Spray foam for garage?

[1 Wild R/T]

Sorry if these pics are boring

I love the pictures of what you build.... I really wanted to build my own home & was looking at plans & lots, put a few offers in, all the while talking it over with momma, unfortunately it became pretty clear she doesn't have the adventurous streak that would allow it... She's low risk which honestly at this point in our lives isn't a bad thing....  On the other side I know what we could have & really wish we would have taken the plunge...

[RUNCHARGER]

Ha, ha: I have exactly the same issue. I'd love to buy 20 acres and mostly build my own home (of course with help from a few trades) but momma just sees what is in front of her, not what could be.

[cuda hunter]

I have a 2 car detached steel garage building I need to insulate and sheetrock so I can heat this winter and since th ewalls are thin, only 2 1/2" steel rectangle tubing I`m thinking foam will give me a better R value than fiberglass. Is foam a good idea and has anyone used a DIY kit, how easy was it?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Dow-FROTH-PAK-620-Sealant-Foam-Insulation-Kit/999972978

I've used this exact froth pack.  I pay 250.00 as I recall.  Same size bottles.  Typically this really doesn't cover a lot of space.
Really, it doesn't cover near as much as you would like to think it does.
I had to fill 32' x 12" and it took me a full set up.  And I still filled some air space with fiberglass.

720.00 plus tax just doesn't add up.  this is a Homer type thing unless it is being used as a supplemental fill in after you have the main job done with the professionals.  You go back in and fill the few places that those guys miss.  And they will miss some as both process's are quite stressful.  It's a start it and don't stop thing.  don't take breaks don't answer the phone.  Spray and don't stop spraying until either the cans are exhausted or the job is complete. 

  Then you have the temperature issue.  You really have to be careful with the froth cans and temp as they just don't work as well when it's cold and the foam doesn't rise as much as you would like it to when it's cold.

Typically I will advise a Homer to do most jobs themselves if money savings is the main key.  But with certain things I always suggest spending the extra money.  Spray foam is one of those things.  Stick with the pros.

If you decide to do foam either way, you need to mask off everything.  And when I say everything, I mean mask off the masking.  This is a high pressure situation and it will get foam on anything that is not covered. Anything and everything. 

I actually need a froth pack for a bathroom remodel in my own home.  I'll try to remember to list the price I get a froth pack for when I get it. 

[cuda hunter]

Sorry if these pics are boring

I love the pictures of what you build.... I really wanted to build my own home & was looking at plans & lots, put a few offers in, all the while talking it over with momma, unfortunately it became pretty clear she doesn't have the adventurous streak that would allow it... She's low risk which honestly at this point in our lives isn't a bad thing....  On the other side I know what we could have & really wish we would have taken the plunge...

Well, my wife is very similar.  However after building houses for people for 25 years I'm finally taking the jump and building my own home.  I'm doing the 10 year plan.  Build in one year, live in for one year, sell the third year.   Repeat, repeat, repeat.  Until I own the home. 

It's hard to get the better halves involved and agreeing but when it's all said and done it usually works out for the better. 

I obviously can talk your ear off about any type of residential building.  If you have any questions feel free to ask. 

[blown motor]

For those of you that think it's rodent proof you're dead wrong. I built a livestock barn years back and sprayed the inside. We left the walls open, the theory being that an open wall would discourage rodents. WRONG! They tunneled through the foam like it was the only thing they were born for.

[Racer57]

During install does the foam expand causing drywall fitment issues ?

[cuda hunter]

For those of you that think it's rodent proof you're dead wrong. I built a livestock barn years back and sprayed the inside. We left the walls open, the theory being that an open wall would discourage rodents. WRONG! They tunneled through the foam like it was the only thing they were born for.

Have not seen that before.  Sounds appropriate though.  Was it closed cell or open cell? 

[cuda hunter]

During install does the foam expand causing drywall fitment issues ?

This is one of the reasons for a hybrid system.  In a 2x6 wall (5.5") you would spray 4" of foam then fill the rest of the cavity with woven glass inside of a bib system. 

If you look at the sideways picture past the hand hewn post you will notice the light blue on the ceiling.  This is a white see through bib that is holding Woven Glass on top of the foam.  That's a 2x12 ceiling so it has 11.5" to fill.  We filled it with closed cell foam to 9" and bibbed the  remaining 2.5".

I have seen the open cell foam in homes where they spray it in and it expands past the studs then they cut it off. tons of waste.  I have not done this.  Except some steel beams where I cut off the closed cell just after solidifying but not hardened yet. 

No, the foam does not expand past the studs.  Typically you would spray 1.25" on the plywood and it will expand to 4".  There is a very specific thickness that gets sprayed on each pass and it's typically 1" that will expand to 3".  Then recoat after solidifying if thicker foam and more R value is needed. 

Woven Glass is far superior to fiberglass.  First off it doesn't itch.  Secondly it's much easier to get out of the eyes. 
Third the glass is guaranteed to not settle over 30 years and retain it's original form immediately after blow in.  I would say it's better than any other blow in product on the market. 

[ToxicWolf]

 My wife and I built our home as owner builders.  All steel except for the door frames.  Windows are vinyl.  We spray foamed everything for insulation.  As mentioned before this means absolutely no air leaks, no drafts. It was sealed so we'll we had to add a specialized fresh air draw for the air-conditioning system like they use in commercial systems. We also sprayed the underside of the roof.  There is no insulation on top of the ceiling. Even here in Florida our utility bills are very low.  The most important thing I learned about foam is ... Run lots of wire before you spray.  I ran everything I could think of even if I wasn't sure if I would ever need it.  THANK GOODNESS we did that. Once you get everything installed, foamed and sheetrock up it is really hard to add wire.  You might consider running some conduit for future projects. Just a thought.   

[cuda hunter]

The most important thing I learned about foam is ... Run lots of wire before you spray.   

Man isn't that the truth!  It is very difficult for remodels later.

[Fastmark]

Listen to cuda hunter on this one. This is NOT a DIY project on a big job like yours. Temp makes a big difference. Once you start, don't stop. You will have the biggest mess you ever seen and you will hire a pro to fix your mess!!! I have a tenant in the Air Force who wanted to get into spray foam after he retired so he bought all the equipment. It's a high dollar professional rig and very complicated to run. It takes lots of practice to learn. He wanted a place to practice on. He offered to spray my building for cost. I have an old solid brick building with a modern R panel flat roof. It was impossible to heat or cool in Texas. As a beginner, he had losts of problems with the things cuda hunter mentioned. He finally got it looking ok at the end. It is not real smooth, but neither were the walls in the first place. I'm satisfied though. It would have cost me $6000 instead of $1700. Those barrels do not go as far as you think. I used the closed cell because it's not covered up. It made a big difference in heating and cooling. I have one of those mini splits about 2.5 tons in a 25 X 50 building. It takes about an hour to bring it to a temp you can work in comfortably. The garage door is insulated but that is where you lose your heat and air con the most. Bottom line is PAY A PRO.

[blown motor]

For those of you that think it's rodent proof you're dead wrong. I built a livestock barn years back and sprayed the inside. We left the walls open, the theory being that an open wall would discourage rodents. WRONG! They tunneled through the foam like it was the only thing they were born for.

Have not seen that before.  Sounds appropriate though.  Was it closed cell or open cell? 

I'm not sure cuda hunter. This in the mid 80s. Maybe the product is different now. As I recall I was seeing rodent damage within two years.

[jimynick]

I just got back from my buddy's cottage and the chipmunks. mice and red squirrels in the Muskoka's seem to have also developed a taste for professionally sprayed foam, especially in new cottage roofs! They have less of a taste for lead, but we're working on that.