Closed Cell Foam Attic Insulation Problems

Insulating with spray foam insulation at the roof line will cause moisture problems with the roof sheathing.
Closed cell foam attic insulation problems. A lot of builders and homeowners are going with spray foam insulation because of the airtightness benefits but then the questioner mentioned that the spray foam contractor had intentionally left big holes to the outside by not sealing the gable vents. The poor application of spray foam insulation by an untrained or unlicensed contractor can lead to several problems according to fine home building. It is the best for mold prevention. Choosing a closed cell spray foam insulation can reduce the noise pollution that exists outside while adding strength to your overall structure.
Choose open cell spray foam when insulating roofs since closed cell foam can trap water from a leaking roof damaging the framing material and roof sheathing. Moisture from the attic another possiblity is that the moisture is infiltrating into the attic from outdoors. Our builders encouraged closed cell spray foam as it is the best r factor per inch of insulation. Over time trapped moisture can cause serious problems.
The attic is much warmer than outdoors in winter but significantly cooler than the living space if you leave the old insulation in the attic floor. The problem you saw with the closed cell foam pulling away like that is due to the heat of the foam was to hot. Earlier this year i got a question about a home that had spray foam insulation in the attic. The american lung association also recommends it for a different reason.
It is possible for spray foam to add up to 250 racking strength to your roof or walls when the product receives a correct installation. We live in minneapolis so we really care about that. It is not however the first solution. Nothing unusual about that.
Removing the attic floor insulation will solve this problem. That makes the surface of the spray foam cooler possibly even below the dew point. We have some evidence from the field that that s not it and if it were the problem closed cell spray foam would rot out the osb even faster. It was actually curing out and making foam before it could adhere to the wood.
The installer wasn t reading his foam correctly. In an unvented attic scenario to limit air leakage as well as any associated condensation at the roof line a continuous air barrier is required.