Insulation

There has been more progress this week, both inside and outside the house.  The roofers are completing the trim work around most of the house while waiting for the stone masons to complete that portion of their work that is adjacent to the roof.  They have already finished one fireplace chimney and are busily bricking a half wall on the north end.  They will need to acid wash those features before the roofers can continue there.

Inside the house, the foam insulation is beginning to be sprayed.  The interior wall of the garage had to be covered with sheetrock so the house could be insulated there.  Portions of the garage ceiling (which also forms the Bonus Room floors above) will be sprayed too.

The process is interesting and quick.  A large equipment trailer is parked outside.  All the chemicals necessary to form the foam are housed in separate barrels.  A gasoline powered pump pressurizes the flexible lines as well as an air hose and all those fluids are conveyed into the house through a large tube.  


Each wall is prepared by taping over the electrical outlets and by covering the windows and doors with plastic.  The floor is also covered to protect against over-spray and to make the cleanup easier.
 
After all the wires in the walls are secured in place the insulator, dressed in a hood and protective clothing much like a HazMat Team member, begins applying the chemicals in a fine mist.  

Within seconds of the two chemicals being applied a reaction takes place.  The foam turns light yellow and expands to hundreds of times its original thickness.  What was initially a wet coating a fraction of an inch thick quickly grows to a dry foam 3 or 4 inches thick.  Then the insulator inspects his work and applies more foam where needed.
 
He doesn't seem too concerned with how large some of the blisters grow.  They fill every void and overflow into the room.  Even the wall beneath the bathtub is foamed because it would be a source of heat transfer.

That portion of the attic which could be easily reached from a portable scaffold was also sprayed.  Within the next day or two the entire roof will be coated.  I have been told the temperature in the attic will probably only differ from the main part of the house by a few degrees.

After a room or two had the chance to fully set, the studs were exposed again by shaving off the excess foam.

Here is the front bedroom after being sprayed, but before shaving off the excess.

And here is the same room an hour later with the excess foam removed.

  




Next, here are some photos of the stone and brick combination.  I was a little concerned the stone would prove to be too gray and not compliment the brick we chose.  But like so many other decisions we have made, we love the way they work together.

 Finally, we decided to have some fun within the walls of our own home.