We have FOAM!!

Finally after a couple of false starts, the spray foam installers are finally here!!!  I went back into my email to look at the original estimate.  Jeesh!!  That was generated two full months ago.  But they're here and the work has begun and I'm relieved!

My Dallas house had the standard rock wool and fiberglass insulation in the attic and fiberglass in the walls.  The floors were not insulated so one year I spent two months under there installing R19.  It helped but I could still feel a draft which only served QUITE WELL to chill on a cold day and drive my energy bills needlessly through the roof.  Not going to repeat that scenario!

Since this is (presumeably) my retirement home I conducted extensive research on what insulation to use.  I kept coming back to the expanding spray foam variety due to it's ability to expand and seal into all the nooks and crannies that normal batt insulation can not get to.  It's unrestrained air flow that gets you to bump your thermostats up or down thus costing wasted energy related money.  I opted to go with the "closed" cell variety due to it's vapor barrier properties and, not that I needed it, it's intrinsic ability to enhance the overall structural integrity of the house itself.

The downside is the upfront expense.  It's probably double plus what normal insulation might run.  It's a painful expenditure but if you open your mind and consider the long term benefits down the road, it's hard to justify NOT doing it when you have the prime chance to do it right.  It WILL pay for itself in the next several years through comfort and reduced electrical bills.

Installation equipment

Spray foam insulation is big business and not for the faint of heart.  The necessary equipment is pretty spendy.

The trailer is divided into two halves.  The rear holds a diesel powered generator and huge air compressor.

The generator is back there somewhere.

The forward half contains the mixture console, the applicable 55 gallon barrels of A and B chemicals, which when mixed, create the chemical reaction necessary to expand the foam, and a work bench.

It's hot!

Stay tuned.....  will post more pics shortly!