just got a quote for spraying the underside of the roof deck (2×6 rafters, but only 3” depth of foam for R21) and the 2×4 stud walls, 2″ deep-R14, for my workshop. generously, total roof area is about 1000 sq ft @ 3″ deep, and walls are about 900 sq ft @ 2″ deep. so figure about 4800 sq ft @ 1″ of polyisourethane.
any guesses for the asheville, nc area? anybody?
m
Replies
between $1680.00 and $2500.00
let's just say you're in no danger of violating the rule against your guess going over the actual quote... anybody else care to take a shot?
m
$9,600 +/- ? Can't remember what I paid per sf only total for whole house.
Edited 8/10/2005 3:48 pm ET by arrowpov
it was $7100. we're talking about just one big open room, absolutely no difficult access of any kind whatsoever, they can park the truck right next to the bldg and work through a garage door if they want, 200a panel right there for their eqpt, etc. when i asked the guy how long he thought it would take, he said, "one day, easy."
just how freakin expensive is the overhead (eqpt, insurance, etc) for this sort of work, plus foam, that they can charge- calculated generously at 8 hrs- almost $900/hr???!!! i could quite literally do the job cheaper- with probably the same coverage- with a thousand cans of expandofoam.
should i be looking more seriously at an extremely lucrative business opportunity?
m
and ps- about a year ago i had a conversation with a guy who does icynene, who without actually seeing the site, told me i'd be looking at $1,500-$2,000. so much for the notion that urethane may be cheaper- sure as he!! not around these here parts.
I install Icynene in northern Illinois and am willing to drive to your town for that price.... ok maybe not. unless your with in a 6 hr drive!!!!
Good luck with your project!!!
Edited 8/12/2005 12:18 am ET by FoamMan
Here in Austin Tx. I pay 85 cents per board foot for two pound rigid foam. My applicator charges around $1.10 per board foot retail. This is today's price. It sounds like you're being overcharged. My applicator's product comes from NC so shipping costs to him are higher than to the guy you're talking to.
Edited 8/12/2005 11:36 am ET by RayMoore2G
"I pay 85 cents per board foot for two pound rigid foam. My applicator charges around $1.10 per board foot retail. "
doesn't that work out to about $2/inch/sq ft? or for my shop, about $9600 total? or did i misinterpret your numbers somehow?
anyway, my main point is that while i don't question the fact that it is superior insulation, even if saved me $30/mo on heat & cool (it won't, btw) over say fiberglass batts and a ceiling blow job- which i can do myself for probably less than $1000- @$360/yr (once again, way more than actual savings), it'll take 17 years to recoup my initial investment. in other words, parking that 6 grand in a decent fund somewhere would almost certainly be a better bet over that period.
i'm thinking either the local supplier has all the work he can handle, or what is more likely- given his stated ability to start the job in less than a week- he's trying to make up for a lack of work by really putting it to a few suckers. who knows?
m
thanks for the suggestion, but it looks like tigerfoam would still run about $5500 plus shipping. and no, the installer i got the quote from is in asheville, about 3 hrs west of greensboro on I-40.
m
TigerFoam.com will probably cut you a quantity discount if you call them. They offered me the discount [for doing my house in tigerFoam].
Roger <><
FYI, I just found TigerFoam on Ebay. They're selling 5 or 7 600bf paks for $2950 (5) or $4130 (7). At least that's how I read the starting bid price.
What it means is that I would pay 4100$ for it. I would also downsize the equipment due to the superior performance and that would help pay the difference in insulation cost. There is an issue of moisture performance as well and durability of the structure could come into play. Best of luck with your project.
Ray
Try Tigerfoam.com . They sell a DIY poly.foam kit. I'm considering it for my home. BTW does the company you got the quote from work in the Greensboro NC area, (I'm .5 hours north of there)?
Another do-it-yourself foam application web site.http://www.fomo.com/about.html
Fomo Foam and Tiger foam are the same company, Tiger Foam is the in-house product. $1.00/bd ft.
Mitch you're in luck. A large foam manufacturer is in NC. goto http://www.NCFI.com and contact them and ask for applicators in your area.I spray foam and for the 2 lb I think $4400 +/- is the market price.Stu
actually, not so lucky- NCFI is where i got the local installer's name. and all things considered, anything over a couple grand or so for insulation is really more than this project warrants. we don't plan on staying in this house forever, and depending on several factors, maybe only another few years. if anything, this workshop is really just a prototype for the future dream shop. (hopefully, someday a prospective buyer will consider it their dream shop, though)
m
Hate to say it but it just goes to show that all this glowing talk about superior technologies doesn't always pan out...
In the real world, if I were to tell a customer you can have a marble foyer, granite counter tops, and upgrade to 7" crown molding or have great insulation what do you think they would say... I'm just stuck working with regular people though...
Maybe a good compromise between foam and fiberglass would be cellulose?
i'm mulling over my options- i just can't see spending $1000 more on insulation than the entire hvac system cost me. carrier heat pump with ac, two guys- 3 1/2 days to install, air handler in attic, condenser outside, ductwork, etc, vs. one guy blasting industrial strength silly string for a day. i know things cost what they cost, but somehow i'm just not comfortable with this comparison.
and i'm not arguing that the foam job is a superior way to go if you want/can afford/don't mind paying for the rolls royce of insulation. i'm just saying my personal cost/benefit analysis says it's way too expensive for my needs- by about 3.5x. i'm the kind of guy who usually works by the motto, "it ain't built, til it's overbuilt.", but even i have my limits.
m
My post should have been adressed "all" instead of you specifically... It was more of a general comment rather than specific to your situation.
I like the belt and suspendors approach too but as you say, there are limits...
Considering what some of these foam-jokers in Asheville are asking for (same here in the Atlanta area) one would find it difficult to not consider SIP construction for new construction projects. That being said, want to tear down that garage and rebuild using SIP?
I know those guys in Asheville personally. They're nice guys, do good work, and are complete professionals. I doubt they'd appreciate being called "jokers".
I'm talking in general, Cloud. I am not talking about someone specifically. Its always a case "if the show fits ..." so they should be upset unless they feel guilty or I point them out specifically.
Yeah, right. Asheville foamers in general, then, accept your apology for calling them jokers when you don't know a damn thing about them.
Mitch, was it Allied? Nice guys, and probably more demand than supply.
For icynene, try HBS Foam (hbsfoam.com) out of Spartenburg. Ask for Phil Holt. Drop my name...he's been to the house.
Remember that foam uses petroleum and will be somewhat elastic with regards to oil prices. The foam in my house came from NCFI up in Mt Airy. But that was 98, so prices from then aren't much help, huh?
Hey...you know any good trim carps or door hangers around here. I _need_ one. Had one lined up and he went and broke his leg last week. Separately I busted a coupla toes and don't get around real good. Need to get some stuff done sooner rather than later and have run out of names to call. Also, know a good pipe-fitter? I'm welding up a compound curve railing of 1 5/8 pipe, and the angled cuts are driving me nuts.
Tiger Foam or Fomo Foam, $1.00/bd ft for material. Not a difficult DIY to do. Just finished my third job. Great insulation!
yeah jim, it was allied that quoted 7 g's. nice guy- also named phil, btw- but just waaaaay more than this job warrants in this climate. i have a call in to phil holt at HBS, haven't heard back yet. i had his card from a home show at the civic center a year or two ago and was wondering if you knew him.
there's another outfit doing urethane foam around here now- Wingate insulation & drywall. apparently he's a brother of a guy with Haywood Builders (Const.?) which is where NCFI directed me first. they sent a couple guys out, but i haven't heard anything yet- don't really expect it to be a third of allied's price though...
i'm afraid i don't know any people in the trades you need- we haven't been here long enough to have had much of anything done. if we were in denver, i could've given you a list as long as your arm, but here i'm pretty much stuck with the yellow pages.
i hope you at least broke the toes doing something fun?
m