Drafty rooms, a hot upstairs or a cold room over the garage? I'll look first, then we seal the spots where open-cell foam belongs.
Open-cell foam insulation is a soft spray foam we apply in Carson City attics, rooflines and walls, and it expands into every gap, so it stops drafts and slows heat in the same pass.
J&K Carson City Spray Foam Insulation is based in Carson City and works across the cities around it, from Reno and Sparks down to Gardnerville and up to Incline Village. Most of our calls start with a drafty house, a hot upstairs or a cold room over the garage, and open cell is one of the better ways to stop that air, as long as it's going in the right spot.
The price comes down to how many square feet we're spraying, how thick the foam goes, whether old insulation has to come out first and how easy the space is to get into. The schedule mostly turns on that prep and on the time you'll spend out of the house while the foam cures, and my estimate gives you the plan and the number for your own house.
You call (775) 227-5588 or send the form, and we get back to you to set up a visit. Most of the time it's me on the other end of the phone.
I do the estimate visits myself, so I'm the one up in your attic or under the floor with a flashlight, telling you what I see as I go. I traded a desk job for this, and I'd still rather explain too much than leave you guessing before I put your estimate together.
I learned the trade on an insulation crew around Carson City and started this business in 2017. If you go ahead, our installers do the work with a lead installer running your job, and when it's done I walk you through what we did up there.
Building guides recommend hiring a licensed professional applicator for spray foam, so it's fair to ask to see the license before anyone starts spraying. We're fully licensed and insured, and we'll show you.
Open cell is great at stopping drafts, but it doesn't stop moisture, so before I recommend it I want to know exactly where it's going and how that spot will dry out. If it fits, we pull out old insulation that's soaked or full of droppings, seal around can lights, pipes and the hatch, and spray an even layer that's as full at the edges as it is in the middle. Foam costs more than loose fill, so if your attic only needs its gaps sealed and the insulation topped up, I'll tell you so, unless your ductwork lives up there, where foam under the roof brings those ducts inside the part of the house you heat and cool.
Some parts of a house call for different work. Under the floor, open cell usually isn't the pick, so we'll talk about a crawl space vapor barrier and the right material for those walls instead, and shops, offices and other business spaces get the same look-first approach through our commercial insulation work.
The spraying is the quick part. The order around it is what keeps the foam doing its job for years.
Our lead installer makes sure the framing is dry enough and cleans off dust and debris, because foam doesn't grab well to damp or dirty wood. If something's wrong up there, we stop and tell you before going further.
We cover wiring and equipment, set up ventilation and keep the space shut off from the rest of the house. That keeps overspray where it belongs and moves the fumes outside.
We spray in layers so the foam expands into every gap and stays even from the eaves to the peak. Anything that swells past the framing gets trimmed flush.
You, the kids and the pets stay out while the foam cures and the house airs out, and we clean up before anyone moves back in. The FAQ below covers how long that wait usually is.
Tell me which areas you want insulated, whether you have plans for a basement or crawl space, and what kind of roof you have. We respond within 1 business day to set up a free quote on site, with no obligation, and I'll go over what I found with you before you decide anything. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
(775) 227-5588Open cell suits spots where you want drafts stopped and the area can handle moisture another way, while closed cell fits tight spaces that need more insulation per inch or areas that need moisture blocked. Typical open cell has an R-value, the measure of how well insulation slows heat, of about 3.6 per inch, and typical closed cell reaches about 6 per inch and is rigid and essentially blocks moisture vapor. I'll tell you which one fits each area while we're looking at it together.
Usually not. One building guide rates open cell not acceptable for basement and crawl space foundations in many cases, because moisture vapor passes right through it. Sort out the material for those walls before you settle on open cell anywhere else in the house.
Yes, but one building guide calls for a vapor retarder, a covering that slows moisture, on the outside of the roof deck when open cell goes under a sloped roof. The exception is a roof surface that doesn't let moisture through, such as standing seam metal, so tell me your roof type when you call.
EPA guidance says to stay out until the foam has cured and the house has been aired out and thoroughly cleaned. Some foam makers recommend 24 hours before residents return, but it varies, so ask us for the recommended wait on the foam we're using and plan a place for the kids and pets.
Only the property owner, an authorized agent or a licensed contractor can legally sign and submit a building permit application in Carson City. If your foam job needs a permit, we take care of that paperwork with the city.
Carson City's Building Division issues building permits, and paperwork for altering an existing house goes through its online portal. The rules differ between Carson City, the counties and the cities around us, so we check with the office that covers your address before we schedule anything.
If you'd rather ask the city yourself, the Building Division helps with completing or submitting an application at 775-887-2310. State and local building codes set the rules for fire-protective coverings over foam and for vapor retarders, so the city is the place for those questions too.
One look up there tells us whether foam is worth the money or whether sealing the gaps does the job for less, so call (775) 227-5588 or send the form.
If you're still weighing open cell against something else, call or send a note and I'll walk you through it.
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