Insulation in home
 

I have seen Canadians buy and use a " kit" of spray foam in a box, with a wand to do walls, etc with foam. I can't seem to find a place that sells these . All I can get are cans similar to "Great stuff" .
Obviously the pros have this stuff, but I will need to do it myself.
House built in 1862 ( Lincoln was President)
Had vermiculite put in in the 50's
All that fell down .
I have 2 wall I want to do from inside with holes in the wall at locations.
These walls are original with plaster , slats, lead paint
So I am not ready to tear into that mess.
Thoughts on where to buy ? I know I can rent a dry insulation thrower.
Thanks!

Just a side thought: back in the fuel crisis when Bobby Riggs as in the news, many people insulated roofs that never had insulation. I was living in Michigan and were reports of roofs collapsing. Insulation kept the snow on the roof from melting and load kept going up.

Good afternoon. I think you're referring to what we call "froth packs" named for one of the original supplier's product.
These are usually closed cell foam and cant be used to fill walls the way you describe since the material sets instantly and would just clog the hose or wand.
Open Cell foam can be done through wands but don't know if they sell that in disposable kits.
The kits are generally available at home centers, lumber yards or of course Amazon but like many other products are in short supply right now.
If you do find them make sure they are suitable to install that way.
Also figure on 10-15% less yield than they claim - a 750 board foot kit of closed cell yields 600 - 650.

Good luck, Mark O.

Here's one brand of DIY spray foam: https://tigerfoam.com/sprayfoaminsulation/

I think it becomes pretty expensive if you're going to try to do an entire house with the stuff, it's better for sealing in limited areas and around the edges of doors and windows, etc.

Vermiculite is actually a very good insulator but as you said it tends to sag and compact in the wall cavities (you will have to get it out of there if you're going to replace it with something else.)

Blown in cellulose insulation may be a better solution, it insulates well and is pretty inexpensive compared to other methods. It can be a DIY project as well, most big box stores will rent you the blower required for installing it.

Make sure if you do use that stuff it’s isocyanate free.
Do some research watch some you tube video this stuff is toxic especially if sprayed too thick. People have had to tear their houses apart because of spray foam and I’m not talking about urea formaldehyde foam
That’s a whole differnt animal of disaster.
I’m
A a builder and a realtor .wouldn’t even consider using that garbage in one of my houses.

The best insulation known to man is wool and boron it’s even somewhat fireproof. It’ll smolder and not burn
Not saying it’s the only thing to use but I’d say spray foam is about the worst you can use.

Never insulate directly under the roof sheathing. Everything above the ceiling insulation NEEDS to breath, regardless of any climate.

Thanks for all the helpful posts !

Im with turbo69. Also a builder. Have you checked a good insulation company? Surprisingly, although their price may seem stiff, insulation is generally cheaper being installed by a pro by the time you buy the material. And if its the right guy its done correctly. I could give you a long list of rot repairs we have done to houses in the last couple of years, 98% resulting from spray foam insulation. That stuff acts like a sponge.

Agreed, the attic space in most homes is supposed to be at or near the outdoor temperature.

When my friends ask about this stuff, I liken it to a spray-in bed liner. Best to do when the vehicle is new, but on a used vehicle you are likely trapping contaminants. The professional spray foam insulation is a great product when done properly, though. Its cost is what keeps most from doing it around here.