TikTok Spray Foamers
bkeesaman
| Posted in Green Building Techniques on
We are looking at spray foaming a small 1000 sq ft home with spray foam. Our intent is to DIY as it’s not too big. We saw this technique on TikTok and it inserted if you could comment on why or why not we should attempt this
https://www.tiktok.com/@juanjassobyjj/video/7249204543358127406?_t=8fHVZHRYQ4A&_r=1
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Replies
Reasons to not attempt this:
1. Because one typically does not spray foam a floor cavity
2. Because you probably don't own professional spray foam equipment and the DIY froth packs work totally different
3. Because the DIY froth packs are typically closed cell and it is not environmentally friendly
4. Because an improperly done spray foam job costs 4x as much to remediate as it originally costs to have it done professionally
... and I could go on.
HOWEVER - how about if you do a post describing what surfaces you want to air seal and insulate and what else you are trying to achieve and the community here can help you find the best way to achieve it, even via DIY
To point #3, a bunch of states have banned high GWP spray foam and the market has responded with low-GWP froth packs.
Low-GWP foam still has higher up-front carbon emissions than most other types of insulation.
It would be cheaper and faster to cut board foam into strips and lay it between the sleepers.
For larger jobs, and "large" probably includes what you're planning, contracting the work out to an insulation contractor is often cheaper, and they'll usually do a better job. Having used many of the FrothPaks on various commercial projects, I can tell you that they are tricky to use, and take some practice. The unfortunate part is that since the kits are so expensive, the "practice" you need costs a lot to obtain!
The DIY spray foam kits are great for very small jobs, like a rimjoist or one small renovated area. If you are doing entire walls, floors, or especially an entire home, contractors are usually cheaper.
Bill
So does compressing the foam when curing not defeat the purpose of “foam”?
There are many ways to insulate with materials that are more environmentally friendly and with less risk of things going horribly wrong. Why do you want to use spray foam?
TikTok can be a goldmine for creative ideas, but it's crucial to weigh the risks and benefits, especially for something like insulation. While it's tempting to dive in after watching a few clips, take your time to research thoroughly and maybe even reach out to professionals for advice. Speaking of TikTok, it's crazy how many awesome DIY accounts are out there, right? Sometimes, it feels like finding the good ones is like searching for a needle in a haystack. That's why I've been thinking about hiring a social media agency (like that one https://getlikes.com/). They can offer tailored recommendations and save you hours of scrolling through mediocre stuff.