Was dead set against spray foam insulation until my electric bill proved me wrong

I fought my contractor for weeks about going with traditional fiberglass in my Tucson place. Kept saying spray foam was overhyped and overpriced for our dry climate. After 6 months my July cooling bill was $87 compared to $220 last summer at my old house with the same square footage. Has anyone else here changed their mind on a desert home product after seeing the actual numbers?

3 comments

3 Comments

iris_schmidt7d ago

Oh man, I had the exact opposite problem with closed-cell foam in my garage. Made the place smell like a chemistry lab for three months.

stella_scott967d ago

Three months is rough. I think I would have just set the whole garage on fire after that first week. Closed cell foam is great for insulation but whoever invented the smell should have to live in a room full of it for a year. My brother tried the DIY spray kit once and his wife made him sleep in the shed for two nights. At least you got a free science experiment out of it maybe you can start a cologne line called "Eau de Garage." Some people pay extra for that new car smell, you had new chemical lab smell instead.

aaron8807d ago

My buddy tried that DIY spray foam kit in his attic and ended up having to rip it all out because he missed a spot and it expanded wrong. Ended up costing him three times what paying a pro would have. I guess I got lucky with my contractor pushing me into the closed cell stuff cause at least they had the ventilation dialed in. Still makes me feel like a fool every time I look at my low electric bill though.