A while back I watched a show called "Off the Grid" with Les Stroud. He renovated an old house in the woods, and one of the upgrades was full insulation using spray foam. It seemed very like an easy thing to apply, and it fit every nook and cranny.

* Is that something I can apply myself?
* What are the advantages of spray on foam over fiberglass?
* Disadvantages?
* Is it safe for hot water pipes and electric wiring to run through the foam? My pipes and wiring run through my attic joist bays and wall stud bays, so this would be unavoidable. Is this stuff fire resistant?

There are DIY kits available but for projects over 500 board feet of foam (1 BFt=1 Sq/Ft Foam @1" thick) it is usually more economical to hire a spray foam contractor.

You should not typically spray foam over fiberglass insulation. Fiberglass insulation needs to breathe in order to be effective and air sealing it with foam reduces the effectiveness of the fiberglass drastically.

Disadvantage of spray foam is the cost. Depending on which spray foam you are installing will determine if you need a fireblock/ignition barrier. There is a great company that offers an additive which can be added to a cheap latex paint. Company is called Contego. Usually, if you are leaving the foam exposed, an ignition barrier is recommended and many times required by a building inspector. It is not a cut and dry reason why this is the case. Spray foam is no more flammable than paper faced insulation and most spray foam materials now have fire retardants and some are approved for fire blocking between living spaces as is the one we use.

Spraying pipes into a closed cell foam is not an issue. Servicing them in the future is the only concern. Depending on the rating of the wiring, most wiring installed in homes since 1985 has a heat rating far above that necessary to withstand the heat of the electricity running through it at full load 24 hours a day. For this reason, it is deemed acceptable to spray foam over wires. If your wiring is much older and you are unsure of the rating I recommend you call an electrician or an inspector to double check.

I hope this helps. You can learn more about our spray foam insulation on our blog.
You could also visit our main website at Wet Basement Waterproofing MA | Massachusetts Spray Foam Insulation Co.-Green Bear Innovations-Reading, MA

WE use Armoflex, (see image ) to insulate our pipes. It would seem to me that lot of the foam spray would be wasted spraying it on pipes. How many applications weould have to be sprayed on to achieve the same level of insulation you get from Armoflex? Regards, Tom