Prepping for Spray Foam

Installing spray-foam insulation is all about the prep work. Because North Carolina builder and designer Michael Chandler has been using spray-foam insulation in all the houses he has built for the past four years, he has learned to navigate the process. His first order of business usually involves getting clearance from building officials and inspectors, who sometimes are unfamiliar with the spray-foam process and might have concerns about ventilation and fire safety. Next, he installs extra backing and blocking to get the framing ready for the spray-foam installation. Because the spray foam sticks to everything, Chandler keeps plenty of crew members and drop cloths available to monitor the installation. Chandler suggests checking the foam with a depth gauge to make sure that the proper amount of foam has been installed. Finally, he advises that a spray-foam installation may require the use of a trailer-mounted generator.