Retrofit spray foam(existing walls)

I am looking for someone who has used retrofit spray foam in walls. I have a client that has an old house with R-13 fiberglass batt insulation. We are planning a small remodel and they have heard of a couple of companies that spray foam into existing walls, similar to retrofit cellulose insulation. All advice is appreciated. Thank you.
Replies
If there is existing fibreglass, how are you going to put foam in?
The guy from retrofoam said there is mixture is so that there is enough expansion to push the fiberglass, yet not enough to bubble the drywall. He would put 2.5 inches of foam to give the wall a R-17/ 18. Also, the method is similar to celluose. He takes a section of siding off towards the middle of the wall, drills a small hole, probes for obstructions, then drill more holes or applies the foam through a small bendable tube.
You are talking with a person with a bad experience with foam. My house was done in late 70's early 80's. I have removed the plaster from several rooms and have had to put out what was installed. It virtually disintergated.
I think that when you can see what is on your walls you are fine. when they foam where you can't see, I can anticipate problems. The site instaqalled foam is at the mercy of the installer.
Just my 2 cents!
"You are talking with a person with a bad experience with foam. My house was done in late 70's early 80's. I have removed the plaster from several rooms and have had to put out what was installed. It virtually disintergated."
You're taking about urea formaldehyde foam insulatin (UFFI). That was banned for use in residential and school applications by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1982.
Riversong HouseWright
Design * * Build * * Renovate * * ConsultSolar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
You are correct Bob, I still don't have confidence in site blown foam.
Welcome back.
I just checked out RetroFoam's website and they have a video of their foam compressing fiberglass bat insulation inside the wall cavity. There's also a dealer location feature. Hope that helps.
I too am interested in what you find out about retro foaming. I have a friend in Iowa that had their walls foamed. They stripped out a band of siding about 2 feet wide around the house so that foam could be sprayed into the wall cavity. The only problem was expanding foam blew out the plaster in part of a kitchen wall. They are very pleased with the result. House is quiet, heating and cooling cost cut by more than half. They figured that the savings in gas and elect will pay for the job in less than ten years. They had the attic done (hot roof) first and then had the walls done.
The above was an open cell foam Icyene(sp?) job. near Des Moines.
RetoFoam seems to be less mess to install. I checked out the RetroFoam website and they seem to be located in Knoxville, TN. Someone here at Breaktime must be from TN and have some knowledge of the company. Anybody out there from TN know anthing about the Polymaster company?
The RetroFoam website makes a number of claims which are patently false.
There is discussion on-line that it contains some formaldeyde, but they don't offer an MSDS sheet (probably for that reason).
Solar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
Well, really, if you are going to put money into new insulation, insulating the ceiling will probably have more real (even sensible) effect. Look at the numbers. You are going from a nominal 13 to a nominal 17-19. But, unless you deal with infiltration and bridging. you will still have drafts and heat loss in some quanity.
The other thing is that, you had best have finished all of the electrical and plumbing changes the exterior walls before foaming them. Really not nice to remember, oh, we needed to run some coax for the flat-screen tv after having filled the walls with the resultinat amalgam of FG & foam.
Polymaster/Retrofoam
Polymaster's products are, in fact, urea formaldehyde foams. These products are not banned in the US (with the exception of a few states), but are banned in Canada. Polymaster sold their Retrofoam product in Canada for several years before authorities discovered that it is illegal to do so, ultimately resulting in Polymaster and others being named as defendants in a $250,000,000 class action lawsuit. Google Retrofoam Class Action Lawsuit to learn more.
Modern-day UFFI foams are very safe and very effective. In some instances, though, they are banned based on antiquated laws from the 1970s-1980s. There are several reputable companies who supply these products in addition to Polymaster. In spite of their slight shrinkage, the chemistry has advanced significantly over the past 40 years. Re-insulating an existing home or a concrete block wall can easily be done with these products with safe, effective results.
FoamGuy