At Maryland Home Show, Experts Recommend Spray Foam for Remodel Projects

New home sales in the U.S. are still suffering from the financial crisis and housing contraction that brought the U.S. economy to its knees. Instead of buying new homes, homeowners are looking to fix up their current places. At the 26th annual Home Show this past weekend in Maryland, exhibitors said there was a considerable amount of interest amongst consumers for energy-efficient remodeling.

The Herald-Mail reports that remodelers in attendance at the home show said it attracted homeowners who were looking to make adjustments to their houses, but weren't ready to commit to moving. Many of the show's attendees asked about how to perform energy efficiency upgrades to their homes, said Tim Fields, the chairman of the Home Builder's Association.

"It's all about the home," Fields said. Remodelers at the fair recommended using spray foam for the efficiency upgrades. "We're definitely seeing a lot of interest, and as of right now, it's still a very small segment of the insulation market in the U.S., but it's growing by leaps and bounds," said Tri-State Builders owner Titus Martin. "Everybody is tired of high energy bills."

Spray foam, Martin and other experts agree, is the perfect solution for a homeowner looking to cut utility costs. If a home is completely insulated with spray foam instead of traditional insulation, the savings could be up to 60 percent, Martin asserts. He has performed a large number of renovations on homes in the area and he said that updating a home with spray foam could produce savings of 30 percent on utility bills within the first year.

The market for homes in the U.S. is so depressed that some analysts contend it could take another four to five years for it to pick up again; in the interim, home makeover projects have surged in popularity. "There's more people washing houses than building them," Fields said of the current housing contraction.

David Clugston, the chief executive of J&D Kitchen Distributors, told the newspaper he has seen "pent-up demand" from homeowners interested in remodeling projects. Whenever it is a question of improving energy efficiency, he recommends spray foam. By using spray foam to insulate a home, you're increasing the value of your home for the future when you do sell, Clugston affirms.

Spray foam retrofits are quick to finish and though they cost more than standard insulation in the short-term, they produce tangible benefits in the long-term, including reduced utility costs and increased value to the home.