If you’re noticing that your home’s basement is cold and drafty, your attic or upper rooms are uncomfortably hot, or your energy bills are high month after month, you most likely have an insulation problem on your hands! Old, deteriorated, or insufficient insulation can compromise the comfort and safety of your property, and cost you an average of 20% more on your monthly heating and cooling bills.
Spray foam is a smart insulation option for both new and existing homes, but it’s particularly beneficial in older homes with extreme or uneven temperatures throughout the house. Here in Georgia, we experience the highs and lows of all four seasons, and during sweltering summer days and freezing cold winter nights, creating an air-tight seal in your structure’s cracks and crevices will go a long way in keeping your house at a comfortable temperature without breaking the bank.
Once homeowners learn about all its energy-saving benefits, combined with the fact that it makes a home more quiet, clean, and safe, switching to spray foam is an easy choice. When they learn about the new 2023 insulation tax credit, making this upgrade is a no-brainer!
A common question we receive from our customers who own older homes is whether spray foam can be installed over their existing insulation. There are several important factors to consider when making this decision, and the answer will vary slightly depending on the area of the house we’re insulating.
Attics, Basements & Crawl Spaces
Attics, basements, and crawl spaces are notorious for being dark, drafty, and dirty. In addition to improved air quality, moisture prevention, and noise reduction, spray foam insulation can improve the overall structural integrity of these areas.
If your space is already insulated with a traditional fiberglass insulation, it’s best to remove it before installing spray foam to keep long-accumulated moisture, dust, and pest droppings from getting trapped. Moist fiberglass material provides the perfect breeding ground for mold, pollen, and other allergens. It can also develop a musty odor and become very inviting to unwanted, property-damaging rodents and insects. If these parts of your house were previously insulated with cellulose, the spraying process can kick up all the cellulose and make a huge mess!
So, while you technically could spray over either of these existing insulation materials, it’s certainly not ideal, and goes against industry standards. The best practice is to remove all existing insulation and start fresh. Fortunately, property owners are more than happy to have the old material removed, eliminating health and safety hazards, the potential for uneven temperatures and unwanted odors, and protecting the value of their property.
Existing Interior & Exterior Walls
Existing walls are only responsible for approximately 7% of a building’s thermal loss. It’s much more efficient to focus on larger gaps in the thermal envelope, such as the attic and other sources of excess air exchange, rather than addressing existing interior and exterior walls.
If you do choose to insulate existing walls, it’s once again best practice to start fresh, pulling out the old insulation and applying fresh spray foam. With this approach, you’ll get the most safety, comfort, and efficiency bang for your buck.
Out With the Old, In With the New
When you trust Epic Spray Foam with your insulation needs, our team will take care of all the handling, removal, and disposal of any pre-existing insulation before the new spray foam is applied. As a leading insulation contractor in Georgia, we’re committed to safety, quality, and service. We stand behind our work and will do everything possible to ensure each of our customers are fully satisfied.
