I live in an old house. Drafts sneak in like nosy neighbors. I got tired of cold floors and a loud furnace. So I tried three foam insulation kits myself.
If you’d like the full, photo-heavy narrative of that first experiment, you can find it in my deep-dive recap on trying foam insulation DIY kits.
Here’s what happened in my basement, my garage, and my van. Yes, a van. I know—my mother shook her head too.
Quick note on safety (the stuff that kept me sane)
Foam is sticky and fussy. It also has fumes. So I wore:
- Full suit (Tyvek or a cheap paint suit)
- Nitrile gloves under long cuff rubber gloves
- Goggles and an organic vapor respirator
- Hat and old shoes
For readers who want an official deep dive into health considerations, the EPA’s spray foam insulation safety guidelines walk through ventilation, PPE, and post-cure airing-out steps in plain language.
I ran a fan. I taped plastic over doors. I told my family to stay out. My cat hated me for one day. Then he forgave me.
One more key thing: warm tanks. I keep the cylinders around 75–85°F. Cold tanks spray weird and waste foam. I learned that the hard way.
Kit #1: Froth-Pak 210 in my 1928 basement rim joists
Target: Rim joists around the basement. Old wood. Odd gaps. Spiders I didn’t hire.
What I used: Froth-Pak 210 (closed-cell). It came with hoses and 10 nozzles.
If you’d like the manufacturer’s specs and coverage charts, the official Froth-Pak 210 product page by DuPont lays everything out in detail.
What I did:
- I vacuumed cobwebs and wiped dust.
- I covered the boiler and the washer with drop cloths.
- I set the tanks near a space heater for an hour. Warm but not hot.
- I sprayed one light pass first, like frosting a cupcake but thinner. Then a second pass after a few minutes.
What went wrong:
- I paused too long, and a nozzle clogged. You must swap nozzles if you stop more than 30 seconds. I wasted one.
- I sprayed one bay too thick (about 3 inches at once). It skinned over and cracked a bit. I carved out the bad spot and added a thin pass.
Results:
- Drafts near the sill plate stopped the same day.
- My dehumidifier ran less. The basement smelled less “old gym sock.”
- I used almost the whole kit (it claims 200-ish board feet—1 square foot at 1 inch thick). I got close to that.
Would I use it again? Yes. It came out creamy and even. The foam cured fast. Green color showed good mix. I liked that.
Kit #2: Tiger Foam Fast Rise 200 in my detached garage wall
Target: North wall of my one-car garage. It faced wind and rattled like a drum.
What I used: Tiger Foam Fast Rise 200. Closed-cell. Came with 8 nozzles and a foam gun.
What I did:
- I stapled up plastic as a shield. Overspray is forever. It sticks to everything, even my phone case (RIP).
- I marked each stud bay with tape lines to keep my passes even.
- Two light coats at about 1 inch each. I waited a few minutes between coats.
What went wrong:
- The concrete near the bottom was cold. The foam pulled back in one spot. I warmed the area with a heat gun and hit it again.
- The hose kinked once. I had to straighten it or the mix sputtered.
Results:
- Wall got quiet. No more tin-can rattle on windy nights.
- The garage smelled a bit like fresh foam for a day. I left the door open. It cleared fast.
- The kit ran a tiny bit “stringy” when the tanks cooled. Keeping them warm fixed it.
Would I use it again? Yep. It was a little cheaper than Froth-Pak when I bought it. The yield felt honest if I kept coats thin.
Kit #3: Touch ‘n Seal 200 in my sprinter van build (the spicy one)
Target: My van conversion panels—thin metal loves to sweat in fall.
What I used: Touch ‘n Seal Foam Kit 200. Closed-cell.
What I did:
- I masked every wire and latch with blue tape. I also cut cardboard shields for tight spots.
- I sprayed very light passes. Metal gets cold fast, so thin layers stick better.
- I kept a box fan blowing out the back. Windows open. Nose happy.
What went wrong:
- I rushed one panel and got drips. I shaved them after cure with a cheap pull saw.
- I hit a hidden cable clip. Foam glued it. I had to cut foam around it and free the clip with needle-nose pliers.
Results:
- Huge drop in condensation. Mornings went from wet to just faint dew lines.
- Road noise got softer. Not silent, but less “tinny.”
- Slight chemical smell hung around for a few hours, then gone.
Would I use it again? Yes, but go slow. Vans need patience. Thin passes win.
Stuff I learned the hard way (so you don’t)
- Warm tanks = happy foam. I keep them in a warm room or a big tote with warm water bottles.
- Thin passes. About 1 inch at a time. Let it rise; then go again.
- Swap nozzles if you pause. Don’t argue with chemistry.
- Cover everything, twice. Plastic, cardboard, even your watch.
- Keep a foam cleaner or acetone for uncured drips. Once cured, it’s chisel time.
- Board feet math helps. 200 board feet = 200 sq ft at 1 inch thick.
- Plan exit and airflow. Fan out a window or door. Take breaks outside.
- Check your local code. Many spots need an ignition barrier over foam. I used fire-rated paint in the basement and 1/2-inch drywall in the garage.
Cost chat (what I paid, roughly)
- Froth-Pak 210: mine was a bit above four hundred dollars.
- Tiger Foam 200: a touch less than Froth-Pak at the time.
- Touch ‘n Seal 200: similar range; sales pop up now and then.
A pro quoted me over two grand to do my basement rim joists and that one garage wall. My kits came in under one thousand total, plus safety gear. Time spent? Two afternoons and a very foamy Saturday.
Which kit for what?
- Froth-Pak: my pick for rim joists. Fast cure. Clean spray. Less drama.
- Tiger Foam: good value for walls. Keep tanks warm; it lays nice.
- Touch ‘n Seal: decent for vans and small zones. Be patient with thin layers.
All three are closed-cell, around R-6 to R-7 per inch. They also block air, which matters as much as R-value in old homes.
Little things that made it smoother
- Sharpie marks on studs every inch helped me judge thickness.
- A cheap kitchen timer kept my recoat times honest.
- Petroleum jelly on glove fingertips—foam didn’t stick as bad.
- Music on, but not loud. You need to hear the spray sound. It changes if the mix goes off.
By the way, many of these little workflow tricks came in handy again when I made my own countertops last summer—prep and patience save the day in almost any DIY.
Should you DIY or call a pro?
- DIY: rim joists, small walls, vans, sheds, knee walls, odd gaps.
- Pro: big attics, whole-house retrofits, tall walls, or when you see moisture issues you don’t understand.
For readers leaning toward the pro route, the Service Center Team maintains a nationwide network of insulation experts who can price the job and explain code requirements upfront.
If you see mold, fix that first. Foam is not a bandage for wet wood.
And if you’re itching for a totally different project—say, cultivating fresh herbs year-round—see how I built my own DIY grow tent with just a roll of Mylar, a zipper kit, and a handful of patience.
Feeling like you deserve a reward that doesn’t involve goggles and respirators? After scrubbing foam off my gloves, I sometimes swap the toolbox for a bit of social fun—plancul.app is a quick way to line up casual meet-ups with people nearby, letting you reset, recharge, and come back to the next project with fresh energy. If you happen to be down in Palm Beach County and want to toast your handiwork, swing by Tryst Boynton Beach where the craft cocktails, live-music patio, and chef-driven small plates make for a perfect post