I see newer houses have spray foam in their basements where the lumber meets the foundation. Is there any reason that this can't be done to older homes?
Foundation spray foam
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SandRidgeMill
ArboristSite Lurker
I believe what you are referring to is spray foam in between the floor joist where they meet the rim joist. In that case, i have thought about doing the same thing and I really cant see a downside to it. You can pick up a Froth Pak to do it yourself. Not a cheap option but in my mind well worth it.
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Make sure you do it properly. Don't put it on too thick.
Not sure what the problem is by putting it on too thick other than cost. Putting it on too thin can cause condensation issues, the insulation needs to be enough to keep the temp above the dew point. Yes it can be done in older homes and can be a huge improvement. I had my rim joist's sprayed a few years back. In my area you really need to have a bit more than 2" of thickness so it is best to go to 3" thick to account for imperfections. If I recall it was $3 a linear foot.
I live in a 100 plus year old farm house and its had a fair amount of spray foam done to it. it was hired done. Make sure you use closed cell foam. We had the rim joist, basement walls to the rim joist. Had a floor done in a four season porch. Had a laundry ,bath room that sits on a crawl space completely done. Its warmed this old house up a bunch and we haven't had a mouse in the house since we did it. We did the foam work 15 or 16 years ago. Best money we ever spent.
I would definitely hire it out.
My house is now 40 years old with one room that is about 60 from the original cabin that was here. A few spots are really cold on the floor especially near the two hearths. And we’ve had a number of mice in the foundation which never happened before so they are getting in somewhere. Clearly foam won’t stop them but it will tell you where they are coming in.
My house is now 40 years old with one room that is about 60 from the original cabin that was here. A few spots are really cold on the floor especially near the two hearths. And we’ve had a number of mice in the foundation which never happened before so they are getting in somewhere. Clearly foam won’t stop them but it will tell you where they are coming in.
nathan4104
ArboristSite Operative
Spray foam in our area was cost prohibitive. It took some time, but cutting and piecing in SM foam is likely close as effective, with some canned spray foam to fill the little gaps and glue it in. Could be a time consuming project.
laynes69
Addicted to ArboristSite
I used pink board foam and canned foam for the perimeters. It was a night and day difference. On the beam sills (150+ year old Victorian) I did 1" due to the r value of the wood beams. On the addition I did 2" of foam since the sill was 2x. Didn't take too long and we have seen a huge difference in the house.
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Uncle is likely suggesting that if you use the DIF foam kits that you don't spray it too thick on each pass. If too thick it does not cure properly and sometimes doesn't cure at all. You have to follow the instructions to the T or you will not be happy with the results. Temperature of foam kit and what you are spraying it on are critical too. In some areas you have to cover this flammable material with drywall also. Check local codes.
Correct. Let each thin layer cure before adding an additional layer. There have been huge problems/lawsuits over people who didn't install it correctly.
I think what he meant is you can't put it on too thick in one spray, you have to build it up in coats. Yes you can do it in any home. Find a reputable company, get a quote.
