Airtight House: Can Spray Foam Make My Colorado House Too Tight?
What do you look for when choosing an insulation material? If you are aiming for the highest R-Value, pick spray foam. Nothing else comes close when it comes to heat-flow resistance. It is also known for sticking close to the walls and creating an airtight barrier. However, some worry that too much of an airtight house might not be desirable. Can spray foam make a house too tight? Let us find out.
Why You Need an Airtight Home with Spray Foam
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Many homeowners have a misconception that an airtight home is problematic. In reality, airtightness is an advantage. Homeowners should aim to create as much of an airtight home as possible. After all, having an airtight barrier helps with the following:
Reduced Levels of Indoor Pollutants
If you keep sneezing or coughing, something may be wrong with your environment. Perhaps there is an unusually high level of indoor pollutants triggering your condition. Pollen, dust, pet dander, and mold spores from the outdoors can get inside through the gaps when you don’t have an airtight home. Spray foam closes these entry points to improve the health of your family. Other strategies include regular vacuum cleaning and air filter replacement.
Avoid Pest Infestation
Air is not the only thing that can pass through small gaps and cracks. Tiny insects can use these to enter your home and make it their permanent habitat. Pests love easy access to food in kitchens. If you leave the dishes unwashed for a long time, you might find the area overrun with flies or cockroaches. Meanwhile, rodents may eat wood, paper, fabrics, and other organic materials. Remember: airtight homes are more likely to be pest-free homes.
Prevent Moisture Inside the Home
Water is the most persistent substance. It can penetrate porous materials and damage property over time. If water gets inside a home, the moisture may create a humid environment that encourages mold growth. Indoor comfort will suffer, forcing people to push their HVAC system for relief. An airtight spray foam insulation will repel water and prevent it from wreaking havoc inside the house.
Eliminate Cold Drafts During Winters
Cold drafts can increase your home heating costs by up to 30%. Imagine your savings once you seal the sources. Imagine how much more comfortable you will be once you stop the drafts. Spray foam can cover the cracks, seams, and other paths across the thermal envelope. Ask a professional to install the insulation for complete coverage. Pros can make the problem can go away overnight. It is important to note that the reverse is also true – an airtight home will keep the cool air from your air conditioner indoors and prevent the hot, humid outdoor air from entering your home.
Eliminate Foul Odors from the Outside
Sometimes our neighbors might engage in projects that produce foul odors, such as house painting and other construction jobs. The last thing you want is your house to smell like the one next door. An airtight seal will minimize this possibility. You can retreat to your room without being bothered by the offensive stench.
Improve Household Efficiency
Gaps along the walls and attic waste energy. They let conditioned air escape unnoticed, forcing the HVAC system to work harder to compensate. Spray foam can seal all the escape routes and increase household energy efficiency. It will reduce monthly expenses and prolong the heating and cooling system’s lifespan by decreasing workload.
The Benefits of Mechanical Ventilation Vs. Natural Ventilation
Now that we established the benefits of an airtight home, we discuss how ventilation works in this closed system. People who say that spray foam can “make a house too tight” usually advocate for natural ventilation. They want air to flow freely around the home. While this might be possible in a few cases, it does not always work because of the several limitations listed above. Mechanical ventilation can step in when natural ventilation fails, and it works well in homes with spray foam insulation.
Air Exchange On-Demand
If you rely purely on the wind, you will forever be at the mercy of nature – unpredictable and temperamental. The wind might rage today yet stay perfectly still tomorrow. It does not care about your needs. You cannot rely on it to provide consistent and adequate airflow. With mechanical ventilation, you can initiate air exchange on-demand. You will always be in control.
Higher Ventilation Efficiency
You can work with experts to ensure high ventilation efficiency, particularly around the areas that need it most. Examples include the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the laundry rooms. Exhaust fans can move moist air outside to keep these areas dry and comfortable. Fresh air can also flow constantly into living spaces, regardless of outdoor conditions.
Better Humidity Control
Consistent mechanical ventilation will also help the structure maintain its integrity. You can avoid property damage from rising moist air. The spray foam prevents humid outdoor air from coming in. Meanwhile, the exhaust fans push moist indoor air outside to maintain ideal levels.
Predictable Airflow
Relying solely on natural ventilation is not advisable. It is too difficult to predict. The wind can blow in any direction, so you cannot ensure which rooms will benefit from it. Designers cannot optimize the interiors when conditions change constantly. Leaving gaps in the walls makes things worse. It is better to seal these off with spray foam. After completing the task, you can use mechanical ventilation to direct airflow across ideal paths.
Why Spray Foam is Ideal for Boosting Your Fort Collins Home’s Energy Efficiency
Brutal winters? Scorching summers? Spray foam will take all of these in stride. With its superior R-Value, your home will be ready to tackle extreme temperatures. It will shield your interiors from wild temperature swings. It will help your HVAC system run smoothly with a lighter load. The airtight seal guarantees that its hard work won’t go to waste. Enjoy higher energy efficiency in your home with spray foam.
Conclusion
Spray foam does not make homes too tight. It works just as intended. The material’s airtight seal provides extra benefits like pest control, draft closure, moisture management, and air quality enhancement. Properly installed spray foam boosts a home’s energy efficiency, which is why it remains one of the most popular insulation solutions. Choose it to reduce energy consumption and lower your bills. Call professional insulation installers today.
Airtight House Fort Collins CO
When creating an airtight seal to improve the thermal envelope of your home, working with a professional insulation company is a great strategy. They can consider all of the necessary factors that will improve efficiency, comfort, and more. Ascend Construction specializes in insulation removal and installation, energy conservation, energy audits, whole house fan installations, and more in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the neighboring areas.
Contact Ascend Construction for a free consultation today. We can provide you with practical solutions to address the problem areas in your Fort Collins home. All of our services are affordable, and our work is guaranteed. Click here to contact us, or click the button below to give Ascend Construction a call. We offer free, no-obligation, in-home consultations.
Ascend Construction
301 S Howes St #1241
Fort Collins CO, 80521
(970) 420-5495