Spray Foam Vet Lends Expertise to Challenging Project

 MASSILLON, OH - February 13, 2012 - Last year, Dennis Davidson of Mid-America Coating Systems took on a project that most other contractors would have rejected. 

“Another contractor literally walked away from the job, saying it was impossible,” recalled Davidson.

The task? Spraying foam onto the attic floor of the Louisville Church in Louisville, Ohio. The 157-year-old church, still being utilized as a regular place of worship, is on the National Register of Historic Buildings. It boasts a stunning arched ceiling that rests 45-60 feet above the church floor, depending on where one is standing. 

Sounds like a pretty interesting project so far, right? However, just like the ceiling, the attic floor was completely arched and had no prior insulation. Church proprietors were very concerned about the safety issues of the attic, considering a fall through meant a plummet of up to 60 feet.  The tricky nature of the substrate called for both applicator expertise and creativity. 

“90% of the floor up in the attic was arches,” said Davidson. “It definitely presented a challenge, but we seem to end up with a lot of the tough projects that nobody else wants.”

But he doesn’t mind the challenge; in fact, he most likely thrives on it. Davidson has over 30 years of experience in the spray foam industry as a 2nd generation contractor. He grew up in the world of SPF: his father, Dave, was an industry pioneer in the early 1960s. Dave was one of the first applicators in the country, and went on to become an influential trainer, distributor and equipment developer. 

Dennis Davidson has won numerous awards for his work over the years, and his extensive background in spray foam is almost something of a heritage. “My father helped start this industry, he passed it along, and it’s a tradition I take pride in,” he said. 

When presented with the conundrum at the Louisville Church, Davidson determined that the attic could be foamed with a combination of closed cell foam and spray cellulose insulation. A team of four installed 4 1/2 inches of closed-cell, after which it was safe to walk on the substrate. Afterwards, the team sprayed 2 inches of spray cellulose over the 12,700 square feet of attic space, which also provided a fire-resistant barrier. 

Furthermore, the church had two bell towers, which they had to climb down into to spray the floor and walls. The bell towers were about 25 feet lower than the attic floors. In total, 57,000 bf of foam and 24,500 bf of cellulose was used on the project. 

The team worked for 15 days, which were spread out over a period of time because, due to church services the applicators were restricted to three-day weeks. Also, because the church was active, the team was not permitted  to bring their hoses inside the church. Rather, they had to drag both of the hoses 50 feet up the outside wall and into a single opening in the attic. Despite the hurdles, the successful completion of the project will keep this historical landmark open for worship for many more years in the future. 

“Creating solutions in unique application situations is what will keep the industry moving forward,” Davidson said. 

Visit the photo gallery above to look at photos of the project as it progressed. 

About Mid-America Coating Systems:

Dennis Davidson serves at President of Mid-America Coating Systems, a spray foam roofing and insulation, spray cellulose insulation, and polyurea coatings contracting firm based out of Massillon, Ohio. Davidson is a 2nd generation contractor with over 30 years of experience in the field. To learn more, please visit the links listed below.