The Snowman Cometh

I don't think the insulation contractor made much money on this job....

His experienced sprayer guy was not willing to drive out here, because he would have to go through a Border Patrol checkpoint on his way back.  I'll let you draw your own conclusions about that...

Instead, we got a guy who was used to using a different product, different equipment, and in an entirely different application.  I have a feeling this was the first house he ever sprayed foam in..

Spray foam insulation is a great alternative to that pink fiberglass stuff.  Once in place, it stays there, and it completely seals air leakage as well as heat transfer through the walls.  This makes it much more effective, since it doesn't do much good to put a blanket on the house if cold air is sneaking in the cracks.

Also, by using this foam, which swells several times in size and then sets up like styrofoam, we could put the insulation directly under the roof instead of the attic floor, where most folks insulate.  The benefit of that is that the attic is also insulated, and I won't have a hot box over my head all summer.

At first, it looked pretty tidy, but that insulation has to completely fill the wall cavity, the full depth of the studs.

I pointed that out to SprayMan.

Even more so with the roof deck.  I said "Dude, up there it's supposed to be an inch thicker than the rafters.  We shouldn't be seeing rafters peeking through the foam.

So... he filled the cavities.  Big time.

Hoo boy!  Snow cave!

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Bless his heart though, he even shot foam under the cast iron bathtub, which will help keep the water hot for those long winter baths

The roof deck eventually got a luxurious coating.  The boss had to drive another drum of foam out here from 80 miles away late Friday evening.

You can see how thick it is where he carved out around the chimney.

The actual ceiling drywall will attach to those lower rafters, so you won't see any of the foam.

After a couple of days, SprayMan went away.  The picture at left is to show time passing. Have I mentioned that I love me some flapjacks?

The poor underpaid assistant (and his assistant) came back on Saturday to trim.  He uses a long saw blade to cut off all the excess foam that swelled up beyond the studs.  Obviously it has to be flat so they can install drywall.

And boy did he trim!

 

This is why I said I don't think he made much money on the job.  They hauled away almost as much as they left in the walls! Plus, it was supposed to be a one day job that turned into a three day job.  Oh well.  It didn't cost me any extra.  

The walls are all trimmed now, and they cleaned up all their mess, so drywall can begin this week.

Siding has been delivered!

Huge stack of drywall in the middle of the living room.

They were supposed to be done, so 70 sheets of drywall got delivered right in the middle of foaming!

There will also be another crew here hanging siding on the outside, while the drywallers are working inside, so there should be lots to report next time.

Stay tuned!