DIY spray foam sources for pole barn? Anyony have issues with foam?

[Rustyiron]

Recently I've been on a job that was spray foamed. They were big custom homes, and I got to talk to the guy's doing the foam. I'd estimate that the s/f of "foamed area was in line with the OP's 20k s/f. Their material was 2 part, in 55 gal. drums, they called them a "set". They said that the house would take about 8 "set's"!!
I'd hire it our for sure. I used ridgid foam and foamed all the edges & joints. 2 layers of 1.5" with the first on the outside of the posts inbetween the wall "girts", all fully foamed at any edge, then another layer on top of that on the inside of the wall girts. A whole bunch cheper for almost an equal result as the spray foam. It seems that $1 per board foot (144 cubic inches) is about standard for contractor sprayed closed cell foam. The open cell is a bit cheaper but it takes more to achieve the same "r" value.

 

[tbrooks26]

I would be concerned as to how well the foam will adhere to the metal as someone else mentioned, especially over time. I haven't ever worked with it though. A small bead of silicone on each metal lap joint would go along way to sealing better. A tiny crack there between screws X a whole structure is a lot of leaking air. I have never had any issues with tyvek, when installed properly. I've seen it look almost perfectly new 10 years later when replacing siding. Also have a friend that has had exposed tyvek for 3 years, it's not pretty, but its not breaking down yet. Just a note, no structure should be completely air tight, that can lead to problems as well!

 

[AGRIMAN]

My son and I own a Spray Foam contracting business. We trend more toward commercial and industrial, but also spray residential, so I speak from personal experience. I share your opinion on the DIY kits. We have similar products available to us for touch ups or those customers that call with a 20 sf job. We have never used one on the job, but have been part of a demo. I would hate to know I had to spray 100 sf with one much less 20,000.

I'm not trying to discourage you and I won't say that you can't learn to spray foam, but there's a little more to it than picking up the gun and pulling the trigger. The thickness and uniformity of the material is all controlled by the spray man. Gun control and technique is everything and one of the major differences between a professional job and one big mess, but if you are doing it for yourself that may not be a concern. You should also know that as conditions change so does foam, so you need to understand how the foam is reacting so you can make adjustments as needed. As far as rental equipment, I have heard that in some areas there are companys renting small residential rigs now. I'm not sure how long it will last.

I don't know what your budget is for this job or your overhaul plans, but I would reply on the correct amount of foam and drop the foam board as you will be better satisfied and much better off in the long run. We spray both open and closed cell foam which have their advantages and disadvantages. Often we may spray both on the same job depending on the customers needs and wants.

I would also strongly suggest that you have 2 or 3 of your local contractors come out and discuss your needs/wants. Remember, like anything else, there are good and bad spray foam contractors out there, so ask for references.

 

[AGRIMAN]

Search on here - if I remember correctly the last time this was brought up - if you are near an urban area it's generally more cost effective to have someone with all the right equipment for a large job to do it.

Depends more on your area as we are anything but urban here, but demand has been good and we will travel.

 

[4570Man]

Most of my house is blow in insulation because it was cheaper than foam. We did between the joist with foam. It really wasn't a DYI job. I would recommend paying someone to do it. If you are determined to do it yourself you should buy the right equipment, and sell it when you are done. Why do you need your pole barn to be air tight? .

 

[AGRIMAN]

when i looked up spray foam a few years back... all the professional setups had some sort of "heating element" that heated things up 100 plus degrees (no clue how it is anymore).

Proper temp is one of the keys to appling foam correctly. The reactor heats both the A and B sides and there's also a "heating element" (whip) built into the hose. The temp depends on the product being sprayed and the conditions, more heat in the winter and less in the summer.

As I'm sure you know, you can't really compare foam sprayed from a can to foam sprayed with a commercial unit.

 

[EddieWalker]

... We spray both open and closed cell foam which have their advantages and disadvantages. Often we may spray both on the same job depending on the customers needs and wants....

What would be the advantage to going with both closed and open cell on the same job? Is there a max thickness for closed cell that after a certain point it's not accomplishing anything anymore?

 

[LD1]

Why do you need your pole barn to be air tight? . View attachment 435502

I was wondering the exact same thing. Why such and emphasis on airtight? what is the building going to be used for?

Given the really high cost, for a barn, I like fiberglass and blow in. The insulation in the walls and the ceiling are the least of my concerns as far as thermal efficiency. Rather the sill seam, around the garage doors, walk thru doors, windows, etc.

I just put up 2000sf of insulation in my walls. R-19. ANd plan on blowing in R38 in the 1600sf ceiling. Few contractors I talked to were rough estimating 8k+ for spray of comparable R value. I will have $1400 in fiberglass and blow in.

You are talking 20,000sf.....just how big is this building?

 

[EddieWalker]

Why just R38 for the ceiling? Here in my part of the world where we fight the heat more then the cold, R60 is the standard. That's almost 2 feet of blown in insulation.

 

[LD1]

Why just R38 for the ceiling? Here in my part of the world where we fight the heat more then the cold, R60 is the standard. That's almost 2 feet of blown in insulation.

Cost. ITs about balancing cost vs return. I am not gonna have too much issues heating with the wood burner I got. And aint gonna loose too much cooling out the ceiling either. Law of diminishing returns I think. I dont think a second R30 is gonna gain near as much as the first R30 or R38

R-60 is almost unheard of around here. Wonder why you guys had R60 as the standard.