attic or in any area inside of your home. The answer to fixing your attic insulation problems. Problems with spray foam insulation in attics. The answers to your attic insulation problems can be as easy as understanding how different types of insulation work and what you need to look out for.

The use of spray foam attic can present many potential problems especially when it comes to the improper installation of this material within this area of your home. The real issue is the improper formulation and installation of large amounts of spray foam in homes and buildings by poorly trained unknowledgeable or even unreputable commercial installers. This is not just a diyers issue. Placement errors during installation attics are the main spots in a home that are filled with unusual shapes gaps and spaces where air bubbles have the potential to form when you spray foam insulation.

The problem was that the installer was doing his first spray foam job ever and the thickness of the insulation varied from zero visible roof deck to about 9. Over time trapped moisture can cause serious problems. In an unvented attic scenario to limit air leakage as well as any associated condensation at the roof line a continuous air barrier is required. Nothing unusual about that.

Earlier this year i got a question about a home that had spray foam insulation in the attic. Spray foam installers may miss some of the air leakage sites in the attic which can lead to problems in the insulation of the attic.