Building Envelope of Mother-In-Law Suite Insulated With Spray Foam

WEBSTER, MN – February 8, 2013 – Mothers-in-law may not always get the best rap, but when a homeowner added a new mother-in-law suite to their existing residence, it received nothing but the star treatment. Acorn Insulation Systems was contacted to apply spray foam to insulate the suite and chose a product with a distinctive, premium-quality to get the job done.

The homeowners had two homes on their property, which included an old farmhouse and the main residence, to which the mother-in-law suite was added. The main house was likely built in the 1980s, according to Matthew Offerdahl, Owner of Acorn Insulation.

Although the original residence did not have spray foam insulation, the owners were aware of the energy and cost-saving benefits of the product and opted for it over fiberglass or cellulose. Acorn chose to use Johns Manville Corbond III 2 lb. closed-cell spray foam to insulate the suite because, according to Offerdahl, it is one of the premium foams available.

"It sprays very clean and has a good pattern," said Offerdahl. "There is virtually no odor and it's one of the only foams rated to almost a three-inch pass, so you can spray more, faster. You can get 5,000 bd. ft. out of a set versus 4,000 bd. ft. with other foams."

Before Acorn could begin their application, they needed to protect the addition's new floors, windows, and doors from overspray. Crewmembers covered the floor with a tarp and put plastic sheeting over the windows and doors. They also placed cardboard at the base of the walls for added protection and protected themselves by wearing fresh air masks while spraying.

Crewmembers applied 3 inches of foam to the exterior walls and 6 inches to the roof deck, which was first sprayed with a flash coat then two passes. Scaffolding and stepladders were used to reach the roof deck.

Acorn used a Gusmer H-2000 Proportioner with a Graco spray gun to apply the foam. Two crewmembers completed the project in only one day in January of 2013. The total spray area including the roof deck and walls was close to 1,600 square feet. Offerdahl reflected on the unique properties of the spray foam during application.

"It looks like roofing foam, it's almost perfectly flat," he said.

According to Offerdahl, the homeowners are very pleased with the new insulation and may ask Acorn to return to insulate the rest of the main house as well.

"The main residence has a low-pitched roof in the attic," he added. "They are thinking about removing their existing cellulose insulation and having us apply spray foam instead."

About Acorn Insulation LLC: Acorn Insulation is an experienced spray foam insulation contractor experienced in commercial, residential, industrial, and agricultural applications. They offer insulation and removal of blown and batted insulation. For more information about Acorn Insulation, please use the contact details and links provided below.