Open-Cell vs. Closed-Cell Spray Foam: Which is Right for Your Conditioned Attic?

[@lregoso3176]

Yes please do a retrofit spray foam video.

[@seanhochdorf]

I'd love to see a video about retrofitting an older home Matt.

[@SteddieBop]

I know! There’s no building science retrofit content out there like there is for new builds. I mean I get why, but there’s so many questions I have on how to approach renovations with building science in mind.

[@rb8049]

I wouldn’t use foam.

[@user-my3pv9kx2h]

Please do a retrofit video! I've done one retrofit and I think it worked out fine but about to possibly do it on another home I just bought so would love to hear your thoughts on how to do it correctly. Is closed sell still the right choice for a retrofit? What about spraying closed cell in the eaves/ soffits that currently serve as the air source. Obviously that has to get plugged but I've only done open cell before. Just do the bird blocking technique you mention in this vid? That may be hard to get to to do. This home also has some cathedral ceilings so some parts of it cannot have foam. Luckily the part of the attic that has the mechanic mechanicals can definitely be foamed.

[@TrueLee]

Agree. Without taring the whole thing down.

[@user-my3pv9kx2h]

@@seanhochdorf i'd love to see a full detail on how to take an existing home built by a pretty normal custom or track builder with a vented attic and creating a conditioned attic that has mechanicals in it without using foam. Also assuming that doing the rigid foam board insulation on the exterior is a very expensive proposition. I'm about to redo the roof on my current home and would love to consider this possibility but I believe it would blow the budget sky high. What should I expect?

[@roBLINDhood]

I'd be very interested to see a video about retrofitting an older home with spray foam.

[@jeremygriffin7090]

Yes I want a retrofit spray foam video!!!! I am about to redo the insulation in my 1964 split entry home.

[@coldcc9966]

Definitely want to see a spray foam retro fit

[@dmgjjg]

Yes! I want to a see a spray foam retrofit video; I am looking to convert my vented attic to an unvented one. Ultimately, I want to installed HVAC ducting in the attic but not before the attic is converted.

[@dq3833]

I’d like to see a video addressing a couple of issues related to a conditioned attic space for new construction. 1. On your personal home I seem to recall you initially had an issue with condensation at the peak of the attic. What needs to be done to prevent this issue? 2. How do you handle roof penetrations in a conditioned attic, especially since that many times is the source of leaks years down the road?

[@hirains440]

I have done 3" closed cell foam and on top of that i did 3" open cell foam on my recent build in Tyler, TX. this 4000 sq ft house is very high efficient.

[@dosadoodle]

Was cost the motive of doing open cell for 3" rather than closed cell all the way through? If so, what kind of price difference was that for your market?

[@timkaiser385]

Very interested in seeing a retrofit, as I’m considering doing spray foam in my house

[@joeoliver24]

Video about retrofit would be awesome!

[@achaz23]

We are buying '96 build home in NC. I would love to see a sprayfoam retrofit video.

[@johngill5175]

More simple buildings please! No more roofs with 32 hips and valleys. different height lines, just simple. Buildable maintainable and chances are will be built right the first time!

[@danielwoodard680]

I had difficulty finding ANY roofers or framers in Jackson, MS who would work with exterior foam panels, or poly-iso. So we 'prefoamed all framing at all exterior sheathing. it was night and day for humidity, temperature and bug control. Thank you for teaching these elements of construction. Without you and J. Brutan, the houses would still be built like 50 year old houses are built.

[@johnwhite2576]

ALL you need to know ? spray foam is a completely unregulated process that is a a HIGHLY complicated chemical reaction involving HIGHLY cancerous chemicals conducted by guys with a GED who are not drug tested . What could go wrong ? LOL

[@paperburn]

Require special care and skills and techniques.many do not want to spend the effort and money

[@patrickkenny2077]

Great info, Matt. I will say though I wish you did dive more into how the wall/roof assembly would dry in different climate zones.

[@InEarthStructures]

Matt, I often don't see the articles that you say will be in the description.

[@dosadoodle]

We retrofit spray-foamed an old house we are renovating. Because of our concerns about water intrusion issues, we had the house roof resheathed with ZIP and then put on a standing seam metal roof. While this isn't a roof that will last hundreds of years like Matt's double-layer install, I do expect this double-protection to last beyond the end of our lives (~50 years from now). This was obviously not inexpensive, and it would be much more expensive for a complex roofline. When we were hunting for a house, we were specifically looking for simpler roof lines for a future standing seam metal roof plus a great south-facing roof for solar, which we'll then be able to install in the future with much less headaches or risk with the standing seam metal roof. This led to us ruling out a solid 70-80% of homes in our market.

[@adrianabshire]

I would love to see a retrofit or this vs poly cell boards on the attic ceiling and sealing it up with Zip tape or similar to insulate the attic - would it cause too much humidity? In zone 7A north Alabama - LOVE all your videos and trying to get my brother who is a home builder in Lumberton, TX to use your building systems

[@karlmartus4619]

Yes I'd love to see retro fit spray foam roofs

[@shmadden7454]

Would love to see a retrofit. Thinking about adding some space to our house, retrofitting the attic with spray foam, and replacing all the ductwork so would want to know the proper procedure before committing. Thx.

[@hotshot619]

Im planning on doing a closed cell spray foam retrofit so yeah id love a video of it

[@nsbconstruction9698]

Im in for a retro fit vid. Could you take a tyvek type product and create a blanket to spray against with a 2" air gap between the decking and the tyvek?

[@TheLatinMass]

Question about the flexible insulated ductwork. Are they able to be cleaned out over the years, similar to steel ducts? Seeing the flexible ductwork hanging from straps in an attic gives the appearance of possibly being less friendly to cleaning. It’s a question I’ve thought about since seeing these online and only rarely here in the Midwest (KC).

[@Infiniteadam63]

Matt what happens if you have spray foam and a hurricane takes the power out for 2 or 3 weeks, will the attic get so humid that it molds? Is vented better in that situation? Any thoughts on this would help me, thanks for all your hard work!

[@eh_bailey]

Not any more mold than any other place in the house (over the course of a few weeks).

[@ChrisDembinsky]

On my house I did 2" of closed cell and the rest open cell. This sealed the roof deck but was less expensive than all closed cell. Also taped the roof deck seams and used a full peal and stick layer before installing the metal roof. We tested out less then 1 on our blower door test and our AC unit barely has to run.

[@garethky]

+1 for Retrofit. I want to do closed cell on a house up north. I want the sound proofing benefits of closed cell foam. I think the roof is your basic plywood + tar paper + shingles assembly. I also have bird block and openings I'd have to close off.

[@padraics]

I'd love to see an indoor air quality/dust composition test to see if there are increased levels of polyurethane microplastics in a house with spray foam vs higher other various contaminants for loose fill or batts

[@caffeinetremors]

I'm not saying that this isn't a problem but I would guess that microplastic contamination is orders of magnitude (10x, 100x, 1000x) more coming from everyday sources such as microwaving food in a plastic container or synthetic clothing fibers that break away for example.

[@JohnLee-db9zt]

You need to be more worried about the hundreds of toxic chemicals that off gas over time even after it’s completely “cured”.

[@padraics]

@caffeinetremors I agree that you're probably right, but always hear about testing for iso offgassing (I think this is required in most countries), but nothing about the potential for the foam itself to become a contaminant as it ages, since you've got thousands of pounds of plastic foam with thousands of feet of surface area

[@maninspired]

I have a beautiful old stand alone home in Brooklyn.. With no attic insulation! Trying to figure out if closed cell foam is the right choice... Please help!

[@hirains440]

i love New construction for the same reasons as well. thank you for sharing your project details.

[@TedKidd]

Imo, r value "energy" codes are a joke. Unless you are above zone 5-6, once you get to r-10 the incremental energy savings are microscopic. MUCH more important are air sealing and condensation avoidance. Foam needs to be thick enough to maintain dew point temperature well WITHIN the material during worst case weather so you avoid condensation surface temperature issues irrespective of code R values.

[@ahnilatedahnilated7703]

I live in Minnesota and when I purchased my town home it was 15 yrs old and supposedly had an R34 in the attic with blown in fiberglass. That had settled and was more like R25. I put in a lot more blown in fiberglass to make it an R60 (max insulation rating here). The heating and cooling bills sure show how much that helped. I would have loved to do closed cell spray foam but it just wasn't in the budget to have someone remove the old fiberglass and then do close cell spray foam and other stuff to get me an R60. I would have loved to do a new home build and do the whole envelope in closed cell spray foam. Less heating/cooling/noise and with an air exchanger, better air quality.

[@danielstover3029]

Your R-60 blown in fiberglass combined with proper air sealing is much better than spray foam. If you live in a home that wasn't custom built, carefully crafted, specifically designed and detailed for spray foam, you will be better served with what you have.

[@Lew-w3l]

Retrofit or renovation spray foam input please! So would you recommend closed cell for a retrofit or renovation? Great content!! Thanks

[@DeuceDeuceBravo]

If the roof sheathing has closed cell foam on one side and a water/ice barrier on the other, is there concern with that wood rotting?

[@jackbeuttell]

Same question here. You do say in the video use closed cell under deck and then peel and stick on the deck which implies vapor barrier on both sides but there are some camps that think that’s a mistake.

[@DoorPro3667]

Is there a difference between thickness measured perpendicular to roof line and direction that heat travels which is straight up? Might be why the code is different between ceiling insulation and roof line insulation? Also ROI should be a factor. How long will it take on energy savings to pay for the cost of extra insulation?

[@laynedouglas5105]

I am interested in a spray foam retrofit roof video.

[@boulderbite]

@buildshow I'm doing work in Oklahoma here. Local spray insulation guys have switched to Open-Cell when dealing with the roofs because it is their belief that if you have a bad roof membrane or shingle, the leaking will eventually make itself visible as the moisture will daylight on the bottom side, where as if it is Closed-Cell, they think the roof will rot and the leaking problem will be exacerbated. I have also seen where people do continuous baffles from eave to ridge for air flow to allow moisture to daylight and to keep the roofline at a more continuous temperature for less Ice Dams and less weathering due to temperature differences. What do you think? On the commercial side, I dont see spray foam anymore and entirely just mineral rock insulation.

[@tylermundy7985]

Super helpful, thank you!

[@marcgriffin3166]

Matt I have an old house built in 1900 ish. Typical single pain windows with ropes and weights etc It has a new metal roof and the inside has been gutted to the ship lap wall. The attic is very large and tall with a staircase and a small room placed where a dormer would be. I am wanting to close foam the attic and install new HVAC in order to help the total efficiency and keep the equipment out of the Texas heat. My issue is the walls. Since they are all tongue and groove interior and wood siding exterior I am wondering what would be the best method. Block the walls below the floor and blow insulation into the cavities? How do I insulate and still allow airflow to the backside of the exterior siding? THOUGHTS?

[@apostolakisl]

I have read that closed cell slowly loses its higher r-value as the high rated gas inside the "closed" cells slowly leaks out and is replaced by regular air, essentially becoming open cell r-value/inch after 20 years or so. For this reason, I put open cell in my house 15 years ago, and it has been quite effective. Also, closed cell doesn't let water through, so if you have a roof leak, you won't know it until the roof sheathing rots completely away.

[@chaseweeks2708]

@4:45, missing link? I know closed cell, and open cell too, can be incredibly high performance, but I don't think I'm willing to use it on our eventual build. The biggest reason is simply because installation quality is a gamble with serious consequences for losing the bet. It's a lot easier to repair a screwed up install of batt, blown-in, or rigid board insulation than it is to repair a screwed up install of OCSF, and it's even more difficult to repair CCSF. Everyone has off-days, including insulation installers, but if the spray foam installer has an off day, it can easily turn into years of legal battles. I'll take the hit to overall R-Value as fair trade for better odds of success and reduced consequences for failure.

[@miterbox7031]

You’re missing out. Nothing comes close to closed cell spray foam. Our heater turns on like twice on a 35 degree night. Find a good installer and you’ll never look back.

[@chaseweeks2708]

@miterbox7031 that's the problem. Finding a good installer. You can't be certain they are good, and even if they are good, everyone has an off day. Peace of mind has as much value as money and R-value does. I'd rather not risk it. Besides, with a post frame building I've got 9 inches of wall to work with. If I was doing 2x6 walls, my equation might have a different result.

[@imconsequetau5275]

Use an ironclad contract written by your Lawyer. It will specify contractor liability, obligations, and mandatory resolutions. If contractors cannot cope with it, they are not excellent.

[@chaseweeks2708]

@@imconsequetau5275 Probably good advice either way. Don't think it's enough for me to switch my design back to SF though. The contract mostly helps after things go wrong, and recovery after things go wrong is where SF falls flat on its face.

[@toomanymarys7355]

You can't miss a bad spray foam install.

[@pablopenasco4254]

I’d love to hear your thoughts on a 1980’s split level home in the South.

[@GRF29]

Spray foam retrofit, or spray foam and new roof install.

[@carlosdelarosa9200]

Thank you for the insights‼️ QUESTION: I am building my first home. I am also a young learning contractor. Here is the question: With cathedral rafters being installed in a climate 5 zone, would you recommend spraying foam directly on to the underside of the roof deck OR would you recommend installing smart baffles to leave some air gap so air ventilation can flow through the soffit towards the ridge and then spaying closed cell insulation? Open to anyone answering this question as I am looking for opinions. Thank you.

[@imconsequetau5275]

You definitely want air convection below the roof sheathing. The better the insulation, the more critical this becomes. Be especially careful of hip roofs where some sections may not have through paths for convection.

[@jamescarman3660]

I'm finding references that some shingle manufacturers are limiting or voiding their warranties if spray foam is used under the roof decking. Can you address this?

[@imconsequetau5275]

Closed cell foam makes the roof much hotter in sunlight. You need an air convection path under the top sheathing to cool the shingles.

[@mxb_se]

Matt, I have a "conditioned attic" in my newly built "custom" home in South Carolina. It's all Zip system with open cell spray foam on the roof deck (8") and walls (5.5"), closed cell (3") in my crawlspace. My electric bill has never surpassed $100/mo. All is well for the most part, but I have one major gripe... and that's about my disappointment/frustration of when my wood stove was installed, I had to have a 2" clearance around the flue up thru the ceiling and roof sheathing. I basically went from a fully sealed up attic and overall envelope to one with a giant hole in the roof. I have seen some people say to stuff Rockwool around it, but that's definitely a code violation and I don't want to risk anything here. I'm for sure going to have to put a dehumidifier up there to help lower the humidity (at least somewhat). Any recommendations? I thought about building a box/chase around it and insulating with Rockwool, still leaving clearance around the flue inside... but not sure what else I could do. The thought of my roof deck growing stuff under the open-cell scares the crap out of me.

[@toomanymarys7355]

It's clearance to something combustible. Not to anything at all.

[@eh_bailey]

I thought foam was only supposed to be on one side of the roof deck to allow for incidental drying. Am I wrong about that?

[@garymitchell7551]

A conditioned attic or crawl space would increase the HVAC size in my opinion; even if you’re dumping a little cfm’s into the spaces that’s added heat/cooling that otherwise wouldn’t be required…. If this is the case what is the added cost?

[@oatlord]

Holy smokes, that's the best attic I've ever seen.

[@lorenwillis425]

Retrofit video -- Yes Please!

[@TeamGeorgeTN]

I'd like to see the retrofit video.

[@KateBarrett-g5l]

If you had to choose between R21 closed cell or R13 +R10ci for the exterior walls, what would you choose??

[@rlwilson39]

Love your videos!

[@aaronmisiuk193]

My wife and I live in Idaho and built an air tight house with external insulation/rock wool, closed cell foam in hard to reach areas, good windows made air tight, spray on elastameeic house wrap, rain screen, make up air system, and a Zender ERV--also have radiant floor heating. This issue we are having is that even on the coldest nights our house is too warm especially when we have people over--our heat pump for the radiant floors is hardly being used the house is 4000 square feet with tall ceilings--have many large fans. What is the best way to regulate the temperature in the house--right now we are opening up windows. I think we took the insulation and air tightness too far. The radiant floors make the house feel warmer than the air temp would suggest.

[@imconsequetau5275]

Look for heat entry paths such as solar energy through window panes. You may need shades over them.

[@imconsequetau5275]

Fans create heat. 100% of electrical power going into them turns into heat. You may also need to install shade over windows outside.

[@dustinabc]

16:55 "MISNOMER" does not mean what you seem to think it means. I am an avid watcher of your channel , and you've misapplied it before as well, so only trying to help you improve, like you help us improve in other ways. 😀 You might want to say something like "some inaccuracy" or something like that.

[@dzaino1986]

Matt, i visited my sister in new hampshire last fall and noticed they hired someone to spray their entire attic space with open cell. Its a bonus room, however the house was built about 6 years ago and the product waa applied directly to the underside. I don't don't believe there's any air gap below the comp roofing. The room is part of the conditioned area of the home, but what about the extreme climate in New England? I lived there before and it's concerning to me there could be major issues. No vapor barrier is applied as well if that helps. I asked them to get someone out and assess. Thoughts please?? Thanks a ton Matt!

[@user-my3pv9kx2h]

Just got quotes to put foam in my attic. $12k for 5.5 inches open cell and $24k 3 in closed cell. Crazy expensive and actually as far as I know neither of those gives enough R value to satisfy codes. There must be something about a retrofit that they can get around here in the north Atlanta area?

[@jerrik-415]

I insisted on 2x2in rockwool on the outside, 2in closed foam on the inside, and then rockwool bat insulation under that, all topped off with aerobarrier. R60 roof system,

[@nathanbarry9534]

How did you install the rockwool? Did it just snug in the cavities or was there a bracket to hold it in place?

[@jerrik-415]

@@nathanbarry9534 The interior rockwool was just snug fit in the rafters and then the drywall over (under?) that. The exterior is held in using z-git brackets specifically designed for roofs with plywood over that for the backing to the shingles (built so I can put steel roof on in the future)

[@primalarchitect]

My house is post n beam construction with 1.5" T&G roof deck. The house has no insulation. Poor quality glass and is in socal. Previous owner added 2" of polyiso under asphalt roof. There have been no water problems. Very limited attic space. It's effectively conditioned and contains the air handler. What are everyone's thoughts on adding spray foam to underside of deck in attic to improve performance?

[@toomanymarys7355]

Ideal setup.

[@idanko731]

Hi Matt, you should take a trip to Grand Prairie, TX, and visit and take a tour of Huntsman (Demelic). They were one of the first and best along with BASF when it came to Spray Foam. Since the Demelic days, they have consolidated Lapolla and Icenene into their product line. In my opinion, they have the best product with their Heatlok foam. It's a mystery to me why more builders aren't using Spray Foam in Texas, it pays for itself just through the savings on electricity and being able to downscale your HVAC to smaller units (ex: go from a 5-ton to a 3.5-ton) because of how efficient the house envelope is.

[@rheuss1]

With all foam you will pay more for hvac system. It’ll need more erv, filtration and higher efficiency systems . Figure paying forty percent more up front , savings down the road.

[@stephenridenour6812]

I have a 1962 2400 sq ft house with a gabled roof, slab on grade, vents in the slab, brick veneer. I want fresh air venting and a more efficient heating and cooling system. I have added solar, replaced the original Zinsco panel and all outlets, cleaned and top plate sealed the ceiling and added blown-in. I have also installed a condensing tankless. The heat/air system was installed in 1993. Suggestions?

[@I_Am_Your_Problem]

Demo, build new. Any other questions?

[@nonyabusiness1126]

MAJOR concerns I'd have are not knowing about a roof leak/condensation and if an unventilated home sat/sits empty or without power/hvac for any amount of time.

[@nonyabusiness1126]

The over roof is very interesting. There I'd worry about strength. Two sides of every coin...until a genius suffers through experience or has a masterful mentor.

[@nonyabusiness1126]

Is insulated sheathing available? That would help eliminate the need for an over roof, which I think may be asking for problems. I'd use insulated sheathing as the roof deck, seal it, then put seal paper over the sealed decking, use a metal roof, rockwool the interior to rafter depth(8"), then encase the rockwool with interior insulated sheathing . Another question I have is why not use treated lumber for the roof? Especially if using closed cell foam!

[@alanjackson1015]

@@nonyabusiness1126 You *need* the over-roof if you are doing a hot roof (non-ventilated). Joseph Lstiburek has a couple of great videos talking about this. The roof will rot in very short order from the small amounts of moisture that do penetrate the foam Yes, there is insulated sheathing, Zip has it

[@harrylenton9984]

English bower here. Great vid!

[@stevenraeder3164]

Matt, I know you have also used Rockwool, so wondering if you ever have concerns about the flammability of closed cell foam compared to Rockwool.

[@ike7933]

I noticed that you did not fully cover the roof (at your house) with the zip “ peel and stick product” ….at the ridge it looks like you left it off …..I’m curious to know why ?? Is thare some kind of ridge vent there?

[@DrMonkPhD]

Open-Cell Spray Foam; - R-Value: ~R-3.5/inch. Lower thermal resistance due to the foam's porous structure, which contains mostly air (thermal conductivity ~0.026 W/m·K). - High vapor permeability (perm rating >10). Water vapor diffuses through the foam, facilitating drying (but increasing susceptibility to water damage in humid climates.) - Air Sealing: Expands 100-120 times its liquid volume, creating a highly effective air seal (OTOH though the open-cell structure limits its durability) - Absorbs sound energy effectively due to its low density (~0.5 lb/ft³) and ability to dissipate acoustic energy through micro-level air friction. Most of all OCSPF is composed of polyisocyanates and polyols. The polymerization reaction results in a flexible, open lattice. Its cellular structure increases internal surface area (eg: reducing the foam's ability to resist conduction) Closed-Cell Spray Foam - R-Value: ~R-6.5-7/inch. Superior insulating performance due to its closed structure filled with low-conductivity gases (commonly HFCs or HFOs, with thermal conductivity ~0.013 W/m·K). - Moisture Control: Low vapor permeability (perm rating

[@speciesofspaces]

Curious which dropdown folding stair for the attic was used?

[@surfride101]

Matt, love you to death. We share a love. You inspired my 1937 San Diego home in 2016 to DIY a standing seam metal roof, its stunning, yet with regard to fire remediation not enough. You were not yet into condition attic space so much at that time and I regret not sealing up my attic, and not for the reason you might think. With the recent devastation in Southern California; which homes survive and what comes down seems related to type of roof and attic / crawl space vent penetrations. I have no mechanical in my attic, yet its the vents gonna get me should my home be buffeted with embers. Then there is the crawl space, where my mechanical resides. Perhaps you can review and amplify vented remediation to conditioned in order to fortify against wind driven embers. Simpson has seismic retrofit guides based on the Northridge quake, which under the guidance of a structural engr, I crawled on my belly for months performing. Now, im not sure the "big one" is going to take me down, its more likely the flying embers will take down my home. All I can do for now is put up sheet metal barricades on my vents when a Red Flag Warning is forecast. Appreciate you!

[@robertcartwright4483]

Spray foam retrofit video please!

[@bradmitchell4936]

I’m used to basement mechanicals Why don’t they just build an extra room on the main floor for the mechanicals that conditioned attic space seems crazy to me

[@Techno4more]

Wasted space. Now you're wasting interior space and you're still going to be running your ac ducts in 140f attic. And your attic space is wasted anyways.

[@melissal4135]

I would like a video about retrofitting an old home

[@mitchdenner9743]

Does the vented overroof design up the r value? I'm pretty sure airspace by itself has an r value, but if its getting airflow in that cavity through stack effect i would think it would greatly improve the r.

[@Techno4more]

No. Ventilated space has an r value of 0 lol

[@Techno4more]

Ventilated area is actually the opposite of what r value does which is measure insulation lol. Vented space is a conductor basically. What you're thinking is that the vented underoof is reducing the temperature that the insulation layer below has to insulate because it no longer has to deal with 150f shingles conducting and radiating heat into the insulation layer. Convection basically. But it has nothing to do with r value

[@imconsequetau5275]

Excellent! ​@@Techno4more

[@johnnymoore3188]

Would like to see the retrofit video

[@campchet]

Retrofit for south east... yes please!

[@ajfreeze215]

So if (when) the framing shrinks and the foam pulls away………we keep talking about actual water leaks. It’s the air leaking from a conditioned space out that you won’t see until your trusses rot off…..🤷 In a climate zone where you have I The air moving both directions it’s going to happen faster, no?

[@DavePreissl]

Im a builder and in our area is very wet(rainforest) there is definatly an issue.

[@ssl3546]

need to encapsulate the roof members in CC foam to prevent that.

[@stephendallas9709]

I don't mind foam for the corners and gaps, but I've been really turned off by whole-home foam now that I'm a home owner who has to deal with repairs and opening walls....

[@tylerwilliams3868]

could i condition my current 90s vented attic w close cell foam? i would assume id take the vents off to help seal it in? is there anything else i need to do?

[@paperburn]

If it were me I would make an alternate dipple mat. Between soffit to ridge

[@Scrawny928]

Please show the retrofit.

[@thaitichi]

Retrofit spray foam. All the comments asking for this one thing.

[@sidlives2672]

How about spray foam vs pests and rodents?

[@ronm6585]

Thanks Matt.

[@zacharypiech2930]

What about the offgasing and the health of the people living in the house??

[@I_Am_Your_Problem]

All above your pay grade.

[@ElvargsBane]

Can we get some videos on vented unconditioned attics? Like the Build Show is advancing the idea of building tight but doesn't provide details on how to do it on the more common method. A vented roof assembly is a very solid and common option: especially in areas that use a designated mechanical room or basement instead of the attic for mechanicals.

[@Egleu1]

You just spray foam the attic floor and add blown in over that.

[@alanjackson1015]

There are some done already, you'll just have to search for them

[@johnmattiazzo3900]

If water can get through. Can air get through? Spray foam, is the foam not bonding to the wood

[@draconomicron1188]

At least this time, you talk about the fire hazard with the spray foam ... but still spray foam is only good around windows and doors

[@stuartkorte1642]

Great recommendations. Important question, can the average home buyer be able to afford a house this?

[@dosadoodle]

Steve Baczek recommends highlighting the reduced cost of HVAC (smaller system) when discussing these kinds of improvements. I think he said he bundles some of these high performance details along with the HVAC system into a single line item to ease the cost comparisons. That said, it still costs extra to do all these high-performance details. Also, it's important to discuss that the home will be more comfortable. If buyers baulk at that, it may be worth discussing how they like numerous and large windows, and that's just a comfort element -- that is, they *are* willing to pay for the comfort of natural light and views, so considering these less blatant comfort upgrades are also worth seriously considering. Other factors to help sell it: reduced maintenance costs as well as greater resilience during power outages or severe storms.

[@finnisoestela]

It’s disappointing when credibility appears to take a backseat in the promotion of full spray foam applications, despite well-known issues like leak detection challenges, potential insurance complications, and now even shingle manufacturers raising concerns. The construction industry's habit of embracing 'miracle products,' only to create new problems that require expensive solutions, feels like a revolving door. It’s sad to see KZbinrs-who likely have good intentions-seemingly caught up in a model that prioritizes promotion over critical evaluation. We need genuine solutions, not just clever marketing.

[@danielstover3029]

Sorry Matt, not a hater troll here. However, I am 64 and am a second generation GC who has seen a lot of spray foam related issues dating back as far as the 1970's. We never use spray foam as insulation. From my experience is causes more problems in the long run. Your builds are custom and carefully crafted with a lot of thought and attention to detail which may make them somewhat the exception. With the same attention to detail, I believe your build would out perform spray foam with any other form of insulation, it would allow the home to be far more serviceable and repairable. Truly appreciate your videos and your vast team of contributors. Thanks for sharing... Merry Christmas! 🙏🏡🎄🎁⛄

[@toomanymarys7355]

But it couldn't. Because the r values are different.

[@kperkins1982]

I know he is a high end builder and goes above and beyond, but to say the Risinger build house is "going to be around for a couple hundred years" is sorta silly.

[@pazirandeh]

Christmas Eve in the Risinger house... "Gather round children and all shall hear the difference between Open-Cell and Closed-Cell spray foam..."

[@MikeRev-w3h]

Foam is supposed to STICK... Yet Matt clearly shows in his older video that FOAM didn't stick to the wood and leaked at the wood joints.

[@powerof9915]

Please don't use foam

[@MikeRev-w3h]

@@powerof9915 I won't be using foam in my build.. HELL NO!!! I'm using Rockwool, many more advantages. I will even be using rockwool for my slab on grade.

[@joshua3084]

​@MikeRev-w3h how are you using the ROCKWALL on the SLAB

[@davidcisco4036]

Basements are way better in all zones. (imo)

[@nneesp]

As we move forward into the future with better building practices spray foam is becoming more problematic/controversial. The idea behind it sounds great but the uncovered negatives are seemingly making it unusable. It is quickly becoming a fad. My guess is in 5 years it will be pulled from the market/building practices. That is for both closed and open cell foam. Lawsuits seem to be coming in on the horizon even if “installed correctly”..

[@powerof9915]

Foam has destroyed my life....don't do it!! DEAR GOD

[@Hariss-r9i]

*Freed from the stress of a 9-5 job, and built a 230k safety net in just two months, enabling me to pay off my mortgage-* *Thank you, Stacey Neal Brooks*

[@Janiecc]

I keep seeing different commendations about this Stacey, she must be really good for people to speak so highly of her.

[@Mrsteeeze]

Nice meeting someone who also work with Stacey, she’s the only one I have complete faith in, she got me proflts of 14,OOO with a small start up of 2,5OO and ever since she has been delivering.

[@Stuntdouble-be1zy]

I know Stacey as well. My colleague at work introduced me to her. Her analysis works like magic and my profit is sure on weekly basis

[@MackRex-er6ws]

Stacy Brooks has really set the standard for others to follow, we love her here in Ontario Canada as she has been really helpful and changed lots of life's

[@RuospTuody-q2l]

Can someone Share her info please 🙏 I’m interested

[@electroncarl]

6:35 ... no affiliation.... later on, 10:37 ... gave you a year free to include it in the video, that's literally the definition of affiliation lol

[@CroissantCreates]

Don’t, it ruins long term value and health prospects in the home. Never use spray foam in open air areas like that, it will degrade given time and significantly reduce resale value

[@michaelomalley6726]

No cell!

[@HTHAMMACK1]

It also hides every leak in the roof. Spray foaming a roof deck is foolish.

[@MikeRev-w3h]

Most contractors are a JOKE! I don't think I can trust a good install of spray foam? Too many risks! And don't try to convince me that most contractors aren't a joke, seriously, don't be that fool.

[@peteyou2325]

You are spot on with regard to contractors. I don't think conditioning your attic space with foam is worth the risk. I'm doing a vented attic on my new build next year. It's very hard to screw up a vented attic. I truly believe there's too many unanswered questions about using foam to condition an attic. Finding a trustworthy and competent foam contractor to do the job correctly is my biggest concern.

[@Foreverfront]

spray foam illegal here east coast canada your home becomes uninsurable due to what the foam hides

[@thomasschafer7268]

😅😅😅wir reden über Ökologie und Rückbau mit Recycling und ihr spritzt die Bockwurstbude mit Schaum aus!!! Die ki Übersetzung ist absoluter Schwachsinn!! 👎👎👎🇩🇪

[@chrisstanford3652]

🤗🤗🏘️