If you need some additional insulation in your attic space, then you have a few options to think about. Spray foam insulation is extremely common when it comes to attic spaces, and you can have open or closed cell insulation added. Closed cell materials have quite a few advantages over open cell ones, so keep reading to learn what they are.

Increased Insulation Ability

If you look at the different spray foam options, you will see that the insulation is rated quite highly when it comes to the R-value. The R-value measures how well a specific product can resist heat and thus how well it insulates a space. So, the greater the R-value, the better the insulation will work to keep hot or cold air from infiltrating your attic. 

While both open and closed spray foam have high R-values, the closed variety is higher than the open one. In fact, it can be as much as two times the value of the open cell type. For some types of closed spray foam, the R-value may be as high as 7 per inch. In comparison, fiberglass insulation has an R-value of about 3. 

The closed cell product offers better insulation due to the density of the material. As the name suggests, the cells of the insulation are closed or filled in. The solid material creates a barrier to minimize airflow. Open cell insulation does not create a completely solid barrier due to the air pockets contained within it.

Reduced Expansion

Spray foam is a unique product that expands to fit the volume of the space where it is added. The foam starts off as a compressed liquid that starts to expand when it comes into contact with the air. This helps to fill in all of the spaces and openings where air can enter the attic. And, while the expansion is a good thing, you may not want the insulation to fill in the entire space, especially if the area is quite small. Otherwise, you may not have significant storage space any longer.

Open cell spray foam expands about twice as much as the closed variety, so you can save yourself quite a bit of space by choosing the closed cell. And, if a single layer of the foam is not enough to insulate properly, you have the option of asking your contractors to add a second layer of the material. 

If you want to know more about spray foam insulation, speak with an insulation company in your area.