Cold floors over a damp crawl space or a drafty rim joist? We spray dense foam that seals air and holds back moisture.
Closed-cell foam insulation is a dense spray foam that hardens in place, seals air gaps and blocks moisture in the same layer, and in West Lafayette we use it mostly on rim joists, crawl spaces and spots that get damp.
Most people call me about a cold floor over the crawl space, a basement that feels damp along the top of the wall, or a room over the garage that never warms up. Sometimes closed-cell is the right fix, and sometimes attic air sealing plus more loose fill does the job for less, so I'll tell you which one your house needs. The price mostly moves with how much area gets foam, how thick it goes, how hard the spots are to reach and whether old or wet insulation has to come out first. The schedule turns on whether your walls are open or finished, the weather around spray day and the time you'll need to be out of the house afterward, and your estimate puts a price on your own house.
I'm the one who comes out to look at your rim joists or crawl space and give the estimate, and I work alongside our crew on the install. The person who told you what the foam would do is right there when it goes on.
I learned insulation on another contractor's crew before starting this business in 2023. The rule we follow hasn't changed since. Fix the leak or pull the wet material first, then foam, because insulation over a wet problem is money thrown away.
We're fully licensed and insured. If closed-cell isn't worth the money on your house, I'll say so and tell you what is, even when that's a smaller job. Call (765) 250-8264 or use the form on this page to set up a visit.
Tell us which areas you want foamed, whether the walls are open or finished, and whether your house sits inside West Lafayette city limits. D&T West Lafayette Spray Foam Insulation replies within one business day to set a time, then I come out, look at the spots with you and give you a free estimate on site. There's no obligation to go ahead.
In West Lafayette, the city's Building Department issues permits for new construction, structural changes and electrical work inside city limits, and its list doesn't name insulation, so it doesn't settle whether a foam job needs one. The department asks anyone unsure to contact its office, and that's where we start. We check which office covers your address, since city limits change who you deal with, and we handle the permit side with that office when your job calls for one. When foam goes into open walls on a permitted job, the city's list of typical inspections includes a rough-in check of framing, wiring, plumbing and insulation before drywall goes up, so we plan spray day to land ahead of that inspection. The city also wants a contractor's bond on file with its office before any permitted work starts inside city limits.
Around here we see a lot of older houses with drafty basements and cold rim joists, crawl spaces that stay damp into spring, and remodels where the walls sit open for a few weeks. We're based in West Lafayette and work across the cities around it, including Lafayette, Crawfordsville, Frankfort and Monticello.
Closed-cell expands less than open-cell, so it takes more material to fill the same space, and that's the main reason bids for it run higher on the same job. If you're comparing two foam bids, expect the closed-cell number to be the bigger one. Your estimate puts a figure on your own house.
You stay out until the foam has finished curing and the house has been aired out and cleaned, which is your re-entry time. Some foam makers recommend 24 hours after spraying before people go back in, though it can vary. Plan on a night away for the kids and pets, and ask us what the maker says for the foam on your job.
Yes, spray foam air-seals and insulates a rim joist in one step, so one visit covers both jobs. To count as an air barrier, closed-cell needs a finished thickness of at least 1.5 inches, while open-cell needs 5.5 inches.
It can be, but a frame wall filled with closed-cell foam won't dry well to the outside, because the foam blocks moisture vapor. For walls that pair foam with another insulation, federal guidance calls for at least 1-1/2 inches of foam to prevent condensation in most climates. That drying question is the talk we have before any wall gets foam.
Choose closed-cell where you need a rigid layer that blocks moisture, and open-cell where cost matters more and moisture isn't the worry. Typical closed-cell is rated R-6 per inch, R-value being how well insulation slows heat, and it's far harder to squash than softer types. At typical thickness it also works as a vapor retarder that essentially blocks moisture vapor.
Leave some give in the date, because spray foam depends on the air and surface temperature, the humidity and whether surfaces are wet. Sometimes indoor conditions or the schedule have to change to suit the job, like warming up a cold basement first. Add the time you'll be out of the house after spraying, and you've got your plan.
