I’ve come across spray foam insulation being used by many DIYers in just about every way imaginable BUT just because you can use it for a variety of purposes, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should! Today I’m going to share with you the ways that I use spray foam insulation in my remodeling projects and some applications where I don’t recommend it, or think a better solution is required. 

This project contains a paid product integration from Loctite and affiliate links to the The Home Depot. All opinions are herein are my own. Visit my disclosure page for more information on affiliate and compensation this site accepts. 

DO: Use Window & Door Foam to Seal Around Rough Openings

Whenever I’m installing windows and doors, the rough openings are always slightly larger than the window or door itself. That means you’re always left with a small gap that can create drafts, air loss, or be an avenue for pests to find their way in. In this case, you should definitely use the window and door spray foam. The window and door foam expands at low pressure compared to other types so you won’t risk bending or bowing the door or window jambs causing problems with their operation. 

DON’T: Use to Address Structural Cracks in Foundations or Concrete

Next, let’s talk about cracks. Not all cracks are created equal. For example, if I come across a crack in a foundation, spray foam insulation wouldn’t be my go-to fix. Foundation cracks can be superficial, or they may be structural so understanding the problem is essential to creating the right fix. I would never use spray foam to address a structural problem like a foundation crack. The same goes for most cracks in concrete including sidewalks, driveways, patios, etc. 

DO: Use to Air Seal Attics & Crawlspaces

One of the best uses for spray foam applications is to use it for air sealing. When I recently replaced the insulation in my attic, I first went through and sealed all the visible cracks and penetrations I could see in the attic before adding the blown in insulation on top. Filling any voids with spray foam makes sure you have a tight envelope between your living space and the attic. I climbed around in the dark in my attic and looked for light leaks from below and filled those areas. The same can be said for crawl spaces beneath the house that can be spots where air loss occurs. 

DON’T: Use to Address Issues with Improper Framing or as a Wood Substitute 

One of the biggest no-no’s I have seen from DIYers is using spray foam to fill structural gaps in framing. I’ve opened some walls and found that people sometimes will mis-cut a piece of lumber and rather than recutting it the proper size, they just slap it in place and fill the gap with spray foam. You might be surprised how often this happens especially in DIY flip houses. Just because something looks decent on the outside doesn’t always mean it looks great underneath. Don’t use spray foam to fill any structural gaps as it’s not a structurally rated product. 

DO: Use On Small Penetrations to Seal Out Insects and Pests

I have a really old house so there are a lot of unseen areas where there are small holes or cracks. I typically find them after I have some unwanted visitors in the house. Probably my favorite application for spray foam is to fill those areas to seal out ants, spiders, and other insects. Typically with ants I can follow their trail to see where they are coming in from outside and then use spray foam to fill those areas. Now if the hole or penetration is larger, like something a mouse or a rat can get through, I don’t recommend using spray foam UNLESS you add some wire mesh to the area first. Larger pests like that can sometimes chew their way through the foam and get back in. 

DON’T: Use to Fill In Eave & Soffit Areas that Effect Attic Ventilation

Another area to be careful of is using spray foam in eaves and soffits. These are common trouble areas for bees nests and many homeowners elect to spray foam to seal out the bees. However, you always want to be careful that you’re not interfering with your home’s ability to breathe properly. Some homes have vented eaves and soffits that allow your attic to vent properly and by filling in these areas, your attic space can’t vent properly. If it’s one trouble spot it’s not a big deal but be conscious if you find yourself sealing larger areas. 

DO: Use to Seal Around Electrical and Plumbing Penetrations (Code Permitting)

Electrical and plumbing penetrations into a home is another great use for spray foam. However, it’s important to make sure a fire rated foam isn’t required by code in your area. I always like to seal around exterior electrical boxes and any plumbing pipe penetrations around the perimeter of my house because these are really common points of drafts as well as can act as super highways for critters coming in and out of your house. 

DON’T: Use to Seal Water Leaks in Plumbing

Another huge fail for spray foam is people using it to try and stop leaks. Rather than fixing the underlying issue, I have seen some homes where people have attempted to stop a leak from a pipe or water line with spray foam. Please don’t use spray foam for this. Most of the time all it does is create a larger issue down the road. It won’t solve the problem and will most likely result in larger damage taking place once the water finds a way out. Depending on the application, the foam can actually allow the water to build up which can lead to serious mold problems so do yourself a favor and if you’re experiencing any kind of water leak, avoid using spray foam as a bandaid. 

DO: Use in Moderation! 

My last tip is just that use spray foam in MODERATION. People have a tendency to spray things and trying to find extra uses for it and end up using the whole can before the nozzle gets all plugged up and they can’t use the can anymore. Trust me, I know that can be frustrating. BUT here’s what I would recommend instead. Use the can in moderation and only use as much as you need. Remember that these products expand somewhat exponentially. As far as reusing the can, I recommend that you just buy a bunch of extra straws. You can snag a whole pack online for just a few $$ and keeps you from wasting a bunch of money on new cans. 

So that’s it for this article! If enjoyed it, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel so you never miss out on any of the new content I post. 

Thank you to Loctite for making this video possible and allowing me to share how to properly use spray foam. If you guys do need some spray foam for your next project, I encourage you to check out their products which you can find at your local Home Depot. 

If you found this article helpful, here are some other articles you may enjoy! 

5 DIY Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Warm Your Home & LOWER Your Heat Bill

Regularly cleaning your chimney is an important part of keeping your home safe for the winter months. That’s because as you use your fireplace to burn wood for warmth (or just for seasonal atmosphere), a highly flammable carbon based, tar-like substance called creosote begins to build up on the inside of your chimney walls. Over time, this build up can ignite and burn at over 2000° Fahrenheit which can be extremely difficult to extinguish and quickly spread to other areas of your home. 

In fact, on average there are over 25,000 of these chimney fires every year that lead to over $125 million in property damage. (According to the Chimney Safety Institute of America) 

Fortunately, cleaning your chimney isn’t a super challenging task and is something most homeowners can tackle on their own if they choose to. So today I’m going to show you how you can do it. You should add this to your to-do checklist every fall to make sure that your home is ready for the winter. 

The Right Tools

The first thing you’ll need to do is purchase a simple chimney sweeping brush online or at a hardware store. There are a ton of different options available in various sizes so you may want to go on your roof and measure the diameter of your chimney liner to make sure you buy one that fits. I bought one that attaches to the end of a drill on Amazon for about $60. I’ve made a list of all the tools you may need to tackle this project. 

Seal Off the Fireplace

Next you’ll want to use some plastic and tape to tape off the fireplace area or make sure your wood stove is closed and sealed tightly. The cleaning process creates a lot of loose soot and you don’t want all that flying around your house. I recommend using a 4-6 mil plastic and some duct tape to seal off the area thoroughly. 

I also like to place a shop vac hose into the sealed off area so that any loose chimney dust that falls into the fireplace can get sucked up. It’s not a perfect system but it helps keep chimney dust out of your home.

Access the Roof

From there you’ll need to get up on your roof so make sure you can do that safely with a sturdy ladder. It becomes a little more challenging for steeper pitched roofs so make sure you take the necessary safety precautions so that you can access the chimney safely. Depending on the height of your chimney stack, you may need an additional ladder or step stool to get to the top. 

Once you’re up on the roof, remove the chimney cap. It’s usually just a few screws holding it in place. If you don’t have a chimney cap in place, you should definitely purchase one. Not only do they prevent birds and other animals from nesting, or climbing down the liner but they also keep other debris like leaves and branches out of your chimney. To my knowledge they’re also now required during a home inspection so if you ever plan to sell your home you’ll need to have one installed. They’re not very expensive online. Most are adjustable within different size ranges. You can just measure your chimney liner and buy one in the size range that fits. 

Inspect Your Chimney Liner

Next you’ll want to use a flashlight to shine down the chimney and see what you’re dealing with. If you have a GoPro or action camera you can also send that down the chimney to see any visible obstructions and inspect the condition of the chimney. In my case it looks pretty good, just needs to be cleaned. 

Assemble Chimney Brush & Clean the Chimney

From there attach the fiberglass rods to each other and begin to feed them down the chimney. Make sure you have a good respirator, safety glasses, and gloves on hand. If you have one that attaches to a drill like this one, once you’ve fed the rods down the chimney and you’ve reached the length of your chimney liner, attach the other end to the drill. 

I like to start at the bottom and work my way up the chimney, but it doesn’t really matter how you do it. Just work your way through the entire liner, and make sure you clean it thoroughly. Once you think you have it nice and clean, use your flashlight or camera to make sure it all looks good. 

Once your chimney flue (liner) is all cleaned, replace your chimney cap and you’re good on the roof. From there, find your chimney clean out which is usually on the backside of your fireplace or chimney and use a shovel or shop vac to remove all the debris that has fallen. 

Clean the Firebox

After you’ve allowed all the dust to settle, you can remove the plastic on the inside of the house and clean the inside of the fireplace as well. 

And that’s it, you’re good to enjoy many warm fires in your fireplace or wood stove for the winter months!

It doesn’t hurt to burn one of these creosote busting logs in your fireplace every once in a while. They’re designed to help keep creosote from building up, but they should never be used as a replacement for a good chimney cleaning. You can use them if you want to but you also need to clean the chimney every year. 

Update Your Fireplace with a Gas Firelog Set

If you have a gas starter on your fireplace and don’t want to deal with the hassle of a wood fire every year, you can also replace your wood burning fireplace with either a gas fireplace insert OR a gas fire log set. These log sets are a little expensive, but use either natural gas or propane to create a clean burning fire without the hassle of creating a lot of ash and soot. 

So that’s it for this project! I hope you enjoyed it and I hope it helped you get your fireplace ready for the long winter ahead. If you enjoyed this project, here are some other Winter DIY projects to keep your home warm all winter long! 

Warm Your Home & LOWER Your Heat Bill

https://mrfixitdiy.com/winter-is-coming-is-your-house-ready/

Disclosure: This article contains a paid product integration by Trane Residential. All views and opinions expressed herein are my own.

Why Change Your Filters?

Your home breathes just like we do. Dust, smoke, dirt, mold, fumes, and other elements from the outside are brought in every time you open a door or window and even with changes in pressure systems due to weather events. These things end up in the air in your home and it’s the responsibility of your heating & cooling system to circulate, collect, and filter these particles out of the air and deliver you clean, temperature controlled air back to keep your home both comfortable and clean.

In order for your heating and cooling systems to work properly, they need to be able to pull air in. A filter that is old and dirty is like going for a jog with a plastic bag over your head with only a tiny pinhole poked in it! Not only is your body going to have to work harder to try and keep you going, but you’re also probably not going to make it very far before you collapse due to asphyxiation. Your home’s heating and cooling system is no different. When the filter is plugged or dirty, it has to work harder to do its job. With prolonged neglect, the components will overheat, wear out, or fail entirely which can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs or replacements.

Fortunately changing the air filters in your home is typically one of the simplest (and most inexpensive) DIY jobs a homeowner can do. It usually requires very few (if any) tools so even the most inexperienced people can do it.

How to Locate Your Filter

Depending on your home’s heating and cooling system, you may have one or several filters. Typically a home that has a single furnace/cooling system only has one filter while a larger home that has multiple heating/cooling zones may have more than one. In either case, locating your furnace is usually a good place to start. Check your utility closet, or basement to find your system. The filter on your furnace may be attached to the side in an enclosure, or it may be inside the unit under a cover. If so, turn the power off to the furnace before changing the filter to avoid damaging any components.

If you have a roof mounted or attic based system, the filter may also be mounted to the ceiling in a hallway or living area under a grate. In all cases, the filter is on the air intake/return of your HVAC system as it filters the air that is pulled into the system.

Changing Your Filter(s)

Once you’ve located your HVAC system and filter, all that’s left to do is change the filter!

Step #1: Remove the Cover Grate

Overhead filters usually have a grate door which can swing down to access the filter, while furnace filters may be under the unit or beside it. Some filters may be held in with a wire or retaining clip.

Step #2: Remove the Dirty Filter

You know a filter is in need of replacement if you have trouble seeing light through it, or it is visibly dirty. When in doubt, it doesn’t hurt to replace it especially if it’s been more than 6 months since it was last changed.

Step #3: Make Sure You Buy the Proper Size Replacement

Knowing the size of the air filter you are replacing is important to make sure you are replacing it with the proper sized replacement. The size of your filter is listed on the filter itself typically as a 3 number combination (e.g. 16 x 25 x 1) When shopping for a replacement filter, you will need these numbers to buy the correct replacement.

For replacement filters, I recommend you use the new Trane Comfort Performance Filters which you can find at Walmart.com. Trane has been a leading manufacturer of HVAC systems for decades and their new Comfort Performance filters are compatible with virtually all HVAC systems.

Step #4: Replace Your Air Filter

Before re-installing your filter, it’s a good idea to place the date on the side of the filter so you have a reference for when it was last changed next time you check it. It’s also not a bad idea to set yourself a reminder on your calendar to change it again in 3-6 months.

Reinstall your new air filter (paying attention to the arrow on the side that indicates air flow direction), re-attach any retaining wires or clips, and close any grates or doors that you previously opened to access the filter. Also be sure to remember to turn the power back on to the furnace or system if you turned it off.

So that’s it for this project! It’s a simple periodic maintenance task you should add to your to-do list to keep your home’s HVAC system in good shape. It’s inexpensive, and will keep your system running properly for years if you keep up with it. Much like your car, regular preventative maintenance goes a long way towards keeping your home in good working order.

Thanks for reading this article. If you enjoyed it, here are some other projects you might also enjoy. See you next time!

5 DIY Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

10 Ways to Warm Your Home and LOWER Your Energy Bill

How to Monitor Your Homes Energy Usage