Before you even start insulating, always make sure you’re ready and safe use of Install Spray Foam. Use these five tips to stay healthy and deal with the messiness of the installation process.
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1. Safety Goggles and high-quality respirators are required
All of our polyurethane forms require respiratory equipment. Please use one of the following:
- A respirator that is NIOSH approved and provides protection against chemical fumes. It also has organic vapor cartridges and particulate prefilters.
- A powered air-purifying respirator that is NIOSH approved with an organic vapor cartridge
The use of a pair of high-quality protective goggles is required to ensure the eyes are properly protected from any particles in the air.
2. Protective gear for your body
Spray foam insulation is designed to be ready for immediate use and is engineered to expand. Make sure that you don’t leave any exposed skin on the exterior of the space you’re insulating.
You should always wear disposable coveralls to ensure nothing gets on your skin. You can’t see the mist, but it also goes into the air, so you should never skimp on your protective wear.
When you can, use coveralls with attached hoods. What’s more, they not only protect your clothes from spills but also your face and head from particles. Ideally, the only skin that should show is from your arms to your hands
When it comes to using gloves, sometimes disposable surgical gloves are preferable, but here’s a tip that pros use: tape your gloves to the sleeves of your shirt. This will keep everything in place and ensure no foam touches your wrists or arms.
3. Workspace Preparation
Be sure that everyone who is not wearing proper protection (as outlined above) has left or is a safe distance from where you’re spraying the product before working. It doesn’t matter if they’re far enough away from where you work as long as they are still in the building.
The safest place when spraying is outside the building.
Make sure you’re in a well-ventilated area while using products. If this is not possible, then we recommend that you add mechanical ventilation or wear an air-purifying respirator.
Ensure all outlets and other surfaces are covered – the foam can be difficult to remove from some materials.
To avoid problems, make sure the surface you’re going to spray isn’t wet. Don’t do it with a moisture rating of more than 20%. If this is the case, use a normal foaming agent in these cases.
If you haven’t gotten one already, it’s worth investing in a moisture meter. It will help you fight mold and mildew so that your home is always healthy, dry & comfortable
When you’re sure your workplace is properly prepared and all other people are away, you can start to apply the insulation.
4. Spraying needs a plan beforehand
Both you and your clients are benefitting from this plan, so for their sake please stick with it!
You need to tell your clients about when it’s safe for them to re-occupy their home after you’ve done insulation work, or let other workers know when they can go back into the house after they’ve finished their jobs.
The EPA recommends that unprotected workers wait 24 hours before they re-enter the area.
In order to get the perfect finish, you should always test the foam before applying it to walls.
To make sure your tanks are at the correct temperature (75-85F), point the gun into an empty box or bag and give it a spray, to make sure all the chemicals are coming out evenly and the foam is expanding properly.
We realize it can sometimes be tricky to know when you need to change the foam tip. If you’ve been spraying for more than 30 seconds, any foam that builds up in the tip and clog up the nozzle will mean that it has lost its effectiveness and you should change it.
5. Apply the spray correctly with those tips
When spraying the insulation foam in a wall cavity, don’t fill it completely. Doing this can result in poor performance and leave you disappointed.
Instead, coat the edges of the cavity (a 1/2 inch thick layer) with insulation. Doing this will cause it to expand and fill any gaps between studs and sheathing.
When you spray foam insulation, if you cover the gap between the studs and sheathing right away with more insulation then you can actually help to displace sheathing that is not properly secured.
Make sure to spray the edges of the wall first and then gradually move your way towards the center as you’re spraying. The foam absorbs less liquid as it expands so if you start from the edges & work down, you’ll have a more even application with less pressure on your sheathing.
If you need to add more layers of insulation, it’s important to wait a few minutes after applying the first layer before adding any more. Applying another coat of foam onto uncured foam may not result in the expected R-value.
A thick-looking lift can happen if you apply too much. Make sure your height increase is as thin as possible – two inches is the maximum.
6. Precautions are always the best solution
To keep yourself safe, always prepare for your work environment before spraying. Double-check that everyone not wearing protective care is out of the house & anyone inside has proper protection. Be sure to have a plan of what you want to do before you start spraying. And if you still need help hand, reach out to SprayFoamInsulationToday.com.