Big Bucks in Spray Foam

Spring 2020 – Spray Foam Magazine – Spray Foam is turning up in some of the most unusual places these days. We, here at Spray Foam Magazine, find it fascinating to seek out these unique spray foam applications and the interesting stories behind them.

With the rising growth of this industry, we are seeing more and more spray foam used in a wide variety of construction projects. More than ever, people are becoming more dialed in to sustainable and environmentally friendly products not to mention energy conservation, making spray foam the number one choice among contractors for virtually any and every project large or small, typical or unusual.

Ron Fetzer, owner of Spray All located in Strongstown, Pennsylvania owns a painting company. About three years ago, Ron felt the desire to diversify his business because he was “getting a little board and needed something different to do.” So, after doing some research in the construction industry and hearing some good things about spray foam in business circles, Ron decided to start a spray foam business and has been extremely happy ever since. He certainly broke up his routine, but most importantly, it proved to be a profitable venture and one that he truly enjoys.  

Ron’s most recent project is quite a non-typical one for sure and one that he says is “exciting to be a part of.” Spray foaming buildings for a popular network TV show just doesn’t happen every day. Ron is currently in the final stages of foaming a shooting shack for a hunting TV show. Yes, a shooting shack, which will be located on a 3500-acre tract of hunting land in Mahaffey, PA. Jerry Tibbott is the owner and the producer of the popular TV show, The Bearded Buck, that airs on The Sportsman Channel.

The Bearded Buck, affectionately named after Jerry and his family’s passion for deer and turkey hunting, is currently filming their fifth season. “My family and friends spend a lot of time hunting deer and turkey (hence the name, The Bearded Buck) and then filming our experiences along the way and one thing just led to another. Before we knew it, we had our own TV show!” Tibbott says, “It’s about so much more than just the trigger pull, it’s about camaraderie, sitting around rehashing the day’s events together, and enjoying time with family and friends.” After speaking with Jerry Tibbott, we also learned that it really is more than a hunting show to him. He and his crew are dedicated to conservation, safety, ethics, and education. He states, “We are ethical habitat managers. Our name might be on the deed, but we are really just stewards of the land and it is important to us to turn it over to the next generation better than we found it.”  

As the show continues to grow in popularity, Jerry continues to expand. When asked specifically about spray foam, Jerry shared that he has built, not only his home, but also a lodge that was converted to a filming studio, an office building, and two new buildings that are currently under construction. One of the projects in the works and almost complete is the shooting shack. “We needed a comfortable place to site in our guns free from the elements and especially the wind — the ultimate four season shooting house — so I drew up the design.” When the contractor, Steve Misner, Jr. asked Jerry if he wanted this building spray foamed also, he said, “absolutely, by all means.” Jerry stated, “I’ve used it in my home and every building on my property, so I’ve been able to experience the benefits of using spray foam. It may cost a little more up front, but I won’t have to worry about it 20 years down the road. It definitely makes everything more energy efficient and the added sound proofing is a big deal to us when we are filming segments of the show indoors.”  

The general contractor on the job was Steve Misner, Jr., who built the shooting shack entirely off site inside his own personal workshop next to his home due to the extremely cold weather. As he completed each section, he called Ron Fetzer to come over and spray foam each section. Upon completion of the job, a shed moving company will transport the shooting shack to its new home in Mahaffey to be used for the show, The Bearded Buck. The shooting shack has only one small electric heater, so the addition of spray foam will help keep temperatures warm and cozy while the guys get their guns primed for a big day of hunting.

The job was specified by Ron Fetzer’s recommendation. He sprayed the walls, attic, crawl space, underside of roof and floors. This was done in order to seal the envelope by cutting down on wind infiltration and keeping warmth in while cutting the cost of heating. Because of the commercial use of this type of structure no code requirements had to be met. The total spray area was 700 square feet sprayed two-and-a-half inches thick and Ron chose Lapolla 4G Closed Cell as his “go to” brand of foam. “I’ve been using it for three years now and I prefer this brand due to its ease of use and the fact that it is more friendly to the environment due to its Honeywell Solstice blowing agent. A lot of architects spec this brand of foam, and I’ve been happy with it.” 

While completing this job, Ron wore a full spray suit, latex gloves, cotton gloves, fresh air with full mask respirator. His equipment of choice was a Graco 2 E30 and Graco CS Fusion gun. Ron is very happy with the results of spray foam and added that he spray foamed his own personal shop that has no AC or heat, and, in the summer, temperatures never get above 74 degrees F and it has yet to drop below freezing during the winter.

The next building that is underway and will also be spray foamed is a 6500-square-foot conference center for The Bearded Buck show and Ron Fetzer will be on hand to get the spray foam job done. The installer, contractor, and customer, Ron, Steve, and Jerry have all formed a mutually beneficial business relationship and friendship due to the opportunities that spray foam offers. In closing, Ron shared, “Sometimes you have challenging projects or, in this case, an easy one. No matter what the challenge may be, we take pride in knowing we help our customers make the right choice for their insulation. Whether it may be for their comfort, energy savings, or peace of mind knowing they used the very best for their homes, spray foam is the best choice. Ron Fetzer and his company, Spray All, is leading the way in Pennsylvania.