Spray Foam Insulation in Tybee Island, GA

Spray foam insulation on Tybee Island has to stand up to salt air, wind and flooding. The island is Georgia's easternmost point, about 18 miles east of Savannah, and sits at about 10 feet above sea level. Hurricane Irma swamped the island in 2017. Many homes are raised on pilings or piers, and the space under them is open to wind and tides.

Raised floors

For a house on pilings, the floor is the insulated boundary. Batts stapled or netted under the joists tend to sag, soak up moisture and fall after storms. Closed-cell foam sprayed onto the underside of the subfloor seals out wind and humid air and does not soak up water. FEMA's flood-resistant materials bulletin rates closed-cell foam acceptable below flood elevation, while open-cell foam and other absorbent insulation are rated unacceptable.

Cottages and history

Tybee became a resort after the Central of Georgia Railway finished its line from Savannah in 1887. By the end of the 1890s, several hundred summer cottages lined the Atlantic side. Some of those older cottages, and the roughly 70 remaining buildings of Fort Screven (placed on the National Register in 1982), are now homes. They were built for summer use and often have little insulation in walls, floors or ceilings.

Vacation rentals

At the 2020 census, Tybee had 2,994 housing units and 49.9% were counted as vacant, which on a beach island mostly means second homes and short-term rentals. Owners of rentals often want work done between bookings, so we schedule around your calendar and plan for cure and re-entry time.

Attics

Under a hot roof, the attic matters as much as the floor. Sealing the ceiling and adding insulation, or foaming the roof deck if the air handler is up there, keeps upstairs rooms cooler for guests and owners.

Salt and storms

We check under the house for corroded fasteners, damaged joists and wet wood before any foam goes on, since foam should not cover damage. After storms, we can pull out wet insulation and replace it. Get a free estimate

Under-house costs

HomeGuide lists closed-cell foam at about $3.00 to $5.00 per square foot installed, and Fixr puts crawl space or under-floor foam jobs at about $1,000 to $5,900. Height off the ground, debris and old insulation removal change the total. Your written estimate is the price.