Frequently Asked Questions

National guides put installed spray foam at about $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot, with closed cell costing more than open cell, and many companies have a job minimum of $1,000 to $2,000. What you pay depends on the area, foam type, thickness and prep. We measure and give you a written price.

Not with standard open or closed-cell foam, which expands too fast and can bow drywall or plaster. Closed walls are usually filled with dense-pack cellulose through small holes, or with an injection foam made for that purpose. Open walls during a remodel can take spray foam directly.

For rim joists and below-grade walls, closed cell is the usual choice because it resists moisture and acts as its own vapor retarder at about 2 inches. Open cell can trap moisture against cold concrete. Basement foam also needs a covering such as drywall where code requires a thermal barrier.

Plan on staying out of the spray area during the work and for about 24 hours after, and longer if the manufacturer's instructions call for it. We ventilate the space and tell you when it is safe to return.

The 2015-based Michigan energy code calls for R-38 ceilings in Climate Zone 5, which includes the Lansing area. ENERGY STAR recommends R-60 for an uninsulated attic and R-49 when you are adding to 3 to 4 inches already there. A 2021-based code update with R-60 ceilings has been paused in court, so check with your building department.

Consumers Energy publishes an insulation rebate chart covering attics, walls, basements, crawl spaces and rim joists, with a December 31 application deadline for the listed amounts. The Lansing Board of Water & Light lists insulation and air sealing rebates of up to $100 when performance standards are met. Confirm the current terms with your utility before work starts.

It pays off most where air leakage is high and space is tight: rim joists, cathedral ceilings, rooms over garages, basement walls and metal buildings. On an open attic floor, sealing gaps and blowing in cellulose often gives similar comfort for less. We will tell you which applies to your house.

Closed-cell foam at about 2 inches or more acts as its own vapor retarder, so it usually does not need a separate sheet. Open-cell foam is vapor-permeable, so in cold climates it may need a vapor retarder coating on the warm side depending on where it is used.

No. Foam has to bond to clean, dry framing or sheathing. Old batts or loose fill in the way come out first, which is why removal is sometimes part of a foam quote.

Each product lists a minimum surface and air temperature, and winter work in unheated attics, garages or pole barns sometimes needs temporary heat. We plan the date around it.

In living spaces, basements and garages, codes generally require foam to be covered with an approved thermal barrier such as drywall, or use a product rated for exposure. Attics and crawl spaces have their own rules. We explain what applies before we start.

Under the 2015-based Michigan energy code, new ceilings in Climate Zone 5 need R-38. A 2021-based update that raises that to R-60 was paused by the Michigan Court of Claims in 2025, so ask your building department which applies. For existing homes, ENERGY STAR recommends R-49 to R-60 here.

Insulation helps, but most ice dams come from warm air leaking into the attic and melting snow on the roof. Sealing those leaks and keeping soffit vents open does more than depth alone.

Usually not, if it is dry and clean. New fill can go on top after sealing. Wet, moldy, rodent-soiled insulation, or old vermiculite that needs testing, is a different story.

Its rebate chart lists attic insulation rebates by final R-value with a 500 square foot minimum, and a December 31 deadline for the listed amounts. Check the current chart before you schedule.

It is one of the cheapest, most noticeable upgrades in an older basement. The rim is thin, exposed to outside air and full of gaps, and sealing it often makes the floor above feel warmer right away.

Cut-and-cobbled foam board works if every edge is sealed with canned foam, but it is slow and easy to miss gaps. Closed-cell spray foam seals and insulates in one pass and fills around wires and pipes.

Usually yes, if the crawl walls get insulated and the ground gets a vapor barrier, so the crawl stays dry and close to house temperature. Vented crawls with floor insulation tend to stay damp. We check for water and combustion appliances before recommending it.

Foam does not fix water coming through the wall. Leaks, poor grading or missing gutters need to be addressed first. Once the wall is dry, closed-cell foam helps keep it that way by stopping condensation.

Standard spray foam is not used in closed walls because it expands with enough force to bow plaster or drywall and can leave voids. Closed walls are filled with dense-pack cellulose or, in some cases, an injection foam designed for it.

It depends on the siding and finish. On houses with lap siding we can often lift a course and drill underneath. On brick or where the siding cannot be lifted, we drill from inside and patch.

Many older Lansing-area homes still have some. Insulation should not surround active knob-and-tube until an electrician has evaluated or replaced it. We check before we quote.

In a sound wall, dense-pack cellulose handles moisture well. If siding, flashing or gutters are letting water in, that has to be fixed first or any insulation will get wet.

For a building you heat, walls and roof usually get 2 to 3 inches or more of closed cell. To stop drip in an unheated building, a thinner roof coat can work. We size it to how you use the building.

Yes. Condensation forms when warm, humid air hits cold steel. Closed-cell foam bonded to the steel keeps that air off the metal, so the drip stops.

Usually not. Foam needs to bond to steel or framing. Loose wrap or foil often has to come off or be cut back first. We look before quoting.

Yes, with temporary heat to bring the steel and air up to the product's minimum temperature. That adds time and cost, which we include in the quote.

Not if it is dry, clean and not in the way. Removal is for insulation that is wet, moldy, rodent-soiled or damaged, or when it blocks air sealing that needs to happen.

Yes for most jobs, since the vacuum runs outside and the work area is closed off. The exception is any material that needs testing, which we will not disturb.

Leave it alone and have it tested. If it contains asbestos, a licensed abatement contractor must remove it before insulation work.

Yes, but it has to be cut or scraped off by hand, which is slow. Expect it to cost more per square foot than loose fill removal.