Problems with Spraying Foam Insulation Down in an Attic

[@CameronWWE123]

We have sprayed down only in older attics after we have cleaned out the old insulation We will only spray attics that are workable and able to complete a good job. We only spray 2.5 inches or so and than add cellulose loose fill on top to make higher r value. We did my personal home this way and it has cut our energy bill in half. For new build homes I totally agree with the points you covered.

[@SprayJones]

We have done a few too. When there is a lot of room towards the edges.

[@customsolutions7167]

I have done the same . House is comfortable and energy bills way way down definitely less than half. 😊

[@zackbridgman]

I have a newer home and this is what I want to do! I think the energy savings would out pace something like solar. 8/12 pitch. Be pretty easy to add in some extra foam baffles

[@benc2947]

Did you use closed cell for this ? I started out working for a spray company for 2 years before starting my own. The guy I worked for NEVER sprayed down with closed because of the reason jones said, he always told us it would push the drywall ceiling down or create cracks at the seam. Did to experience this at all?

[@zackbridgman]

@@benc2947I spayed down to my draywall with open. Then shot all the duct work with closed.

[@stevebonczyk3795]

quick question on spraying the roof deck. If you spray the underside but have an access into the area (non-habitable) do you need to put a fireproof coating or paint on the spray foam insulation? I noticed in your video at 2:39 that there looks to be some type of spray on the insulation.

[@SprayJones]

99% of jurisdictions say no.

[@CameronWWE123]

Only have to fire coat it, is if it's staying as a open concept.

[@ericverdugo6978]

Retro fit homes or new homes that have gas furnaces in vented attics are a good candidate for spraying the flat ceiling. These are homes that were never designed for a encapsulated attic and changing the entire system would be too expensive. You are trying to air seal and adequately separate the living space from the attic. It is an inferior system but it’s better then convention loose fill only.

[@JS-zb1vv]

Do that make something to put on the wood to still keep the air gap before spraying the insulation on the roof .

[@russellintahoe]

I am looking at doing closed cell on my roof ceiling. I live in Tahoe and this is a new construction house, but it still gets really hot in the summer. There is no AC and the furnace is in the garage which is an embarrassing place to put it. Is putting in closed cell going to really help? I will build a closet around the heater, but I still want to lower my heat load and as a bonus lower my winter bills too. From what I am gathering, it won't be worth it because my hvac is not in the attic.

[@JohnSmith-kf1fc]

great points there Mike. id hate having to fix a wavy brand bew celling 😅

[@db0nn3r]

Alright man, I’ve watched about 20’of your videos now, can’t find a recommendation on retrofitting a “tight” attic as you call it. I’m in south Florida, all the foamers want me to put 6” of open cell on the roof deck. 2x4 rafters. They’re gonna be buried. You mention a few times it can’t be done properly in tight crawl spaces. Do you even recommend doing a spray foam application here?

[@SprayJones]

Not if I can't get into the spaces I need. Open cell would be the one and only product that would have a chance since it can over expand into areas that otherwise wouldn't be properly articulated with closed cell.

[@samuelfeguer]

I've seen videos of guys spraying what I'm assuming is open cell down onto the gypsum then one guy covers it with a board till it's done expanding. Is this just a gimmick or I'd it actually accomplishing anything?

[@SprayJones]

Gimmick.

[@edujar478]

Thanks for the information in your videos. For an existing home (1960 bungalow in Edmonton) would you recommend insulating with spray foam, cover soffits and remove attic ventilation? Or stick with cellulose insulation? Thank you

[@SprayJones]

Always SPF when the proper steps can be taken. Watch the 4 part series on non-vented roofs

[@NOOBKILLER052]

@@SprayJoneswhere is that? I can’t find it. I want to spray the underside of my roof and condition the space in a home I just bought

[@SprayJones]

@@NOOBKILLER052 I have a whole playlist for vaulted ceilings and the 4 series videos are in there.

[@Whisky_in_the_loops]

If you were doing a retrofit with steep rooflines that let's you get to the eves, would you spray to a vapour barrier that's on top of the drywall so if you do have to replace drywall you can or is it worth worrying about?

[@SprayJones]

No. The SPF will not stick to the poly. It will want to lift off.

[@1AlexanderCole]

I wish I could figure out how to find a great spray foam company in my area!

[@zackbridgman]

What about a retrofit. 8/12 pitch. Remove the fiberglass blown in and shoot down 7” of open cell. Would the cost saving of foam outpaced solar if someone wanted to invest in cost savings

[@SprayJones]

More than likely that is a safe bet. Solar has so many ongoing costs associated with it. SPF is a one time for all purchase when installed correctly.

[@zackbridgman]

@@SprayJonesI did a video of spraying our duct work with closed cell. What a huge difference it made.

[@zach539]

I've got a question that's probably asked a lot, but I don't know much about this so here goes. What happens when there is a small leak in the roof? In a 'normal' attic you can see the spot and fix it, but as a roof gets older and a new roof is needed it seems like there might be a lot of issues with the sheeting on the roof. Am I thinking about this incorrectly?

[@SprayJones]

Watch the video I did on roof damage, water and SPF. It is answered there.

[@OntarioMiner]

Great Video. Keep it up.

[@SprayJones]

Thanks, will do!

[@jimmyb4956]

Only downside I could see to spraying to the roof deck would be you are now heating your entire attic space

[@HarmonsHarbor]

You are heating the attic and making it a conditioned space, but the difference is that with batts or blown-in, the heat loss is substantial and travels through it in an hour or so. With the roof deck being sprayed, the heat going through 1 inch of it takes a minimum of 12 hours, probably 24. And it seals ALL drafts.

[@jimmyb4956]

@@HarmonsHarbor I wasn’t comparing to blow in or batt I was comparing to spraying down to the ceiling substrate. A lot of the houses we do are custom with a 7-10 pitch roof and deep heels which means plenty of space to spray onto the ceiling. I usually give 2 prices, 1 for spraying 2” onto the ceiling then blowing in the rest and one for spraying to the roof deck but with those pitches the square footage is nearly double in most cases and that combined with 4-6” of foam they usually opt for option 1

[@kenactofkindness4017]