# Spray Foam insulation.



## Danny (Oct 17, 2012)

Just a quick question.Does anyone here have an idea of what it would cost to spray foam insulate a basement that is being refinished. It is stripped down to the studs and ready for insulation now. Will get a few quotes next week but thought I would ask you experts here. House is roughly 1700 square feet
. ( I call it a typical 2 story Ottawa house if you can imagine this) Thanks in advance.


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## Prairie Guy (Oct 30, 2018)

I had my basement done a few years ago. They charge per square foot and depth (R value) of the insulation. Local rates may vary so it's best to call around. The contractor was the friend of a friend and told me that they'd love to charge less but the product was ridiculously expensive.


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## Danny (Oct 17, 2012)

Do you recall what you paid. I know it depends on square feet bu 5k, 2k, 10k. I basically have know clue what to expect.


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## Prairie Guy (Oct 30, 2018)

Danny said:


> Do you recall what you paid. I know it depends on square feet bu 5k, 2k, 10k. I basically have know clue what to expect.


About $3 a sq ft but I got a deal and it was several years ago and in a different part of the country. So what I paid is completely irrelevant to your situation and shouldn't be used as a guideline.

Why don't you just call a couple places? They can give you an estimate over the phone.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Spray Foam Insulation Cost in Toronto ON - Toronto Spray Foam


Toronto Spray Foam is a company specializing foam insulation GTA. The cost of insulation using this spray foam ranges between $1.75 to $3 per square foot.



torontosprayfoam.site




.

Besides open and closed cell, you also have differences on a new vs. older home. As in many things, preparation is a key factor. If someone just arrives and starts spraying without first preparing/dealing with any areas of heat loss like where a pipe comes through from the outside, etc. that's not a good thing. Nor can you just start spraying foam on a wall that is damp, indicating a problem with the waterproofing of your basement walls from the outside. Even though closed cell (should be for basements) does provide a moisture barrier, you do not want to ignore moisture if it is present in your foundation walls and just cover over it.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Prairie Guy said:


> About $3 a sq ft but I got a deal and it was several years ago and in a different part of the country. So what I paid is completely irrelevant to your situation and shouldn't be used as a guideline.
> 
> Why don't you just call a couple places? They can give you an estimate over the phone.


If someone offered to give me an estimate over the phone, I would immediately remove them from my list of potential contractors. They could tell you a ballpark number per square foot over the phone but they cannot tell you how much preparatory work they will have to do before they start spraying and that is very important.


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## Prairie Guy (Oct 30, 2018)

Longtimeago said:


> If someone offered to give me an estimate over the phone, I would immediately remove them from my list of potential contractors. They could tell you a ballpark number per square foot over the phone but they cannot tell you how much preparatory work they will have to do before they start spraying and that is very important.


I meant to say ballpark number. It's not rocket science...they charge $XX per square foot and factor in how much prep work is needed.

I got a ballpark number over the phone and it didn't change when he later looked at my house because I had done all of the prep work.


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

Encapsulating wood studs below grade is a shady thing. Spray foam prevents transmission of moisture and could cause a mold / rot problem. I would use fiberglass to insulate along with a proper CGSB vapour barrier.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

We paid $500 for a 10X10 cold storage about 9 years ago ,my BIL paid $3300 in wasaga beach for a 1700 sq ft basement 2 years ago.


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## Prairie Guy (Oct 30, 2018)

Eder said:


> Encapsulating wood studs below grade is a shady thing. Spray foam prevents transmission of moisture and could cause a mold / rot problem. I would use fiberglass to insulate along with a proper CGSB vapour barrier.


A conditioned basement is below the ground but it isn't below grade. However, if the foundation leaks or weeps moisture then it's not a good idea to spray foam until that issue is resolved.


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

We had our crawl space walls sprayed with foam including the rim joists where heat can escape. I don't think our cost would be comparable with a full basement.

Try to research the different types of foam before you commit. 
There are open cell and closed cell foams. Different R values and different costs. 
Closed cell provides a permanent insulation, while fibreglass can sag or gets critters tunneling through it, both of which can reduce its insulation value. 
Some will claim to be Green because of Soy content. But it is still mostly petroleum based. 

In other smaller parts of our house, I insulated with solid foam cut to fit between or over the studs. 

Good luck with it.


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