Modern Mississauga presents Ask The Contractor - Is spray foam insulation better than traditional batts?

Modern Mississauga and Marko Furlani of Urbanest Construction have come together to present an ongoing series called “Ask the Contractor.”
Submit your questions to info@modernmississauga.com for Marko to answer

This week’s question is about spray foam insulation from Arthur C.

Is spray foam insulation better than traditional batts?

In construction, the performance of insulation is measured using an R-Value, which refers the thermal resistance. The higher the R-value, the better the performance, which is especially important in climates such as the one we face in Canada. Traditionally fiberglass batt insulation was the go to material for insulating your home, but there are other alternatives to this such as rock wool, which is traditionally used as a fire and sound barrier. In recent years, spray foam insulation has become much more common and affordable.

That being said, we will almost always recommend spray foam insulation as opposed to fiberglass or rock wool batts for two main reasons.

1.       When insulating the traditional way using fiberglass, you require a poly (plastic) vapour barrier in order for the system to perform properly. Using a closed-cell spray foam system, you no longer require the poly barrier. The material seals the cavities , whereas there is a chance for air leaks with batons. 

2.       You are able to achieve a much higher R-value with spray foam in a smaller cavity than you can with batts. For instance, to achieve R-20 in an exterior wall using batons, you would have to use 2x6 framing. To achieve the same value with spray foam, you could get away with 2x4 faming.

The downside to spray foam, is the cost. At roughly $4/sf which is significantly higher than fiberglass. Though, it will pay off in the long run. So when planning your budget, I would strongly recommend making allowance for spray foam.

About Marko Furlani:
I am the President and Creative Director of Urbanest Construction, a turnkey Design-Build renovation company in Mississauga and the Greater Toronto Area. I’m a proud BILD member and RenoMark contractor.
Along with a desire to create unique and custom living spaces, the team and I pride ourselves on helping our clients to love where they live. I’ve been a contractor in the GTA for over 15 years.
I invite you to connect with me on Instagram @urbanestconstruction or email me marko@urbanestconstruction.com