Spray foam insulation in Odessa TX - a tighter house that holds its cool

Open-cell foam is light and dries soft, while closed-cell foam is dense and dries rigid, with an R-value, how well insulation slows heat, of about 6.5 per inch against about 3.5 for open-cell. Open-cell lets water vapor pass, and closed-cell at normal thickness slows it, so a frame wall sprayed with closed-cell can't dry out well to the outside. Open-cell still seals air well at normal thickness, so the extra R-value per inch isn't the whole story, and what the wall or roof needs usually settles it.

Installing spray foam in the Midland area usually runs about $2,300 to $9,100 per project. Where your house lands depends on the area, the foam and the prep we covered above, and I'll price it in writing after I've seen it. We do these estimates around Odessa and in the cities nearby, West Odessa, Midland, Andrews and Monahans among them.

Everyone, kids and pets too, should be out while we spray and stay out until the foam has cured and the house has been aired out and cleaned. Some foam makers recommend 24 hours before you come back, and that re-entry time, when it's safe to come home, can vary by product, so plan on a night somewhere else. The reason is the vapors, mist and dust during and after spraying, which can cause asthma, lung damage and skin and eye irritation.

Seal off the heating and cooling openings near the area being sprayed, so the system doesn't carry vapors and dust into other rooms. That's standard safety guidance, and it's part of the safety plan we go over before booking, so ask me exactly how we'll close off your vents.

If your ducts and air handler are up in the attic, foam on the underside of the roof deck is usually the best way, because it pulls the attic inside the sealed part of the house so the ducts aren't sitting in summer heat. Foam does cost more, and when the ducts aren't up there, sealing the gaps and topping up loose fill usually gets the job done. I'll tell you which one your house calls for once I've been up there.

The city's Building Inspections Division issues permits for construction projects in Odessa, and its list names new homes, renovations and additions, not spray foam, so ask the division about your job. When foam is part of permitted work, the city's residential checklist asks for paperwork showing the insulation's R-value, so the rated value is on record. When a job needs a permit, we handle it with the city or the county and tell you up front, and we're fully licensed and insured.