Why I think spray foam insulation is overrated for most Edmonton homes

Last month during that cold snap, I had a guy from a spray foam crew come by to quote my attic. He was super confident claiming R-60 spray foam would pay for itself in 3 years. Except my buddy who works in building science ran the numbers and said for our climate with the freeze-thaw cycles, dense pack cellulose actually performs better long term and costs about $2,500 less for my 1500 sq ft house. I went with cellulose instead and after that -35 week, my heating bill was only $20 more than my neighbor's who has spray foam. Has anyone else found traditional insulation works just as good here?

2 comments

2 Comments

claire_wells8721d ago

That -35 week tested everything, not just the insulation type.

gonzalez.reese21d agoTop Commenter

Man that -35 week sounds brutal. It really does test everything, like your pipes, your car battery, your patience. I've seen a lot of folks in my store come in after a cold snap like that just looking wrecked from fighting their houses all week. It's not just the insulation that fails, it's the whole system - the furnace, the windows, even your own mental state. Really feel for anyone who had to ride that out. Hope things are warming up for you now.