PROJECT FILES
(top) The master bathroom and bedroom (not shown) required a heavier roman shade to block the sun. (bottom) The breakfast nook off the kitchen is protected from onlookers with elegant shades that let light in and keep peepers out.
Foaming Home Homeowners undergoing a large-scale remodel chose to update not only the look, but also the efficiency of their home.
B
uilder Scott Hyland of Hyland Construction and Design was tasked with the job of expanding and modernizing a 1978 Isle of Palms residence. On his to-do list was raising the home six feet, moving the entry, incorporating additions to both sides of the structure, and making the space as efficient as possible with a combination of traditional fiberglass batt and closedcell spray foam insulations. “Spray foam insulation is a two-part insulation that is made up of polyol resin and isocyanate,” explains Brian Hopkins of Ecofoam Insulation and Coatings, the
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CH+D • Spring 2014
local company that Scott chose to work with on this project. “Those two components come out of our large rig and mix at the tip of our applicators’ guns. And when they’ve mixed, we’ve created an expanding, hardening foam. Closed-cell spray foam is a dense product that is moisture and mildew resistant. It even adds some rigid strength inside the structure.” For this remodel, there were two reasons why Scott chose to use the adaptable, money-saving product. First, homes built before efficiency standards were implemented, like this Lowcountry example, notoriously leak
(above) Ecofoam's group of sprayfoam technicians are trained to install, handle, and dispose of the chemicals used on the job. Their personal protective equipment includes disposable polypropylene coveralls, gloves, and full-mask respirators. (right) A Roofline Fully Covered in Closed-Cell Spray Foam Insulation.
heat in the winter and conditioned air in the summer. Spray foam closes those escape points, saving the homeowner from exorbitant energy bills. For the second reason, Scott details, “Some of the existing framing in the roof lines was not suitable for standard insulation. Using spray foam, you can get a two-inch-thick insulation into a space that R30 [standard] batt would not fit. We were able to use the existing framing, which saved the customer a lot of money on the overall project.” For both of these reasons, Scott and the homeown-