Crawl spaces under cold floors
When the floors feel cold and the crawl space smells damp, closed cell blocks moisture vapor and won't soak up water the way fiberglass can, so the floor stays drier and warmer.
Closed-cell foam insulation in Charleston SC - a dense seal that won't soak up water
Cold floors over a damp crawl space, a drafty room over the garage or a leaky rim joist? We spray dense foam that seals and insulates at once.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What closed-cell foam does for your house
Closed-cell foam insulation in Charleston is a dense spray foam that hardens into a rigid layer. It slows heat, stops air leaks and, at its usual thickness, also blocks moisture vapor, so it's the foam we use where damp and drafts are the real problem.
Most calls start with something you can feel, like cold floors, a hot room over the garage or a power bill that won't come down. The price turns on how much foam the space takes, which is the area times the thickness, plus how easy the space is to reach and whether old insulation has to come out first. The schedule turns on that prep, a permit if your address needs one and the time you'll spend away from the house, which the questions below cover.
We're licensed and insured, and because the City of Charleston lists a city business license and a South Carolina contractor license for single-family alteration permits, I check before quoting whether your address answers to a city or county office.
I come out and come back
I do the estimate and the site visit myself. Our installers do the spraying, and I come back at the end to look the job over with you.
A quote you can compare
Your written quote lists every step, including prep that has to happen first, like pulling out soaked insulation, so you can lay it beside other bids and see what's different.
You'll understand your house
When we leave, you should know what went where and why, because I'd rather you understand your own house than just hear that the job got done.
How we handle a closed-cell foam job
Closed cell costs more, and I'll show you where it earns that price and where open-cell foam would do the job. I'll also tell you when foam isn't the answer at all, because plenty of attics only need the gaps around can lights, pipes and the hatch sealed and the loose fill topped up, unless the ductwork lives up there.
If your home sits in a flood zone, we talk about that at the first visit, since it can shape what goes on the lower level, and the flood question below explains why. On the day, our crew clears out anything soaked or full of droppings first, because foam sprayed over a wet mess just locks the problem in, then builds the foam up to the depth on your quote.
We spray closed cell on commercial insulation jobs too, where metal walls and roof decks tend to collect moisture, and the same care about prep and depth goes into those buildings.
Where closed-cell foam earns its price
Rim joists that leak air
The rim joist, the band of wood where the floor framing sits on the foundation, leaks a lot of air, and a thin layer of closed cell seals and insulates it in one step.
Attics with ductwork in them
If your ducts run through the attic, foaming the underside of the roof brings them inside the insulated space, which is the case where foam usually beats topping up loose fill.
Walls opened for a remodel
When the studs are bare during a remodel or the room over the garage gets rebuilt, closed cell fills each cavity solid and seals the air leaks before the drywall goes back up.
Get a written closed-cell foam quote
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day, by phone or email, whichever you used. Then I set a time to see the space, and the estimate is free, on site and carries no obligation.
Start with your address
Your address tells me whether the job answers to the city or the county, and whether a flood zone permit might come into it, so I can plan before I visit.
Add your flood zone if known
If you know your zone from a flood map or your insurance paperwork, include it, since it can change what we put on the lower level of your house.
Name the spaces that bother you
Tell me which areas feel wrong, like the crawl space, the room over the garage or a drafty wall, so I bring the right questions and tools to the visit.
Closed-cell foam finish and layout examples
Sample photos of closed-cell foam on rim joists, crawl space walls and open studs, to help you point at what you have in mind.
Closed-cell foam questions Charleston owners ask
Straight answers on price, foam choice, time out of the house and flood zones for closed-cell foam jobs around Charleston.
How much does closed-cell spray foam insulation cost in Charleston?
Closed-cell spray foam insulation in Charleston usually costs about $1 to $1.60 per board foot, which is the going rate in the area, not our price. A board foot is one square foot of foam one inch thick, so covering 1,000 square feet 3 inches deep takes 3,000 board feet. Your free written estimate shows the board feet and any prep.
Why does closed-cell foam cost more than open-cell foam?
Closed cell costs more because it expands less than open cell, so it takes more material to fill the same space. That means a closed-cell bid will usually come in higher than an open-cell bid for the same area, and comparing the two is never quite like for like.
How long do we have to stay out of the house after spray foam?
Plan to be out of the house while the foam goes in and for at least 24 hours after, which is what federal consumer safety staff advise. That goes for kids and pets too, so line up a place to stay before the day. They also advise talking through the safety steps with your contractor, and we go over ours before work starts.
Is spray foam a good idea if someone in my house has asthma?
It can be, but federal consumer safety staff advise anyone with skin conditions, respiratory allergies, asthma or a past isocyanate sensitization, a reaction to a chemical used in the foam, to read the product information carefully first. If that raises doubts, they suggest considering other insulation, and I'd rather walk you through those options than push foam.
Does my flood zone change a closed-cell foam job in Charleston?
In an AE, Coastal A or VE zone, yes, because the City of Charleston requires a permit for all work in those flood areas, while X zones fall outside that rule. Federal flood program guidance says materials below the expected flood height there must resist flood damage, so we check the product for that spot. If a permit's needed, we file it and keep you posted.
Does closed-cell foam make a Charleston house stronger in a hurricane?
It can help, because closed-cell foam sprayed into the wall cavities substantially increases racking strength, the wall's resistance to being pushed out of square. A federal energy guide calls that an advantage for building in hurricane zones, which is worth weighing on a Charleston house. It only works where the studs are open, so it fits remodels and additions best.
Other foam and insulation work we do
Call with the quotes you already have
If a few foam bids look alike, call (843) 278-0544 or use the form, and I'll walk through what each one actually covers.