Metal Buildings - Spray Foam Project Guide

DETERMINE YOUR GOALS

The first step in any successful project is making sure you know what you are setting out to accomplish. For metal buildings, if the primary reason you are insulating is to simply stop condensation from forming, then 1” of closed cell Foam it Green is all you need. If you are looking to insulate for heating and cooling purposes, we generally recommend 2” of foam for the walls and 3” for the roof.

DO THE MATH

Your total required number of spray foam kits is determined by your total board-feet need. A board-foot is one squared foot at one inch thick. So, total up the square footage of the walls you’d like to spray and then multiply that number by the inches in thickness you’d like to have. Park that number to the side and total up your roof square footage area, and multiply that by its desired thickness. Take your total board-feet need of your walls and roof, add them together, and then add about 10% or so for waste. Divide your total board-feet need by 600 (the board-feet a Foam it Green 602 kit can cover), round it up to the next whole kit, and place your order!

PREPARE FOR SUCCESS

It’s difficult if not impossible to get foam off of surfaces it hits. So, be sure to take the time to cover anything you do not want foam stuck to including floors, windows, equipment in the area, and even you once you start spraying! Along with the recommended PPE, the sprayer should have no exposed skin or hair during application. How do you get foam out of a beard? In a word, scissors. If your metal building sections arrived with an oily residue on them to prevent them from sticking to each other during shipping, check with the manufacturer for the best way to clean them. Most folks have luck with mineral spirits, but the point is that foam can have a tough time sticking to an oily surface. As always, make sure your target spray surfaces measure between 65F-85F.

TECHNIQUE TIPS

Target a wet foam application thickness of 1/3” as that will expand to one inch cured. When spraying overhead, it’s recommended to leave off the fan spray tip and simply use the mixing nozzle alone. Get your hand a bit closer when pointing up, and use a lighter trigger pull so you don’t “bounce” the foam off the surface.