Open-cell foam insulation in Bismarck ND - quieter rooms and walls that stop drafts
Drafty rooms, a noisy bedroom or a cold room over the garage? We spray foam that seals the gaps and quiets the space.
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- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does open-cell foam insulation do for a Bismarck house?
Open-cell foam insulation is sprayed into walls, ceilings and attic rooflines in Bismarck homes, where it expands into the gaps and stops drafts very well, though water vapor can still pass through it.
Most people who call me have a drafty room, a hot upstairs or a bedroom where they hear everything, and they've heard foam fixes it. Open cell often does, but because vapor gets through it, where it goes matters as much as how much goes in, and sometimes closed-cell foam, the dense kind that blocks moisture, is the better pick. The price moves with how many areas you want done, how deep the foam needs to be, how hard the space is to reach and whether old insulation has to come out first. The schedule turns on whether the city wants a permit and on the time the foam needs before you're back inside, and my written estimate lays out what we'd do and why for your house.
Is open-cell foam insulation right for your home?
Walls open for a remodel
With the drywall off, open cell fills each stud bay and stops the drafts you used to feel.
Noise between rooms or floors
You hear the TV through the bedroom wall or footsteps overhead, and foam in the cavity quiets it.
The room over the garage
It's cold in winter and hot in summer, and foam in its ceiling and walls seals the leaks.
A new addition going up
Framing for an addition leaves the walls and roof open, which is the easiest time to spray.
How we install open-cell foam insulation
Open cell is a good fit when you want quieter rooms and a lower price, so I suggest it for walls, ceilings and rooflines above ground and keep it off foundation walls, for reasons I cover in the questions below. On the job we cover floors, windows and anything that shouldn't get foam on it, spray the cavities in passes to the depth we agreed on, trim the foam flush where drywall goes back on and clean up before we leave. In an attic, we talk through how moisture will be handled before anyone sprays, which I explain further down.
Open cell isn't the answer under the house, so when the crawl space is what's making your floors cold and damp, a crawl space vapor barrier that keeps ground moisture down is often the better first step. Business owners call us too, and we do commercial insulation for offices and shops that need to stay warmer and quieter.
Walls and ceilings you want quieter
This suits bedrooms, offices and floors between levels where noise carries, along with walls opened for a remodel or framed for an addition. It's the less expensive foam, so your budget covers more wall than it would with closed cell.
The attic roofline
This suits attics you want to bring inside the house, like one holding ductwork or a bonus room. It takes the most planning of any spot, which I cover in the attic section below.
What happens when you call about open-cell foam in Bismarck?
Call or send the form
Call (701) 299-5007 or send the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. It helps to list the rooms or areas you want insulated and roughly how big each one is.
I look the space over
I come out, look over the space with you, take photos and explain what I found, what should be fixed first and what can wait. Then I send a written estimate that says what we'd do and why, so you see the cost before you decide anything.
We fix problems, then spray
We deal with problems first, like old insulation that got wet or filled with droppings, and we seal before we insulate. Everyone in the house steps out while we spray, as the questions below explain.
Walk through the finished work
Before we pack up, I walk you through what we did so you can see the foam reaches the edges and not just the middle. The work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Is open-cell foam right for your attic?
Sealing and topping up usually wins, unless ducts live there.
Foam costs more than loose fill, though it seals air while it insulates. For most attics I'd rather do attic air sealing, closing the gaps around lights, pipes and the hatch, and then top up with blown-in insulation. Foam under the roof makes more sense when your ducts run through the attic, because it brings them inside the warm part of the house.
When we do spray the roofline, we plan moisture with you first. Building science guides say an attic turned from vented to conditioned, heated and cooled with the house, needs a way to remove moisture, and open cell in cold climates needs indoor humidity control or a vapor retarder on the inside. Where the foam stays exposed, a latex vapor-retarder paint may be used.
Examples of insulation work
Look through these examples of insulation work to see how different materials look once they're in place.
Get a written estimate for open-cell foam
List the areas you want insulated and the rough size of each, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a free on-site visit. There's no pressure to book once you have my written estimate.
Why Bismarck homeowners call Pinnacle Bismarck Spray Foam Insulation for open-cell foam
The owner does your estimate
I do the estimates myself, and I'm on the jobs alongside our installers. The person who explained your house to you is there making sure the work matches.
Licensed for North Dakota work
North Dakota requires a contractor's license whenever a job's cost, value or price goes over $4,000, so it's a fair thing to ask anyone you're weighing. We're licensed and fully insured.
Told what to skip, too
I'd rather tell you your insulation is fine than sell you more of it, and I'll say so when something needs a second look or a different trade. We've worked that way since 2023, so call (701) 299-5007 or send the form and tell me what's bothering you.
Open-cell foam questions we hear
Is open-cell or closed-cell foam better for my home?
Open cell is better when you want quieter rooms and a lower price, and closed cell is better when you need the most insulating power per inch. Closed cell is about twice as energy efficient per inch and costs more, while open cell is a much better sound barrier. Moisture settles some spots for you, as the next answer explains.
Can open-cell foam go on foundation walls?
I don't recommend it there. One building science guide rates open-cell foam as not acceptable for foundations and spaces below ground because it lets moisture through, and says it conflicts with below-grade insulation requirements in many cases. If your foundation walls are the goal, we'll talk about basement insulation options instead.
How much does open-cell spray foam cost in Bismarck?
Open-cell spray foam in Bismarck usually costs about $0.60 to $0.90 per board foot, which is one square foot of foam an inch thick. That's the going rate in the area, not our price, and your total comes down to how much area gets foam and how deep. My written estimate puts it in terms of your own house and says what we'd do and why.
How long do we have to stay out of the house after spray foam?
Everyone in the house, kids and pets included, should be out while we spray and stay out until the foam has finished curing. That wait is the re-entry time, when it's safe to come back, and the house also needs airing out and cleaning before you return. Plan ahead for where you'll stay, and I'll go over the timing with you at the estimate.
How do I know if spray foam in my attic needs a fire covering?
The foam's properties and what the code requires decide it, and not every spray foam needs one. When one is called for, it's a thermal or ignition barrier, a protective layer such as a coating or drywall over the foam. I sort out which applies before writing your estimate, so the covering isn't a surprise later.
How thick does open-cell foam need to be on rim joists?
It has to go on thicker than closed cell would to count as an air barrier. Rim joists, the band of framing that sits on top of the foundation, can be sealed and insulated in one step with spray foam, so it's fair to ask how thick the foam will be there. I'll tell you the depth I'd plan for when I look at yours.
Wondering if open cell fits your house?
I'll come look the space over with you, take photos and send a written estimate that says what we'd do and why.
Other work that often goes with it
Open-cell foam insulation rules and homes in Bismarck
The City of Bismarck's Building Inspections Department handles permits inside the city and the area around it that the city oversees, and the same office does plan review and inspections. The city lists the International Residential Code and the International Energy Conservation Code among its adopted codes, which cover how homes are built and how they use energy. Whether a foam job needs a permit isn't something I'll guess at, so before work starts we check with that office, and when it does, we handle the application and wait for the permit to be issued before we begin.
Many of our calls come from houses with a room over the garage, a drafty upstairs or walls opened for a remodel, and we see the same kinds of homes on jobs in Mandan as we do across Bismarck. Wherever the house is, I look at what's already in the walls and attic before I suggest any foam.