Rim joists
Where the floor framing sits on the foundation. It's the leakiest spot in most Alberta basements, and batts stuffed in there frost up by January.
Insulation / Spray foam
Residential spray foam insulation in Edmonton and Calgary
Cold bonus rooms, frosty rim joists and drafty basements are the calls we get most. Closed cell foam fixes the air leaks behind them, usually in a single day.
New build, walls and ceilingResidential spray foam is closed cell or open cell polyurethane foam sprayed into the walls, rim joists, basements and ceilings of a house. Aires installs it in new builds, additions and renovations across Edmonton and Calgary, and most house jobs take one day.
Most Edmonton homes we see have an air problem more than an insulation problem. The batts are there, but cold air gets around them at the rim joist, behind outlets and under the bonus room floor. Foam seals those gaps and insulates in the same pass.
We mostly spray closed cell, at about R-6 to R-7 per inch. That's roughly double fibreglass at the same thickness, which matters in a 2x4 wall with 3.5 inches to work with. The technical side is on our closed cell spray foam page.
Where it goes
The parts of a house we spray most
Foam isn't the answer for every square foot of a home. It earns its cost in these spots.
Basement walls
Foam goes onto the concrete or between the studs, with no poly to tear and no gap for damp air to reach the cold wall.
Bonus rooms over garages
Cold garage underneath, knee walls, a sloped ceiling. We get more calls about this room than any other.
Cathedral and vaulted ceilings
No attic to pile insulation into, so you need high R-value in a shallow rafter bay. For regular attic insulation, blown-in is usually the better buy.
New builds and additions
Open stud walls are the easiest time to spray, before the drywall goes up.
Garages and multi-unit
Heated garages, plus duplexes, row housing and small apartment builds on a builder's schedule.
Common complaints
What the cold room is telling you
A cold room usually has an air leak behind it. Here's where we'd look first.
- Drafts along the baseboard on the main floor usually start at the rim joist below. We foam the rim joist from the basement.
- Frost or water stains on the rim joist mean warm, damp air is reaching cold wood. Closed cell seals it off and resists moisture.
- A bonus room that's freezing in winter and hot in July often has gaps in the floor over the garage and thin knee walls.
- Ice dams form when house heat leaks into the attic and melts roof snow, which refreezes at the cold eaves. Sealing the ceiling slows that leak.
- A furnace that never shuts off is usually losing the fight to a handful of leaky spots.
For a closer look at the basement side, see basement and rim joist insulation.
Job day
What spray day looks like at your house
Foam takes more prep than batts. This is the order we work in.
Walkthrough and quote
We look at the space, check for moisture and old insulation, measure, and give you a written quote. Free.
Plan your time out
You and your pets need to be out while we spray and for a set time after. We give you the re-entry time for the product ahead of the job.
Mask and protect
Floors, windows, the furnace and anything nearby get covered in plastic before the gun comes out.
Spray and trim
Foam goes on in passes to the quoted depth, with coverage and quality checks built into the work.
Ventilate and clean up
We air the space out, pull the masking, haul away debris and walk the job with you when you're back.
Paying for it
Edmonton homeowners can put it on the tax bill
Aires is a CEIP Qualified Contractor in Edmonton and surrounding approved municipalities. Under CEIP you finance qualifying upgrades and repay them through your property tax bill over as long as 25 years. If you sell, the balance stays with the house.
A home project needs at least three qualifying upgrades, and basement walls must gain at least R-12. One customer, Eric Boulianne, wrote that we "made getting the rebate a really simple process". The details are on our CEIP financing page.
CEIP isn't something we can offer in Calgary, but we still quote homes there. See spray foam in Calgary or spray foam in Edmonton for local details.
When we'll tell you to skip foam
A wide-open attic floor in a bungalow is usually cheaper to fix with blown-in fibreglass or cellulose to R-50 than with foam. Walls that are already closed in with drywall can't be sprayed without opening them up. And if you have vermiculite in the attic, it needs testing for asbestos before anyone touches it, us included.
When you sell, buyers and inspectors ask about frost, mould and heating bills. We won't promise a resale number, but we'll tell you what's worth doing first. Spray foam is one part of our wider insulation work, and every job carries a one-year workmanship warranty.
Related services
InsulationSpray foam insulationClosed cell spray foamOpen cell spray foamCommercial spray foamAgricultural spray foamIndustrial & pipeline foamSea-can & van insulationAttic insulationBlown-in fibreglass & celluloseInsulation removalAttic venting & vapour barrierBasement & rim joistSoundproofing insulation
FAQ
Questions we get asked
How much does spray foam cost for a house in Edmonton?
Spray foam is priced by the board foot (one square foot, one inch thick), so a rim joist job costs far less than a full new build. We measure on site and give you a written quote for free.
Do I have to leave the house while you spray?
Yes. Foam has an odour while it's sprayed and while it cures, so plan to be out during the job and for a set time after while the space airs out. We give you the re-entry time for the product before the job day.
Can you spray foam in winter?
Yes. Rim joists and basements are inside the heated envelope, so winter is a fine time to do them. For unheated additions or garages we may need heat in the space first, and we will tell you that at the walkthrough.
Do I still need a vapour barrier with spray foam?
At 2 inches or more, closed cell foam acts as the vapour barrier in most wall assemblies, so you can skip the poly. Your building inspector has the final say on your project, and we will tell you what to expect.
Can I finance home spray foam through CEIP?
In Edmonton and other participating municipalities, yes. Aires is a CEIP Qualified Contractor. Basement walls need to gain at least R-12 to qualify, and the program needs at least three qualifying upgrades per home.
Get a free quote
Tell us what you're insulating and where. We'll book a walkthrough, measure it, and send you a written quote. Serving Edmonton, Calgary and across Alberta.
Call or text(780) 916-7131Request a quote