I am not an expert and I do not know how these products work. Take every precaution while making this a DIY project. From what I have learned is that the pro products work by expanding 100X in size from what you spray in. So you can see they are very carefully protected by goggles, air masks, and a bio suit. If the smallest particle gets into your lungs and it does get airborne it will expand in your lungs. It can also get into your skin pores. I would not call this DIY, but then again maybe they have some technique or safety precaution I do not know about.

The stuff works really well. There are some downsides to it. If there was ever a fire, the foam goes up really fast. Second, if you need to fish wires inside the wall post construction....good luck, its just not going to happen.
Third, stud finders will see it as "one big stud" making it difficult to locate the actual studs you intend to find. I would suggest 2X6 construction with R-19 or greater in the walls.

You can also use electrical outlet switch cover sealers/gaskets really do work. In addition to having good insulation in the walls, they can reduce your heating and cooling bill by as much as 20%. They are a cheap way to retain heating and cooling in your home. If you place your hand over your outlets in the Winter on a windy day, you will feel air blowing through them. So the purpose is to seal off the outlets & switches from the living space.

I found a local energy audit firm to conduct what is called a blower door test on my home. Before the sealers were installed, the outlets whistled; they leaked so bad. The tech conducted a post test after the sealers were installed and they were not only sealed, but I reduced my home's over-all air infiltration rate. Simply stated, I am now retaining my heating and cooling. What good is a high efficiency or geo-thermal system if your home cannot retain what is generated?

I went to Home Depot and paid a fortune in small Frost King packs to do my entire home. (It cost me over $100). A couple years later I built a new home, which I had more modern switches and receptacles. I found a company that sells the "Decorator" or "Decora" Leviton switch and outlet sealers/gaskets in bulk, costing a fraction compared to those retail Frost King packs that you find at Home Depot or Lowes. I looked all over for these foam gaskets. For those of you don't know, the Decora are the fat, contemporary rocker style switches found in newer homes. They will also work on bathroom GFI outlets. I ordered them from ReduceMyEnergy.com and installed them in my home. What a BIG difference. My rooms are cozy and more comfortable too. They have already more than paid for themselves.

Here is a link that might be useful: Electrical Outlet Switch GFI Leviton Decora Sealers Gaskets http://www.reducemyenergy.com/draftproducts.htm

There are foam insulations that work very well but Foam It Green is NOT one of them and I would not recommend their product. After purchasing several canisters and having a 3rd arrive at a cost of close to $1000.00 for all 3, we had a faulty canister that would not spray as promised while on a job site. I spoke with their office while in the middle of an application and they INSISTED we stop the job, close the site so that I could take photos to "prove" the product wasn't working. As everyone knows, you cannot stop workers, run home, grab a camera, drive BACK home, download photos, upload them to foam it Green and then wait for their little judges to decide if it was their fault or mine. They have refused to work with me on this or even SPLIT the difference in the cost of the product. Instead their answer is to force me to buy ANOTHER canister and they'll give me 30% off the price. I said thanks, but no thanks. I'm not a moron. If they don't stand behind their product and instead insist on treating customers with suspicion or criminals wanting to take from them - NO ONE should buy their product. It lacks reliability, their company lacks professional integrity I’ve received from others I do business with, and when a faulty canister arrives, you're stuck with it along with a high price tag!

Re Foam it Stinks:
Hi Donna, it's Mark here at Foam it Green. We still consider this an open warranty issue. We've offered multiple solutions to satisfy you despite having no pictures, no kit to test, and the the fact that answers you've provided so far indicate it's not a defective kit. We're still always open to finding out either more about the situation or working out a win - win.
Thanks, Mark

Thanks Foam it Stinks. After reading about situation, and the non-answer from Foam It Green, I'm definitely not going with their product.

Hi Wigs,

We've done all we can to address Donna's (Foam it Stinks) concerns without having anything like pictures or a returned kit to go on.

That's like calling Sony, telling them your Vaio is broken and you want your money back. When Sony wants to help, you then say you're too busy and you're going to trash them in the forums.

At the end of the day, the kits are tools that you use. If the kit is defective (very rare but it does happen) then you should never suffer from that.

On the other hand, manufacturers can't guarantee you're going to use it properly. That's like asking Craftsman not just guarantee the tool but that you'll build beatiful furniture with it.

We offer 24/7 customer support, a full warranty, complete instructions and videos, light green foam that shows when you're off ratio, a temp strip on the tank, etc in order to help you get outstanding results. The only thing we don't do is come to your home and spray it.

If you want to see a nice counter balance to Foam it Stinks, check out 120+ testimonials at sprayfoamdirect.com

Thanks,
Mark

I tried foam it green and I have to say I am very disappointed. I followed their directions exactly and their product failed. We live in NH and applied to an addition that we heated to 70 degrees for 3 hours before we started. The product went on as described and passed their test that they tell you to do in cold weather video. It took hours and we maintained the temperature at 70 during then entire spray. When we were done everything looked perfect; a tight seal in each section and no sagging.

The problem was the temperature outside was 20 degrees or below. The heater could no longer warm the outside walls after the insulation was applied (it was between the room and outside walls) and their temperature must have plummeted. The next morning I was disappointed to find many sections separated from the wall and sagged. I contacted their customer service department who went to great lengths to explain it must be user error. I repeatedly told them that we followed their directions exactly.

It is clear that this company does not and will not stand behind their product. They made absolutely no effort to address their products failings. They wasted my time saying they stand behind their product while not doing a thing.

If I had read reviews of their product before buying I never would have. They are truly clueless what it means to stand behind their product. Take my advice and moved onto another product offered by an ethical company.

Hi Eric M.(twocatsinabag),

We understand you want great value for your money. That makes all the sense in the world and we agree 100%. If the tool is broken, we replace it or refund your money gladly. You absolutely deserve working kits.

From what you've said, it sounds like a cold weather issue. Some of the best ways to make sure you get great results besides those in the instructions can be found in this video:

http://www.sprayfoamdirect.com/video/cold_weather.php

As you know, we suggested a really easy fix that involves filling in those seams with caulk to give you the high r-value and the seamless air barrier result you're after.

If it's not a user issue, it must be the kit. If you want us to check it out, please return the kits with enough chemical to test to us at:

Guardian Energy Technologies, Inc.
153 Christopher Way
Fox Lake, IL 60020

Please make sure to put some identifying marks on the tanks with a magic marker to make sure you can identify your tanks in the video we'll shoot when testing it.

We're glad to test them and see if the chemicals stick to a standard surface under standard conditions. If it doesn't stick, we'll gladly refund or replace, whatever you prefer.

Regarding the few complaints out there, when you help thousands, there will always be a few people that don't want to own up to their own responsibility. We're always glad to test the kits to ensure you have a working kit. Those few people used their kits fully and invariably didn't follow the instructions, didn't ask for support, and didn't return the kits for testing.

We look forward to testing all of your kits to find out more!

Happy holidays!

Thanks,
Mike

Mike,

I don't even know how I found this thread, but for some reason I feel compelled to comment.

I understand your response completely. I would guess at least 9 out of 10 failures are operator error. But that's not really the point.

You example regarding a Sony Vaio was not completely relevant. We are dealing with DIY people installing spray foam insulation. They are putting forth a lot of time, effort and money to get their homes insulated. They are not trying to scam you out of a free cannister of spray foam.

When a customer calls with a problem you apologize, offer and immediate replacement cannister, and follow up with as much assistance as you can possibly provide so that they get the next one done right. It doesn't matter if its a faulty kit or not.

The increased business you will get in the long run (from the good PR) should far exceed the cost of a lost kit here and there. If it doesn't then your business model is broken. Either the process is too complicated for the average end user, or your kits cost you too much.

Both could likely be fixed with some tweaking. Why not make each kit smaller so that its not as much of a burden if you have to replace one here or there? So instead of a typical project using 3 big cannisters, it uses 10 smaller cannisters (im making up numbers for the sake of argument).

I'm not a PR expert, but I do live in this world and have the ability to make observations and apply deductive reasoning to those observations and experiences. Anyway, based on your reponses, my gut tells me your doing it wrong and SparyFoamDirect could be doing a little better with a few changes in policy.

Hi geodan,

Thank you for your comments. We're always trying to improve how we support customers so your feedback is helpful.

The Sony Viao example is just to point out how warranties work, nothing more. The warranty is there to insure people get a spray foam kit that's not broken. That's the right thing to do. People are spending hard earned money for value, for a kit that works. They need to get what they paid for. That is rock solid.

Simply said, there is a difference between getting a kit that works and a kit that works no matter what you do to it or with it.

We provide do it yourself spray foam kits and around the clock support. Most calls we get are just questions, or things we can help the user fix right there, right then at no cost to the user.

We're keenly aware, as you note, that people are spending time, energy and money to insulate their homes. They deserve the best kit and the best support out there. That's why SprayFoamDirect.com does all that we do:

1. Blue and yellow makes green foam so people don't waste chemical
2. Temperature gauge strips
3. Provide the most nozzles in the industry so people feel comfortable stopping when they want to
4. Have knowledgeable staff
5. Include very thorough instructions and how - to videos
6. Have a strong warranty in place
7. Offer 24/7 customer technical support

Because these kits are portable and disposable, we're not there to spray them, or to see what's happening. That's why we sometimes need pictures. Sometimes, if that doesn't help, we need the kit in question back. That's thankfully very rare, but it does happen.

Any time we can figure out something that's defective, we're glad to make it right, even if that's replacing the whole kit. That's easy for us to do, not because they're inexpensive, but because it's the right thing to do.

No one is willing to pay a much higher initial price for a diy kit to get a warranty that covers them NO MATTER WHAT they do with it. Covering mistakes like that drives up the cost of every kit for the very vast majority of people who do read and then follow the instructions.

If someone doesn't follow the instructions, that's not the fault of the manufacturer, and therefore should not be at the manufacturer's cost, as you suggested.

With that said, we very often help our customers who have user created issues because the results are what the whole thing is about.

You're welcome to read 150+ testimonials at http://www.sprayfoamdirect.com/benefits/testimonials.php to see how well our Foam it Green customers are treated and the very cool things they're doing and the amazing results they're getting.

The bottom line is that the folks at Foam green have made representations that are just not true.

DO NOT SPRAY this product when it is cold out.

My experience was that once the room is up to temperature and you apply the foam, the outside wall temperature falls because the heat is no longer getting to it. At that point it was just a matter of time until the product separates. There is no way to stop the temperature of the wood on the outside of the house from falling (that is why you want to insulate it, right?).

I would recommend that you do not buy from this company. They have not the first clue of what customer support is. When told that their representations are false, they took the position that it must be because of user error. This is simply not true. They go on to attempt to waste my time and money shipping the cylinders back to them. The product went on the walls, so it was not the product. It was their statement that this can be applied in winter time that is simply not true. Despite their representation being false they have not offered any compensation. I ended up running out and buying traditional insulation. What else could I do?

Additionally, I have had a cough since I used their product. I used a high end respirator when I was spraying but when I stopped and stepped away, I took it off. There was a fine mist in the air and I should have never done that. If you are going to take a break, leave the area before removing your respirator. I know I am regretting not doing that.

Hi Eric M. (2catsinabag),

Thanks for writing.

As you know, we take customer satisfaction very seriously.

Your claim that we hide the importance of surface temperature is simply untrue. That is emphasized in the Instructions that came with your kits. A copy of that is downloadable online right at: http://www.sprayfoamdirect.com/products/tech_spec.php.

Likewise, because spraying in the winter months is extremely important to people who need to stop high energy costs right then and there, we have a page dedicated to it under the Help Center:
http://www.sprayfoamdirect.com/help/cold_weather.php

We also have a video that's literally highlighted under the Videos called Cold Weather tips:
http://www.sprayfoamdirect.com/video/cold_weather.php

We take our responsibility to help our clients extremely seriously. That's why we always have someone on 24/7 technical support to help make sure things like this don't happen.

We have hundreds of customers who spray foam during the winter and get excellent results. You can see their testimonials right online. The important thing is to follow the instructions, and pay attention to your DIY project.

Hopefully you've caulked up the seams and gotten the high r-value and seamless air barrier. If you have, your costs are probably down and you hear less outside noise and have better air quality. Please let us know how it turns out.

Thanks,
Mike

We have used spray foam insulation before from Tiger Foam and had a great experience, being homeowner DIY'ers.

Recently, we were looking at purchasing more for another room and looked into Foam It Green, because of their insulation that had the mold resistance. That really appealed to us.

However, after reading the responses here, I will return to Tiger Foam, where we are already familiar with their product and how easy it was for us to use. I can spray other eco-friendly mold resistant products on the surface of Tiger Foam's insulation if we need to.

So if anyone is looking into DIY foam insulation, I highly recommend Tiger Foam. Clear directions were given and several tips for spraying properly for the greatest success of application. We did ours in the dead of winter, but their tips on the heater placement to keep the canisters warm, did the trick to ensure proper mix and application.

**I do not work for or know anyone at Tiger Foam. I simply used them a few years ago, had a good experience, and wanted to share a company that we feel is reputable, based on our experience. Go to their website for questions you may have. I learned quite a bit from their website alone.**

Hope this helps someone! :)

I've been considering using spray foam to insulate the ceilings in my house. I'm VERY happy to have come across this forum. There is no way in the world I would purchase from sprayfoamdirect after reading their customer service reps responses to complaints on this forum. To compare a television with a spray foam kit may be the most ridiculous thing I've heard.

Hello,

Thanks TMVA and HowdyDoody1 for your honest feedback.

It's inevitable that out of thousands of clients, a few people won't follow the instructions and won't accept our best efforts to help them.

As an example, Donna M's complaint above was thrown out by the Better Business Bureau because it was unfounded and it amounted to warranty abuse.

The recipe that thousands have used time and time again with Foam it Green to get outstanding results is very simple:

1) Read and follow the instructions.
2) Go slowly at first to ensure it's working as planned.
3) Stop and call the 24/7 customer support line if anything is off.

There are some people who blame Craftsman when they don't build a great deck. As you know, Craftsman warranties the tool, not the project. That's the exact same thing we do. You're assured you're going to get a tool that works. Then you use it on your specific project.

We're about to add another 42 testimonials from customers who've done incredible things (http://www.sprayfoamdirect.com/benefits/testimonials.php).

That should outweigh a few complaints, except for those who focus on the fact that it is possible to get bad results even with a great tool.

That will always be true. Thankfully the great majority of people know that a great tool enhances the chances for great results.

Nonetheless, we remain 100% committed to helping the few people with unresolved issues get their projects done. We've offered them additional discounts, and of course they can still return the kits for testing.

That's the most we can do until we either have the kits to inspect or more information from them.

Please let me know the way you believe a company should handle customer-caused issues beyond helping reduce the sting of it.

Thanks,
Mark

Glad I ran across this thread - SprayFoamDirect should take heed. That way, I could order just one kit, then complain that it "didn't work". Then, as the solution is, apparently, to just keep sending me canisters, I could finish the rest of my house for free! Win!
Or maybe they could just send some people over to do the job for me - that would definitely ensure there weren't any problems ;)

Actually it's been a useful read - I get the impression that the SprayFoamDirect folks are concerned with their customers' experience, in spite of the fact that nothing in life is fool-proof, and the phrase "do it yourself" is relative. Now that I've had a chance to check out their site and others, it is actually one of the better ones I've seen - it's got a ton of info.

Hi Everyone,

Wanted to comment since I have used a product from Foam it Green and Tiger Foam. I'm a DIY in a old farm house that I'm currently using spray foam to help insulate and seal my basement and crawl space walls. Both products seem to be working well after application Less drafts, furnace runs less, less dust and one my wife likes - fewer mice, spider webs and bugs. In fact this is the first year we didn't have a carpet of dead asian beetles and boxelder bugs covering the basement floor after the fall invasion. So I would highly recommend a spray foam product. So I'll give you my 2 cents on each. Tiger Foam - seemed to spray on a little more even until the canister was empty. TF also seemed to adhere slightly better to the concrete block walls and cured faster. Not sure if it was a moisture or temp situation but both products applied in the winter and TF seem to stick better. FIG did separate from the edge of the blocks for example when I sprayed an old window opening and after drying I had to inject some Can foam into the crack to seal it. What I did like about FIG was the extras that came with , nozzles, suit and the gun was easier to spray in tight spots because I could rotate the nozzle. In fact I still have extra nozzle and with TF I had to order more. This may not be an issue if you spray the entire project in one pass but it was nice to be able to change nozzles after a break and not worry about clogging issues. I also like the green color to indicate good mixing. They both have very good instructions but there is still a learning curve to product prep, spray technique, etc. but nothing a DIY can not figure out. But I would recommend figuring on ordering more then you think to allow for some error and it's always nice to lay it down a little thicker then to thin I'm trying to decide what product to get again to finish the last wall and to be honest FIG gives you the best value with lower price, extras and coupon for the next purchase all in all it could be $100 more for the similar size product and extras from TF. But TF seemed to cover slightly more area (although this was only a guess). TF also seemed to give a slightly more uniform product and it adhered better on cool damp surface. I did call FIG customer support with a question and they did a great job on the phone for me. I agree with the comment above to wear a good respirator. After spraying my crawlspace I had upper respiratory issues for several weeks primarily due to poor mask fit.
Hope this helps

I personally have used Foam It Green and I never had any problems with it. You do have to pay attention to the application procedure though. I can see that if a person didn't read the directions that they might have some problems with it. Frankly, I found it to be pretty easy to use and it did a great job of insulating my basement. Three thumbs up.

I have been debating the issue of using glass fiber based insulation vs an expanding foam insulation. After reading several DIY sites and FIT's site, I had to comment.

FIT has a great site. I really like the time they spent comparing spray foam investment to a monetary investment. Clearly, you can't beat using spray foam to save on energy costs. I was also impressed by selection and amount of instruction.

I am a scientist and I understand that people are not familiar with thermal expansion mismatch and that is probably why many people are having trouble with the product FIT is selling. But alas, I have not tried it so I don't know.

My recommendation if you want to DIY, learn the terminology for the transmission of heat (thermal conductivity, emissivity, etc..).

Another thing I like about the FIT site is that they point out another important aspect to DIY projects. Everyone is going to tell you how to do it when you do your research, but you should also greatly consider what not to do. They point some of these obstacles out.

OK, I am done blowing smoke up FIT's (you know where).

I was pretty disappointed with the general idea of their foam. Perhaps I am missing something.

Their foam is sprayed on 1 in thick for about a $1 per sqft. When I asked them why it wasn't very thick, they told me it was to be used as a hybrid and you should also used glass fiber insulation. OK, lets assume that is the case. Last time I went to a local home improvement center, bats of R19 were ~80 cents per sqft. That would bring my entire cost up to $1.80 per sqft.

Well I had someone come spray my vaulted ceilings for $1.82 per sqft with 4 in of spray to yield the same R value (or higher with the air seal). So where is there a significant advantage?

I am open to enlightenment if anyone can tell me where I am confused.

Thanks

Has anyone every got involved with spray foam on the business side of things? I have had it sprayed in my home and was looking about starting my own business actually. I know you likely need a spray foam rigs but other than that I am not really all that sure.

I wish I'd read the comments on this page before I ordered Foam It Green. First, let me say that,
1) When it works Foam It Green is a great product,
2) There is a lot of good info and instructional material on the Foam It Green site including very useful videos.
3) The Customer Service people are very helpful at helping one use the product effectively.

However, as I learned and as suggested by the comments above,

1) There are some points that are not covered or at least are not covered well enough in the Foam It Green instructions.
2) The Customer Service people seem to be trained to always find a way to blame any problem on the customer. Their policy is that "The customer is always wrong”.
3) A large point made in advertising to differentiate Foam It Green from competitors is that you can tell by the color whether it is mixing correctly. My experience tells me that the green color is useful as follows. If the color is not green, you know there is a problem and you need to stop spraying and correct the problem. If the color is green, unlike what they insist, there can still be a problem and you need to check to be sure the foam that you sprayed a minute or two ago has cured.
4) I'm not sure that a situation where the customer is right will be corrected by the Chicago Better Business Bureau. Guardian Energy Technologies, the manufacturer of Foam It Green, is a member of the Chicago BBB. I wonder, how supportive the Chicago BBB will be of a paid member as opposed to individual consumers who were wronged by the member.

I purchased two kits. What I learned afterwards is that, in spite of my following the instructions carefully, there was a problem with the spray gun of the kit that I used first. It sprayed correctly into a test area and then, as I sprayed about half of the area that was to be covered by that kit, it sprayed green chemical that looked like that which successfully cured in the test area. However, the spray gun was apparently mixing reduced amounts of the yellow chemical. When I looked back over the areas sprayed first, I saw dripping blue chemical. I stopped spraying and, in examining the sprayed areas, I found randomly some areas cured correctly, some were tacky and never cured, while about 80% of the area sprayed turned from green to blue and dripped. They tell me green foam can’t turn to blue. Although I wasn’t really prepared to collect photo evidence, I did manage to obtain a couple photos that give a good look at what was happening. I was able to successfully spray the remaining foam in that kit and the foam from the second kit by using the second kit’s spray gun.

I’m not sure what was wrong with the first kit’s spray gun. I could give you details but, to summarize, I followed their instructions very carefully, for example, I removed the nozzle almost immediately after spraying the test area, applied petroleum jelly as instructed, and then installed a fresh nozzle. However, what I now know is that, even if the sprayed foam appears green, one should continuously check areas that were sprayed one or two minutes earlier to be sure they are curing correctly. This check should be added to their otherwise good instruction package.

I also learned that the Foam It Green warranty is worthless and that Guardian Energy Technologies will do whatever they can to avoid paying for chemical that is wasted cause of a failure in the process no matter how well you follow the instructions.

I submitted an on-line complaint to the Chicago BBB on June 14. When there seemed to be nothing happening as a result, I phoned them and finally got through on June 17. I was told that my complaint would be processed and sent to Guardian giving them 10 days to respond. Well that was 19 days ago and, as far as I can tell, nothing has happened. If you look on the BBB site, amazingly under “Customer Complaints Summary” they show only “Closed Complaints”. Thus, my complaint doesn’t even show up.

I need more spray foam to complete this project cause of that wasted cause of the failure of the Foam It Green spray gun and their instructions to cover what happened in my situation. Also, I have some other projects at a number of locations and will probably go to Tiger Foam based on the reviews that I’ve seen so far of Tiger Foam.

Hi JoeBee,

Thanks for writing. We appreciate your feedback and your efforts to make sure you get your project done right. Please contact us at Help@guardianenergytech.com for further help.

We remain committed to resolving this open warranty claim.

Thanks,
Mark
Guardian Energy Technologies, Inc.

P.S. If you want to see how rare issues are like this, please check out 200+ stories of customer successes at sprayfoamdirect.com.

I am curious how Foam It Green will handle JoeBee's complaint. How about some transparency here FIG and post your response on this forum?

By the look of these reviews and Foam It Green's attitude in resolving their customers' problems and warranty issues, I think I've changed my mind about using their product. A scenario that is very disconcerting to me is how will the company react if one of their customer's house burn down because the foam was not retardant enough to allow time for a rescue. According to a study by the Canadian National Research Counsil (http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/ibp/irc/cbd/building-digest-178.html), foam is very flamable and spreads quickly and emits to toxic into the air when burning. Sure they say their product is fire rated I E-84? But what does that mean really? That you have 10 minutes to react before the fire swallows up your house? I've read of a few reviews of FIG that mentioned that sometimes they didn't get the right mix of the blue chemical with the yellow.... what if that retardant chemical from one of those can doesn't get mixed in to the foam in proper proportions? I suppose that is the end user's problem as well.

Every house needs a sturdy roof. It protects people from all kinds of weather conditions. It keeps unwanted things out of the house. A good roof on your head means you have a shelter above you.http://goo.gl/2kfFO

Never used spray foam insulation before. Regarding Tiger Foam converstion, how well does tiger foam stick to steel beams and air ducts.

AdamT: Foam It Green offered me a small token. I counter offered that I would buy a new kit if they covered half of the cost since that is about the amount of chemical lost cause of problems with their instructions. I made my offer over two weeks ago and haven't heard a peep from FIG since.

I never heard a peep out of the BBB after filing my complaint. I just looked at the Chicago BBB web site listing for Guardian Energy Technologies, Inc., the manufacturer of Foam IT Green. When I filed my complaint with them on June 14, 2011, there was one complaint listed which was shown as closed with BBB assistance. There are now 3 complaints listed and all of them are shown as closed. I’m guessing that mine is the one dated 7/19/2011 with the comment “BBB found business made good faith effort to resolve complaint but customer not satisfied with business response (1)”! Perhaps I’ll make time this week to phone the BBB. That’s easier said then done since I already spent a lot of time on hold after dialing their number in the past.

JoeBee: Thanks for the update. Can you possibly scan their instructions and post them here for people to look at. Because I get the sense that they do not warn or place enough emphasis on things that can wrong. Much like cigarette companies years ago.

Those who are consider foam, you might also want to look at this forum.
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/community/forum/green-products-and-materials/14537/out-gassing-bad-stuff-spray-foam-insulation?page=1

AdamT: Their instructions are at
http://www.sprayfoamdirect.com/PDFs/Operating%20Instructions.pdf

Incidentally, I phoned the BBB today and found that they did Email a response to me from FIT in July. I missed it cause it looked like spam. I spent a lot of time today addressing the many inaccuracies in their response. Just sent my response to the BBB.

I've been reading through that forum that you referenced . . .

BEING A CONTRACTOR OF HISTORIC HOMES AND ALSO DOING GENERAL REMODELING FOR 30 YRS I'D LIKE TO ADD A LITTLE INSIGHT TO THIS SUBJECT. ALTHOUGH THESE KITS DO WORK UNDER PROPER CONDITIONS AND WITH THE CORRECT PREP WORK DONE. I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I HAVE HEARD FROM THESE PEOPLE JUST BY READING THE POSTS. SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE COMPLAINING DID NOT CLEAN ALL THE DUST AND DIRT FROM THE WORK SURFACE. YOU MUST CLEAN ALL DUST AND CONTAMINATES FROM THE WORK SURFACE, WE CLEAN TWICE AND VACUUM AT LEAST THREE TIMES JUST WITH NORMAL DUSTY SITUATIONS! SPRAY FOAM DOES NOT STICK TO DIRT NOR WILL IT CUT THRU DUST AND DEBRIS TO BOND TO WHATS UNDERNEATH IT!
TO THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO SPRAYED WHEN IT WAS 20 DEGREES OUTSIDE OR LESS. YOU CAN HEAT THE CANS UP TO 100 DEGREES IF YOU WANT BUT IF YOU SPRAY IT ONTO A FROZEN SURFACE IT IS GOING TO FREEZE ON CONTACT OR AT LEAST BEFORE IT HAS TIME TO BOND AND CURE! THAT'S COMMON SENSE. I DON'T MEAN TO MAKE LIGHT OF THE SITUATION FOR THESE PEOPLE BECAUSE THESE CANISTERS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. BUT PREP WORK ALWAYS TAKES 5 TIMES LONGER THAN THE JOB ITSELF, HOT LIQUIDS FREEZE BEFORE COLD ONES AND IF YOU ARE NOT MECHANICALLY OR CONSTRUCTION INCLINED THEN YOU REALLY HAVE NO BUSINESS DOING A JOB LIKE THIS.
THE BIGGEST OTHER THING IS, IF YOU ARE REMODELING YOUR HOUSE BY TAKING THE SHEETROCK OFF OF THE OUTSIDE WALLS AND GOING ROOM BY ROOM, THEN MAYBE I COULD SEE YOU USING THIS PRODUCT. BUT IF YOU ARE REMOVING ALL THE SHEETROCK FROM THE OUTSIDE WALLS AT ONCE THEN WHY WOULD YOU NOT HIRE A COMPANY TO DO THIS? THE PROFESSIONAL COMPANYS WITH THE PROFESSIONAL GRADE MATERIAL AND HEATED HOSES ARE ONLY CHARGING UNDER 3.00 PER FT FOR CLOSED CELL AT 3 INCHES THICK ON A 2X4 WALL. THIS IS LESS MONEY THAN YOU ARE PAYING JUST FOR THE MATERIAL!
ANY QUESTIONS WRITE ME AT BURLPAINTHARDWARE@SBCGLOBAL.NET

I guess I must have got the only perfectly working kit Foam it Green has made. I bought the 1202 kit and received fast delivery. I watched their videos, although it all seemed like common sense without watching the videos. I sprayed both 602 kits (1202) using only three tips and used the same hoses and gun for both (probably not recommended).

I sprayed a full crawl space, walls, rim-joists, and floor (ceiling). I feel like I got better coverage than advertised. The entire process took 4 hours from start to finish, including shaking the tanks, hooking up the tanks, changing tanks, and dressing up in all the gear. I’ve only had a few people look at it, and everyone has been amazed. I know at least two of the people will be ordering DIY foam kits. I’m glad I didn’t read this forum before I bought the kits from Foam it Green or I may not have purchased their kit. I feel bad others have had a negative experience because mine was so good.

Whether it was operator error on the customer’s part or a quality control issue from the manufacturer in the examples above, mine system exceeded my expectations. I have a very large job coming up in the next couple months. I’ll compare the contractor’s bid to what I can buy Foam it Green for. If it’s significantly cheaper to do it myself, Foam it Green will get my business again.

Good luck to others.

NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME!
I recently returned from the Solar Decathlon that is held every 2 years in DC. Foam insulation was a very big deal this year. Some of the homes had as much as 10" of foam in their roofs. I just want to make it clear that I am a believer. I like the idea of foam. I drank the Kool-Aid when they said it is not all about R value. Sealing cracks and holes is very important.
However 'Foam it Green' was a big ($2,600 for a small basement work room) mistake. When this is done professionally they bring a truck and have high pressure equipment to keep the foam flowing.
What you are dealing with here is an over grown aerosol can. My first kit went on great. Actually got a little more coverage than i expected. The second kit and third kit the stuff came out in globs and clumps. I ended up with a fraction of the coverage and it was a MESS. Nearly impossible to control. Luckily the 4th kit went on ok. Not as well as the 1st, though.
When you order these kits they send you "EVERYTHING YOU WILL NEED. NO RUNNING TO THE HARDWARE STORE!" I think that is direct quote form one of their videos. They send a few nozzles and a few fan tips. They also sent me a bag of extras of both. I went through everyone of them. I also had to keep a palm of vaseline in my other hand. They say it helps to keep the nozzle from clogging. It does a little. I must have gone through 30 nozzles and all the tips they sent.
The one thing that they do excel at is blaming the customer. The guy on the phone (if you waste your time to call) and reads down the list of reasons that you made mistakes.
spray too thick
spray too thin
wall too warm
wall too cold
did not shake
did not read instructions
These things were actually all said to me in the course of a single conversation. There were others. It was as if he was reading down a "Blame the Customer" list. I am not sure he ever listened to me.
Re: sending you everything ... no mask. This is sold as a dyi project. They even show a young, inexperienced, female applying the foam. The tech support guy there told me that most of their customers are contractors and have their own T100 masks so they do not include them in the kit. You will pay $35 or so. They probably could have bought them in bulk and at least offered them as an option for less. if you are doing ceilings, you will need at least another couple pair of protective eye ware. They suggest applying vaseline the your goggles. Just try seeing out of those. But they do send booties. What a joke. He also said that I needed a laser thermometer. That was not included. He was, like, 'what, you don't have a laser thermometer?' Really. I do have my booties, though. Yea!
Finally, they miscalculated how much foam I would need. When I spoke to the nice lady one the phone I told her the measurements of the room including the measurements of the ceiling, over which there is to be a deck of sorts. She dutifully subtracted the area of windows and doors. She did not take in to account that while the R value of a wall should be R-14, a roof in my zone (North Carolina) should be more like R-35. I should have had enough left over, but, sadly, did not.
The 'aerosol can' technology is just not up to the job. It does not come out even. Every one of my 'blue' cans still has a lot of component in it. Especially from kits #2 and #3. I have absolutely no doubt that the guy at tech support has yet another reason on his sheet why this is my fault.
But this is what you need to hear. If the components don't come out evenly (and why would they? they are just aerosol cans after all) this is never going to work right. It was not obvious to me at the time that this was what was going wrong, although I am fairly certain now that was my main problem. I only realized it when I was moving the cans to begin the evacuation / disposal procedure (huge project in itself), that none of the blue cans were empty. And the blue cans from kits #2 and #3 had significantly more than the others. And, yes, Foam it Green people, I did shake all the cans equally. A lot, in fact. And I watched all the videos at least once.
Don't buy this product. At least compare professional prices. They are attempting a goofy solution for a serious project. This stuff is just not ready for prime time.

Hi Toml_1,

Thanks for your feedback. Please contact us at help@guardianenergytech.com to discuss your situation further.

These are portable, disposable kits that over ten thousand people have used to get outstanding results. These kits have extensive directions, thorough videos, and 24/7 customer support.

Because of the freedom the kits allow, we’re not there when people use their kits. To find out what happened, we have to ask questions. There is no other way to find out how we can help get the project back on track.

We’re not here to assign guilt – we’re here to find out if the issue is happening because of a warranty defect or if the user needs additional guidance. That’s how simple it is.

Just a few other points: most of our customers are homeowners, but many, as you know, own a mask. We do offer one, but not as the 17 extras promo. The 17 Free extras promo lists what's in it right on the site.

Regarding the left over blue component, having some left over is actually very common due to the viscosity of the chemical. If there's a lot left over, that's a different story. Let me know if you still have the tanks.

I'm surprised to hear about the nozzles and tips running out on your project. Most projects end up with plenty of spares. For the record, we supply the most tips and nozzles for any kit out there.

I hope you'll reach out to us at help@guardianenergytech.com so you can finish your project and get outstanding results.

Thanks,
Mark

P.S. For the casual reader passing through, please check out 231+ testimonials at SprayFoamDirect.com to see the other side of the story.

After reading about the lousy support from FIG, I gladly purchased Touch N' Seal's Foam Kit 1000 for the second time for $751.00 delivered to SC from Spray Foam Nation. I have never had an issue with their products, and what a difference it makes.So glad I was not sucked in by FIG freebies.I have sprayed in both cold and hot conditions and never an issue with Touch N Seals product!

Mark,
I wrote a review of your product and I was directed to write here.
In the response to my well thought out and specific letter, i mentioned that I had reviewed the online videos, some of them several times. I felt I had the expertise and background to handle something like fig.
If you read my letter ( http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/energy-power/is-diy-spray-foam-insulation-a-bad-idea-067531 ) I said as much. Also, during the project, while the aerosol cans were failing, I called the help line…and got NO help. I was told it was my fault. It finally dawned on me, as I was changing tips every 5 minutes to try and keep things flowing that one can would empty while the other was still half full.
$2600! I could have paid a professional the same price ( icynene appox $4 per sq ft).
This should have been so totally do-able. Your product failed and your help line does … not.

Toml_1

WOW... after reading this blog... I am no longer considering FIG as a choice to solve my cold feet issues that I have due to my cold crawl space. Thanks Mark for showing the customers that we are wrong and Corporate America is always right. HMMMMM you should have just let the customer vent and be done with it. Whether the customer is right or wrong... what does it matter we are looking to you or the company to help us with our problems. Mine is cold feet and at this point I would rather buy wool socks than purchase your product. Your product is probably a good product with typical failure rates, but the attitude towards customers that pay for your product... well no gracias senor. Mejor I move to warmer climate. In any case a thread is not a place for you to air dirty laundry or vent. Good luck with your product.