Foam with a Purpose

Spray Foam Magazine – Summer 2026 – Isaiah 117 House is a non-profit that opens home locations around the U.S. to provide a safe and caring environment for children awaiting foster care placement. The organization recently built a location in Hillsborough, FL.

From April 10-12, the house was insulated for free by a ragtag group of 25 spray foam contractors assembled by Changing the World One Set of Foam at a Time. It’s a long name for a simple mission—connecting the spray foam industry with opportunities to volunteer and give back to the community.

Over one weekend in April, members of the group donated their time, energy, and supplies to the Isaiah 117 House in Hillsborough. The effort was spearheaded by Mark Gordos of On the Mark Spray Foam Insulation in Florida and supported by Todd Bolton of Synergy Spray Foam & HVAC in South Carolina and Eric Gladson of Integrity Plus Insulation in Wisconsin. Spray Foam Magazine’s Dakota Tyson was also on site to capture the experience and share in the camaraderie and community spirit.

How did you hear about this opportunity?

Mark Gordos: I was approached by one of my regular builders, DeLotto & Sons. They said, “Hey, we have this project for charity coming up, do you know anyone who’d be willing to help out?” So I reached out to Todd and Eric. They had started a volunteer network called “Changing the World, One Set of Foam at a Time,” and were just ecstatic to hear about the Isaiah 117 House opportunity. Since I’m local to Tampa, I ran point to figure out what we’d need and start putting together a proposal to talk manufacturers into donating some products. Todd and Eric put out a call for volunteers and started assembling a team.

What was the mood or vibe like that weekend?

Dakota Tyson: The energy was high from start to finish. Everyone showed up ready to work, ready to give back, and ready to make a real difference. There was a strong sense of purpose and teamwork that carried through the entire weekend.

What was the highest priority for this project?

MG: To make sure the Isaiah 117 House would always have the lowest power bills possible. Sound dampening was important too. We wanted the home’s interior to stay very quiet and peaceful for the kids.

How did you go about approaching the manufacturers for supply donations?

MG: Originally, the plan was to use closed-cell foam. But for our climate zone in Florida, we knew open-cell would have a phenomenal inward vapor drive and would be an easier sell to convince manufacturers to donate. Me, Todd, and Eric set out on a mission to get donations, and a ton of companies immediately stepped up. We didn’t want to use 80 different foams, so we narrowed it down to half Quadrant and the other half Accufoam, R38. And even though it wasn’t specced, we were able to batt all the walls for sound attenuation thanks to a last minute donation. 

What materials and supplies did each company donate?

MG: Quadrant and Accufoam went above and beyond providing the foam. Huntsman provided all the food. Marc Corrado of Patriot Distribution and Coatings provided a lot of PPE, such as all 25 of the 3M P100 Respirators, full mask face shields, suits, safety glasses, you name it. ICP provided us with all air infiltration products for polycell and fire stop. Service Partners swung in at the last moment and donated all the wall material for soundproofing. Cameron Ashley came in at the beginning and helped us locate the rigid board that was put up on the siding.

How many contractors showed up?

MG: We were able to get 25 contractors down here from different corners of the US. We had Rusty Schrader from UPC, Cole Fletcher with Quadrant, Dale Kinard with Huntsman, just to name a few. Jacob Campos from JC Insulation Company out of Texas paid for the Airbnb, with the help of SPFA. It was the most amazing response we could have hoped for.

Were you surprised by the great turnout?

MG: Nope! In fact, one of my own guys, Carlos Chavez, told me he wanted in on the project. Even after I told him we weren’t paying labor and he couldn’t hog the gun, he still absolutely wanted to be a part of it. He’s my lead sprayer and an animal on the gun, so much so that the other guys were like, “Wow, can we have him?” And I’m like, “No, he’s mine.” I was really grateful to be working alongside him and so many other amazing people that weekend. Even one of my competitors, Jessica from the Attic Queen, showed up to lend a helping hand. It was just really special all around.

Did you meet any of the Isaiah 117 House staff members?

DT: Yes, I met Kayla Johnson, and she fit right in with the crew. She didn’t hesitate to get involved, getting suited up and spraying alongside everyone else. At the same time, she made sure the team was taken care of, keeping everyone fueled with coffee and donuts throughout the day. She was a great example of the spirit of the project.

Where were you installing the foam?

MG: The roof deck, mostly. We paid close attention to what’s called intersectional spaces. Those are your overhangs, porches, things like that. We extended the building envelope over these covered entries, which allowed the entire attic space to be managed by the mechanical HVAC system. We also did draft and firewall stopping in the attic above the garage storage area. We ended up doing a total of 5,309 square feet of roof deck, 2,700 sq. ft. of gable, and 1,800 square feet of ceiling.

What equipment did you use?

MG: We were using machines from all three of the major manufacturers: Graco, Binks, and PMC. We used my two rigs, a Graco H-30 and a Graco R3 E-20. We also had a PMC PH-40 out there and a Binks/Carlisle machine. 

My machines used a Graco AP gun. We had an SG1 and a PC Pro Connect gun going on the others.

Did you encounter any challenges or problems?

MG: The biggest thing was trying to maintain the manufacturer warranty and keep clear division lines. It’s why we didn’t want to use too many different products, even though we got lots of donation offers. There was also an ISO mix-up while loading the trucks on the first day, where someone loaded the wrong ISO instead of the manufacturer’s proper ISO. But we got it all figured out.

DT: One story that stood out was Alex Smith’s. He originally had another job lined up, but when the client didn’t come through with a deposit, he decided to come down to Tampa and help out instead. While it wasn’t a challenge on the job site itself, it really highlighted how tight-knit this industry is. People show up for each other, and in this case, it turned into an opportunity for him to both give back and connect with others in the field.

Was it difficult to coordinate so many people and moving parts?

MG: Logistically, it was a little stressful, but we got it all done inside of two days. Todd, Eric, and I had a game plan, and everyone waited on us to make calls. We had guys waiting like, six deep for their turn on the gun, and of course everyone wanted to run from fiberglass. But overall, everyone dominated and slaughtered it.

Did you accomplish everything you’d set out to do that weekend?

MG: Absolutely. And on the second day when we came back to double check everything, we still had chemical left. So we went back through and made sure everything was a ten-inch minimum instead of a ten-inch nominal. 

The goal was to make sure we could give the Isaiah 117 House the lowest energy bill possible, and it’s not like we’d be taking the leftover chemicals home with us. We tried to use every last bit of the donated chemicals. 

Did you guys carve out some time for fun during the off-hours?

MG: The first night they had me out until four in the morning! On the last day, we all took a nice little fishing trip together. It was a good time all around.

Is volunteer work worth it for trade workers? What makes it so rewarding?

MG: Yes, and it’s such a blessing to be able to give something back to the community. And in spray foam, we have a great industry. We all really try to be helpful to each other, and I feel like that’s not something you see in many other industries. It’s something worth being proud of, for sure.

DT: Absolutely. It’s something bigger than yourself. Being able to use your skills to make a real impact in people’s lives and in the community is incredibly rewarding. It gives a different level of purpose to the work we do every day.

Published by Spray Foam Magazine

SprayFoam / Spray Foam Insulation