Some of you reading my articles aren’t too sold on spray foam insulation.
My article may not be as fun to read as watching those fake football & baseball plays on Youtube, but hang with me. You WILL win the Comfort Game with me.
After all, spraying 100 gallons of chemicals with names we can’t pronounce, throughout your attic, takes a bit of faith in your research.
I’m talking to those of you who have an attic, and in that attic suppose you have an HVAC and air-duct system that isn’t keeping you comfortable. We have an alternative approach that delivers the same game-winning results as filling your roofline with spray foam insulation, without the risks of high-pressure, heated spray foam insulation.
If you’re intrigued, read on!
I first came up with this approach when helping Townhouse owners, who needed the benefits of spray foam insulation, but couldn’t have foam, due to HOA restrictions.
You see, sealing and insulating an attic with spray foam insulation works so well because it creates a semi-conditioned space for your HVAC to operate. And rarely will the temps in a “foamed attic” exceed 15 degrees from the living space temps, on the most extreme day or night of the year!
In our Atlanta market, afternoon temps of 140 degrees are typical for a vented attic. And inside that hellish inferno, they place your fragile AC system, with those thinly insulated air ducts! And, did I mention duct leakage? On average, every American home is leaking 1/3rd of the total airflow that our HVAC systems are rated to provide.
With a vented attic, that duct leakage is lost to the atmosphere. But with a foamed attic, that conditioned air is captured and benefits the homeowner. This is the exponential benefit of foam insulation sealing the attic space.
A spiritual encounter while in his attic.
Before I reveal my alternative approach, may I brag about God for a moment?
I “officially” started Bird Family Insulation in 2002. Around 2004 I was standing in a gymnasium-sized attic in a 2 year-old Alpharetta home. My homeowner called, because his baby was waking from her afternoon naps in wet pjs, due to sweating so badly.
I was his 3rd contractor, (you know the type, “Get 3 bids, etc”). I was frustrated because he had 16” of white, fluffy fiberglass insulation up there, with two (new) HVAC systems with air-ducts suspended everywhere, like clothes on a clothesline. It looked fine up there… it passed “code”, but was clearly not working for this family.
I remember praying, “LORD, show me what’s wrong with this house”, as I went about measuring his attic. It wasn’t long, when I saw it. I was sweating like crazy, it was an inferno up there.
I’d never noticed it before. I credit God for taking the filters off my eyes, because when I acted on my heavenly revelation, IT WORKED. In fact, my crews have done this for 100’s & 100’s of families. And that baby had to sleep in FEETY PJs after I was done in her attic!
I described my plan to my homeowner, and gave him his quote. He jumped on it, agreeing that it sounded like the exact answer he was needing.
You see, the other two contractors were selling insulation. I was selling A SOLUTION.
I returned on job day, and basically did three things:
Cut the strapping on those air ducts, so that they laid on the attic floor.
Installed 6” of high-density cellulose insulation over his low-density fiberglass.
As I insulated his attic, I BURIED those air ducts under a thick, cozy layer of cellulose insulation.
I thank God every day for leading me into divine appointments and revealing to me common-sense solutions that give my homeowners comfortable, safe homes to enjoy.
So, what is my Fake Spray Foam Attic solution?
Here it is. It’s so simple. Don’t miss it! We coat the air ducts with low-pressure, unheated spray foam insulation. Why?
We’ve learned that in some instances, it reduces air flow when we cut the straps and drop ducts to the attic floor so we can bury them. The angles can be too tight, and airflow is reduced.
Using low-pressure spray foam, we don’t have to relocate your air ducts! We spray them right there, suspended & undisturbed, in the same position where they’ve always been, suspended in your inferno attic.
This is the perfect, affordable solution for our townhouse clients, because we don’t have the complications with the HOA.
BAIT & SWITCH
Your air ducts don’t know you haven’t sprayed your entire attic with spray foam. They only know that they aren’t feeling the negative effects of the 140 degree inferno! You want cold air from your vents, YOU GET IT!
And, you’re also benefiting from more airflow from your vents, because now you aren’t wasting 1/3rd of your capacity to air leakage! (Got a 3 ton AC unit? Now you may actually receive 3 tons of AC inside your living space)!
Breath Easier
Here’s another benefit when I “foam your ducts”. Your indoor air quality improves! In the current state, the Return ducts are sucking unhealthy, humid, dusty attic air into your system and spewing it throughout your living spaces. The minute I foam your Return-air ducts, your air is healthier to breathe.
Low Pressure, Unheated Foam vs High Pressure, Heated Foam.
I know, foam is foam, right? NOPE!
This is already a long article. Suffice it to say, do your research.
Low pressure, un-heated foam is safer and easier to use in retrofit residential applications than it’s high pressure cousin.
Spraying your air ducts with low pressure, un-heated foam allows for …
Quicker re-entry into the home.
No full-scale, large spray foam rig on site.
Same comfort results for our client, with less chemical sprayed in their house.
No worry about “that foam smell” in your home.
No worry getting the house “too tight”.
No worry sealing an attic that has a 80% gas furnace inside.
No worries about shingle life, or undiscovered roof leaks.
Your Next Step
Interested? Give Savannah Bird a call, or use our contact form on the website.
The results won’t fake you out… but shhhh, don’t tell your HVAC system!
Need a plan to get those upstairs bedrooms comfortable? Here ya go!
(Optional) We’ll remove your current attic insulation.
(Optional) Thoroughly airseal the attic floor with our sealant.
(Optional) Sanitize the attic with our virucide treatment.
Install rulers, baffles, and hot-flue wraps as needed.
Install exhaust ducts on any unvented bathroom exhaust fans.
SEAL & INSULATE your air ducts with our low-pressure foam.
Install your all-borate cellulose Insulation to R-50.
And, you’ll do it for less!
Bob Bird. Bird Family Insulation. 404-538-9168. Georgia’s Home Comfort Pros!
