Blown-in insulation is becoming more and more densely packed when it comes from the manufacturer. The good news is that you can now carry more products and complete more jobs (or square footage) without having to reload the truck. That said, the change in density changes how material loads into the machine. A common habit […]
Read MoreIs your insulation blowing equipment rapidly eating your profit? Blowing machines all have the same objective: take a dense fibrous material, fluff it up, and blow it into an attic or wall cavity. Most fiberglass or cellulose insulation blowing machines were designed years ago, for the fiber sizes years ago. The problem is, today’s fiber […]
Read MoreIt’s Never Been More Important. The least fun things in contracting have now become the most important element of survival. That’s right, job costing, constantly focusing on account- receivable, eliminating waste, tightening productivity, cutting back on crews, and squeezing everything you can get out of everything you find. No doubt, a few of the competitors, […]
Read MoreNobody likes throwing cash away, but I’ve seen a lot of spray foam installers fail to get the remaining chemical out of the drums, which is basically the same thing. Letting the last few gallons in the drum go to waste is no different than underbidding projects or using too much material on a job. […]
Read MoreAs municipalities adopt new codes, code officials are beginning to verify compliance. And in some cases, it has not gone well. One recent example is an apartment building in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Blower door tests were done on the first completed units. When the official reviewed the results, it showed a one-bedroom unit (less […]
Read MoreAs part of IDI’s effort to keep you informed when things impact your insulation business, we wanted to share key points from the 2020 ICAA virtual convention, including OSHA regulations and DOT Compliance Checklist items you may not know about. We also want to thank the ICAA for their permission to share this timely information. […]
Read MoreThis fall, I was on a jobsite and noticed a decal on their blowing machine which read “This machine pays your salary, take care of it!” The crew leader said he puts this decal on every piece of equipment. All of them: trucks, blowing machines, spray foam rigs, etc. He’s found it results in better […]
Read MoreI got a call yesterday from someone, we’ll call him “Bob”, who attended IDI’s regional insulation class in MN this year. It’s his first year in the insulation industry so he bought a spray foam rig, started learning building science, and is doing quite well. He called because he knows someone who: Moved into a […]
Read MoreMixing chambers can last forever… okay that’s a stretch, but the truth is too many get thrown away when new life can be given to them. As a spray foam tech, I always recommend keeping spare parts for your foam gun (new chambers, new seals, new o-rings, etc.) and resurfacing your mixing chambers. Through trial […]
Read MoreEveryone’s been told a picture’s worth a thousand words, but for those of us working on building envelopes, a picture can be worth thousands of dollars. According to Sam Rashkin and the department of energy, showing a customer infrared images of specific problems in their home or building is very motivating. In fact, it makes […]
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