I need some advice on spray foam insulation. I am building my own home and would like to do the insulation myself. We are interested in the soy based spray foam insulation, but does anyone know if you can do it yourself?

I believe it is a product only a professional with the equipment can install, have not heard or seen of any DIY supplies. I like the idea that it is soy based!

Unfortunately for do-it-yourselfers, spray foam can only be installed by trained applicators. THere is very expensive equipment and training involved in spraying the foam.
Soy foam is definitely an option, however you should know that the actual amount of soy oil in the formula is relatively low. It is still comprised mostly of petroleum based byproducts. Polyurethane spray foams and/or Icynene spray foam also are very good options.

Hope this helps.

There are some DIY kits out there. Try
www.tigerfoam.com
or
www.foampower.com

I am looking for something closer to chicago, The shipping is expensive... since it is coming from east coast and considered a Hazmat item (Pressurizied container)

FYI, TigerFoam, FoamPower, HandiFoam, FomoFoam, FoamPower...all the same thing...all from Commercial Thermal Solutions in NJ.

I recently bought this DIY set up. It is Soy Based and was extremely easy to work with. I have started using it on all my custom homes. It is shipped no Hazmat so I pay for material, not expensive freight.
http://soythane.com/
James

James I READ YOUR COMMENTS ON SOYTHANE AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF IT CAN BE BLOWN INTO WALL CAVITIES FROM OUTSIDE. IS THIS TO EXPENSIVE FOR A 6 inch wall cavity? dCOOKE

All spray foams are expensive. Each type of insulation has its advantages over others. What are you trying to accomplish in this six inch wall cavity and perhaps we can help you better then just telling you that it would be expensive or not?

D, Cooke;
My Custom design/build co. just finished foam insulating a 12,000'+ home in the Dallas area,
not sure if all Closed and open cell foam products are the same, but from our research, it seems so--these products are 'expansion foam'--in the attics it is left as sprayed, in the walls, it is cut flush with the studs for the wall cavities, so I don't think the insulating method you want would work with this product--think bowed siding or blown brick!
I have never seen reference to this type product as a retro-fit, only in an open wall application. Maybe someone else can help with their experiences?........

Dcooke, though I have not used it the SoyThane people sent me a .6 pound Closed Cell Cartridge to try claiming 400 bd ft out of a case with an R factor of 4. something.

A finished sample they sent had a skin but was very soft, like a mattress claiming it would not blow out walls, just compress.

I have no use for it as I only go between studs on new buildings.

I would be carefull as I would hate to blow a wall. It is not up on there website http://soythane.com/ so I would probably call them to see if it is experimental or for sale.

J

You may want to read my "foam roof nightmare" post above. I wasn't using Soy based so I can say what that does. But I have foam insulation in my walls also and they make little ticking sounds as the sun warms the surface. The problem with the foam seems to be that it glues the studs to the sheathing, so any differential movement due to uneven warming or cooling of the surface may cause noise. I'm curious if anyone else has experienced this?

Here's how to insulate a large space with spray foam insulation:

First, do a test spray. Remember, this material expands to about 100 times its initial volume, so use it conservatively.

Next, spray evenly between the studs and on the backside of the exterior sheathing. Allow it to expand so it fills all the gaps.

After allowing the foam to form and set, take a handsaw blade and shave away any foam that extends past the studs. The foam needs to be flush so that it won't be an obstacle when you're ready to install the drywall.