We have all heard that Sprayed Polyurethane Foam Insulation saves you money; today I am going to explain why!
When Spray Foam Insulation is installed in a building correctly it forms a full Air barrier, as well as providing superior insulation (“R”) Value. The benefit to having a tighter sealed home is that all the air that you have paid to heat to a comfortable temperature is no longer escaping through the inevitable cracks and voids in your conventional air barrier.
As you can see from the Pie-Chart above, depicting a conventional fiberglass batt insulated home, the vast majority of air movement takes place through the floors, walls and ceilings. With spray foam insulation this air movement is drastically reduced, and because of spray foam’s excellent air sealing properties, it will also prevent significant air loss from plumbing penetrations, ducts, electrical outlets, basements and many more drafty areas.
Take John Smith for example, the following is a breakdown of John’s costs to insulate his house with fiberglass batt Vs. Spray Foam, and his first years heating and cooling costs:
Initial Installation Cost
| CONVENTIONAL INSULATION | SPRAY FOAM INSULATION |
| TOTAL $3500 | TOTAL $6500 |
As we can see that John’s initial install cost is $3000 more expensive to use Spray Foam Insulation, however, we have to take into account some of the immediate cost savings of using Spray Foam:
- Because SPF is a more effective insulator and air barrier, we can downsize the HVAC system being used by up to 50%- DEDUCT $500 from cost of Spray Foam
- As Spray Foam is an Air Barrier we no longer need to install a conventional air seal to all exterior walls with Poly, tape, caulk, Lesco Boxes Etc.- DEDUCT $400 from cost of Spray Foam
After these deductions the cost difference between conventional insulation and SPF is just $2100.
Heating and Cooling Savings in the First Year With Spray Foam
Below we have a table outlining the cost difference for heating and cooling a house insulated with Conventional methods vs. a home insulated with Sprayed Polyurethane Foam.
| CONVENTIONAL INSULATION | SPRAY FOAM INSULATION |
| TOTAL $3000 | TOTAL $1980 |
TOTAL COST SAVINGS PER YEAR = $1020!
Looking at these figures, John’s investment in spray foam insulation will be paid off and begin paying him back within only two years!
So although the additional cost for spray foam is higher initially, in most cases it will have paid for itself in the first 2-4 years in home energy savings. As you can see, Spray Foam Insulation is the better long term investment in your home!
Want to see a Return On Investment in just 30 DAYS?!– Here’s How:
Add the net cost difference ($2100) of using spray foam to your mortgage or financing.
| Mortgage/Financing Example: | Rate: 4% | Term: 30yrs |
| Cost to finance: | $10/month |
| Cost savings due to Spray Foam: | $1020/12 = $85/month |
| Instant cost savings after financing | $75/month! or $900/year! |
*This document is for general information only. Information may not be from reliable sources and statistics are variable due to house size, region climate, HVAC system and other factors.
