Spray Foam Insulation: Open & Closed Cell
Icynene open-cell and closed-cell spray foam for homes, cabins, shops, and new builds in Pagosa Springs, Bayfield, Durango, and across southwest Colorado. Installed by a local crew, in business since 2000.
Open-cell Icynene
Open-cell Icynene is the soft, expanding foam. Sprayed into an open cavity, it grows to fill the bay, wraps pipes and wires, and seals the gaps that batt insulation bridges over. It's an air barrier, not a vapor barrier, so it suits interior walls, vaulted ceilings, and attic roof decks where the assembly is designed to dry.
It's also the quieter of the two. The open structure absorbs sound, which is why it shows up in great rooms with tall ceilings and in walls between living space and a garage or loft. For a big area it's the more cost-effective option.
Closed-cell Icynene
Closed-cell Icynene is denser and rigid. It delivers more R-value per inch, so it earns its keep where the cavity is shallow, and it acts as both an air barrier and a vapor barrier. It resists moisture and condensation and it stiffens the wall or roof it bonds to.
That's the foam we spec for rooflines, rim joists, crawlspace stem walls, and metal buildings. Anywhere water, condensation, or a thin assembly is the real problem, closed-cell is the answer. It costs more per inch than open-cell, and on the right job it's worth it.
Open vs closed cell: which fits your build
The short version: open-cell fills big cavities and quiets a room; closed-cell handles moisture, thin cavities, and anything structural. Most houses we do end up with some of each.
A common Pagosa new build gets closed-cell on the roofline and the rim, and open-cell in the interior walls. An older cabin with a vented attic might not need spray foam in the attic at all — a blown-in cellulose top-up does that job for less, and we say so. A steel shop gets closed-cell, because the problem there is condensation on cold metal, not just heat loss.
We decide on the walkthrough, not from a menu. Tell us what the building does, and we'll tell you which foam, where, and where foam isn't the right spend.
Where we use it: walls, rooflines, rim joists, shops
Walls and rooflines
New builds while the framing is open, vaulted ceilings, and roof decks. Foam goes in before drywall, and we work around the rest of the project's schedule.
Rim joists and crawlspaces
The band between floors and the crawlspace walls are the leakiest part of most houses. Closed-cell seals both.
Shops and metal buildings
Closed-cell sprayed to the steel stops the dripping and makes the building hold heat. Garages, pole barns, and ag buildings included.
A Pagosa Springs new build, foamed while it was open
On a recent Pagosa Springs new build we sprayed the walls and the vaulted roof with closed-cell foam while the framing was still open, then finished the crawlspace below it. The foam is continuous around the windows and the penetrations, which is where a batt job usually leaks air.
More of the crew's work, including metal buildings and cabins, is in the project gallery.
What customers say
Google 5.0★ from 12 reviews.
"#1 Insulation company in Southern Colorado. My building project has 15' - 30' ceilings, 4050ft.² home, two mezzanines and third floor lofts. Ceilings: 5" Icynene Plus Spray Foam, certified healthy, and to code expectation. Class three vapor barrier that is hydrophobic. Window and door areas well insulated. R30 Mineral Wool Batts for soundproofing walls and all stairways. They went above and beyond by checking on my property and cleaning up after themselves and doing everything requested. They did an excellent job and fast!" — Shänti Lira, Google review
Spray foam questions we hear on walkthroughs
What's the difference between open-cell and closed-cell spray foam?
Open-cell is a soft, expanding foam that air seals and absorbs sound, and it fits interior walls and many attic roofs. Closed-cell is dense and rigid, with a higher R-value per inch, and it doubles as a vapor barrier, so we use it on rooflines, rim joists, crawlspaces, and metal buildings.
Is Icynene the foam you spray?
Yes. We install Icynene open-cell and closed-cell spray foam. It's a water-blown foam made with renewable castor oil, and once cured it's a stable, inert material that doesn't shed fibers or dust.
Can you foam a house that's already built?
Often, yes. Open attics, crawlspaces, rim joists, and shops are straightforward. Finished walls are a different job — we look at them on the walkthrough and tell you whether foam, blown-in, or leaving them alone makes sense.
Do you work outside Pagosa Springs?
Yes. We're based in Pagosa Springs and work in Bayfield, Durango, South Fork, Creede, and Chama, New Mexico. The walkthrough is free either way.
How do I get a price?
Call 970-749-5711 or send the form on the contact page. We walk the job, then follow up with a quote by phone. Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm Mountain.
Book a free walkthrough
Tell us about the build and we'll come look. No charge for the visit.
