Iowa-based SPF Insulation Company Boosts Business With Niche Spray Foam Applications

APLINGTON, IA - April 16, 2012 - You could not get a better example of the American Heartland than Aplington, Iowa.

“There isn’t a stop light in the whole county, we’re the only county in Iowa like that,” said Caleb DeFord, owner of DeFord Insulating Company. “We’ve got a lot of farmers.”

Indeed, and with that farming presence comes the opportunity for spray applications you wouldn’t normally find in more urban locales. While DeFord Insulating does standard spray foam applications--be they residential or commercial, new construction or rehabilitations--the company also specializes in agricultural projects and what DeFord refers to as spray foam foundation applications.

“The majority of my business comes from farming,” said DeFord. “There’s a lot of variety under that umbrella.”

DeFord Insulating’s agricultural spray foam projects include applications of pole barn insulation, grain bin insulation and moisture sealing, and animal confinement building insulation, just to list a few. DeFord emphasizes the use of spray foam insulation on metal frame buildings not only for temperature and energy improvement, but structural integrity benefits as well. The addition of spray foam insulation makes the buildings less vulnerable to wind damage on the ever-gusty plains.

While agricultural applications form the bulk of the business, it’s the spray foam foundations that also help DeFord Insulating stand out.

“The most novel work we do is the spray foam foundations,” DeFord said. “There’s a lot of demand for that here.”

Spray foam foundations are applications in which SPF is applied to the exterior of a house’s stem wall, extending from just below the soil line to the top of the stem wall. The foam is then sprayed with elastomeric coatings and broadcast with granules. The application is not unlike that of a commercial SPF roofing system oriented vertically, though the main difference is the difficulty in the application process.

“The grinding is the part that gets everybody because there’s a big learning curve on that,” DeFord said.

DeFord stressed the quality of foam used in such applications, with BASF and Gaco Western being the DeFord Insulating’s preferred suppliers (although the company can order foam from just about anybody).

“You’re grinding the foam within a couple hours of when it was applied,” DeFord said. “You’ve got to have the right brand to tolerate that abuse.”

Though the application process is very involved, the results are worth it, as DeFord Insulating’s customers enjoy the improved living conditions facilitated by the added foam.

“In our part of the country in rural Iowa, old houses are built pretty loose and pretty drafty, and the above-grade foundation, the EPA says, accounts for 15% of energy loss in the whole house,” DeFord said. “So, when we do the foundation, it makes the floors warmer. The majority of customers say they don’t have any bugs anymore and when it’s foamed, it looks great.”

About DeFord Insulating Company: Aplington, Iowa-based DeFord Insulating has experience in a wide variety of interior and exterior spray foam applications, be they new construction or remodels. The company has even helped its customers apply for rebates from utility companies and the IRS. For more information, please use the links provided below.