Flash And Batt

5 things you don t want to happen.

Flash and batt. Is the flash and batt technique where an inch or two of spray foam insulation is applied to the interior side of roof or wall sheathing before fitting rafter and stud bays with fiberglass batts a good way to insulate. At that time the flash and batt method was still a little used approach. When it is not problems have often occurred. This strategy does not make the structural sheathing warmer.

Flash and batt insulation is one example of a new technique being implemented by insulation contractors. The general concept with fab is to install a thin layer of closed cell. The insulation job is finished off and the batt portion is used. By john bartlo president of energsmart foam insulation energsmart and our partners often field questions regarding flash and batt fab or so called hybrid insulation systems.

There are advantages to this strategy that provides two different insulation products spray polyurethane foam and then a traditional batt on the inside. Last january got pretty cold in the midwest. It was one of those months that got cold and stayed cold for several days in a row. New home insulation problems.

Fiberglass devoured the insulation industry in the 1970s for obvious reasons. Flash and batt is a hybrid insulation approach combining fiberglass insulation and closed cell spray foam. Flash and batt fab hybrid systems. The flash portion is the closed cell foam used on the outside of the house.

Flash and batt insulation is used most commonly in new construction homes or remodeled homes in the walls but that doesn t mean it doesn t come with its fair share of problems. Within a 2x6 24 inch wide wall cavity spray a 1 inch thick minimum layer of closed cell expanding foam along the perimeter to seal the joints. A real life scenario. A flash and batt system uses air impermeable insulation such as closed cell spray foam in the building cavities joist or stud bays installed against the inside of the structural sheathing.

I contacted a range of insulation manufacturers both spray foam manufacturers and fiberglass insulation manufactures and none of these manufacturers were willing to endorse the flash and batt approach.