Basement rim joists
The band of framing on top of your foundation wall lets a lot of cold air into Duluth basements. Foam seals and insulates it in one pass, which often helps the floors above.
Open-cell foam insulation in Duluth MN - rooms that hold their heat and stop the drafts
Cold rooms, drafty walls or a chilly room over the garage? We spray open-cell foam where it fits, so the air stops moving through.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What open-cell foam does in a Duluth house
Open-cell foam insulation is a soft, light spray foam that fills cracks and stops drafts while it insulates. We install it in Duluth homes where moving air is what makes a room cold.
Most calls start with a cold room over the garage, a drafty basement or floors that never warm up in January. Open-cell foam is a good answer for many of those, though not every one, and I'd rather tell you that at the estimate than after the foam is on.
The price moves with how much area we cover, how deep we spray, how easy the space is to reach and whether old insulation has to come out first. The schedule turns on the prep and on how long your household needs to be out while the foam cures, and I write up your own figure once I've measured the space. We're based in Duluth and work in Superior, Hermantown, Cloquet and other cities around the Twin Ports.
I see the space myself
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, and I'm on site with our crew when we spray, so the person who planned it is there when it's done.
Straight advice on where it fits
Open-cell foam lets water vapor through, so we talk about the space before we pick it, and we'll tell you when closed-cell foam, the denser kind that blocks moisture, fits better.
A clean house when we leave
We cover floors and mask what shouldn't get foam, trim and bag the overspray, and clean up before we go. Then I walk you through what we did and why.
How we prep, spray and clean up
Open-cell foam is softer and lighter than closed-cell foam, and it stops drafts well, but moisture can still pass through it, so we talk about where it fits before we pick it. If it's going along a roofline, I'll explain how we plan to handle winter moisture at the roof boards. Foam also costs more than loose fill. On an open attic floor, sealing the gaps and topping up with blown-in, which is loose fill blown through a hose, usually wins. Foam earns its price when your ductwork runs through the attic and needs to sit inside the sealed space.
On spray day we work the way a kitchen preps before dinner service. Everything gets covered and masked, and we check what's already in the space first, because foam sprayed over wet material or old insulation full of droppings just seals the problem in. Then we spray to the planned depth, edges and corners included, since thin coverage at the edges is usually where the cold gets back in. After that we trim, clean up and walk you through the work.
If the foam is going into a crawl space, the ground there usually needs a crawl space vapor barrier as well, because open-cell foam won't stop moisture rising from the soil. For shops and offices, our commercial insulation work follows the same order of checks first and foam second.
Where open-cell foam fits in your house
Open walls during a remodel
When the drywall is off, foam fills every bay around wires, pipes and outlets, so drafts can't sneak past the way they do around batts that were cut to fit.
The room over the garage
That floor sits over cold air all winter, and the gaps around it are hard to reach. Foam seals and insulates it, so the room stops running colder than the rest.
Rooflines over attic ductwork
When ductwork runs through the attic, foam along the roof brings it inside the sealed space. This is the job where we plan for winter moisture at the roof boards before we spray.
Get a written estimate for open-cell foam
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a visit. I'll look at the space at your home and write up your free estimate, with no pressure and no obligation.
List the spaces you want foamed
Tell us which rooms, walls or rooflines you have in mind and their rough size, so I arrive knowing what to measure and what to check in each spot.
Share any energy analysis results
If ComfortSystems in Duluth has run its home energy analysis for you, bring the results, because its blower door test and thermal scans show where air leaks and where insulation is thin.
Mention kids, pets and timing
Everyone, pets included, needs somewhere else to stay while the foam cures, so tell us which weeks work and we'll plan the spray day around your household.
Open-cell foam finish and layout examples
Examples of open-cell foam in stud walls, rim joists and rooflines, to help you picture the finish and talk through where it fits.
Open-cell foam questions from Duluth homeowners
These are the questions people in Duluth ask us most about open-cell foam, from cost and depth to time away and permits.
How much does open-cell spray foam insulation cost in Duluth?
Open-cell spray foam in Duluth usually costs about $0.60 to $0.90 per board foot, which is one square foot of foam an inch thick. Your total comes down to how much area we cover and how deep we spray, along with access and prep. I measure your space at the estimate and give you your own figure.
How thick should open-cell spray foam be?
Every inch of open-cell foam adds about R-3.6, R-value being how well insulation slows heat, so the depth we spray decides how well the space is insulated. At rim joists, open-cell needs a thicker layer than closed-cell before it counts as an air barrier. Ask us what depth we're planning for each spot and why.
How long do I have to stay out of the house after spray foam?
Plan on being out until the foam has finished curing and the house has been aired out and cleaned. Some foam makers recommend 24 hours for professional systems, though it varies by product, so your time away is planned around the foam we use. Temperature and humidity also affect curing, so we'll talk through the best time of year for your job.
Is open-cell foam a good idea under the roof in a Duluth winter?
It can be, with a plan for winter moisture. One research report found that roof boards over open-cell foam get wetter in winter, and it says the foam needs a vapor retarder coating, a layer that slows moisture, on its inside face. If your job is a roofline, I'll explain how we plan to handle that before we start.
Do I need a permit for spray foam insulation in Duluth?
I check that with the city before any work starts and tell you whether we'll pull the permit or what you'll need to do. Duluth's Construction Services & Inspections office issues the building permits the city requires for construction, alteration and repair of a building. Outside Duluth, I check with the city where your home is.
What license does a spray foam insulation contractor need in Minnesota?
A contractor you hire directly for a one to four unit home needs a residential building contractor or residential remodeler license from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry if they offer more than one special skill. Insulation falls under interior finishing, and a specialty contractor doing only that one skill doesn't need a state license. We're fully licensed and insured.
Other insulation work that goes with foam
Request your open-cell foam estimate
Thank you, and when you're ready, call Advanced Duluth Insulation Company at (218) 206-2942 or send the form so I can see the space.