Spray Foam Insulation in Scarborough, ME
On the coast the wind does most of the damage, and wind is an air problem rather than an insulation one.
Scarborough is the furthest we go towards the ocean on a regular basis, and the weather here behaves differently from anywhere else on our list. Inland, heat leaves a house mostly because it rises. On an exposed coastal lot it also leaves because the wind drives it out of the windward wall and pulls it out of the leeward one. That is why two identical houses, one in Scarborough and one twenty miles inland, can burn very different amounts of fuel through the same winter.
The houses we meet in Scarborough
A lot of Scarborough is newer than the towns we work in further north, and there is a steady amount of building going on. Near the marsh and the beaches you get houses on piers or shallow crawl spaces with the floor exposed underneath, which is the coldest arrangement there is once a January wind gets under it. Elsewhere there are subdivisions from every decade since the sixties, and the older ones have the usual band joist and attic hatch problems regardless of how the house looks from the road.
Getting to Scarborough. Scarborough is the far end of our Portland run, so it is a proper trip from Denmark rather than a passing call. That is worth knowing when you are planning: we would rather do one full day here than three half days, and we will usually say so when we quote.
Working in Scarborough
Where a floor is exposed to outside air, closed-cell is the answer rather than open-cell, and it wants to be thick enough to matter rather than a token pass. It resists moisture, it does not care about wind washing across its face, and it sticks to the joists so there is nothing to sag or fall out in five years. The other thing worth doing on an exposed site is sealing the top of the house properly, because wind pressure turns every small gap at the ridge into a working chimney.
What a job costs depends on the space and the depth it needs, and we would rather show you the arithmetic than quote a number down the phone. Here is how we price it.
The Jobs That Come Up Most in Scarborough
Crawl Spaces & Basements
Cold floors over an unheated crawl space, and the damp that comes with them. Closed-cell underneath fixes both at once.
Closed-Cell vs Open-Cell
Which one your job actually wants, and why. Closed-cell for moisture and strength, open-cell for coverage and value.
The Building Envelope
Insulation is only half of it. The air barrier is the half that decides whether the insulation gets to do its job.
Where Scarborough sits on our map
Scarborough is in Cumberland County, and we are out this way regularly. We also work in Portland and Gorham. Not on the list? Call anyway - we travel for the right job.
Scarborough Questions We Get Asked
Does being on the coast in Scarborough change what we need?
It does. Inland, heat leaves a house mostly because it rises. On an exposed Scarborough lot the wind also drives it out of the windward wall and pulls it out of the leeward one, which is why two identical houses twenty miles apart can burn very different amounts of fuel.
Our Scarborough house sits on piers with the floor exposed. What goes under it?
Closed-cell, and thick enough to matter rather than a token pass. It resists moisture, it does not care about wind washing across its face, and it sticks to the joists, so there is nothing to sag or drop out of a Scarborough floor in five years.
Is Scarborough too far for you to come?
No, but it is a proper trip rather than a passing call, since it is the far end of our Portland run. That is worth knowing when you plan: we would rather do one full day in Scarborough than three half days, and we will usually say so when we quote.
Get a Real Number for Your Scarborough Job
(207) 452-2930Call and talk to us. If you would rather write it down, use the form and we will call you back. Mon-Fri 7am-5pm.