Spray Foam Insulation in Bolivar Peninsula, TX

Spray foam insulation on the Bolivar Peninsula goes mostly into homes built or rebuilt since 2008. Wikipedia describes the peninsula as a narrow strip of Galveston County separating the eastern part of Galveston Bay from the Gulf, only a quarter mile wide at its narrowest point near Gilchrist. Hurricane Ike destroyed or severely damaged about 3,600 structures there, 62% of them, according to figures reported by McClatchy-Tribune.

Raised and exposed

Most homes on the peninsula are raised, and their floors face wind and salt air from both water bodies. Closed-cell spray foam under the floor is the most durable way to insulate that surface. In the attic, roof deck foam keeps ducts out of extreme heat, or a sealed ceiling with blown insulation works where there are no ducts above.

Communities

Crystal Beach, the most populated community on the peninsula, was incorporated from 1971 to 1987; today every community on Bolivar is unincorporated. Port Bolivar connects to Galveston by the TxDOT ferry, and Gilchrist sits at the narrow middle. We schedule visits around the ferry when coming from the island.

Getting the attic right

On a rebuilt peninsula home, the attic often has code-minimum insulation with ducts running through hot air above it. We look at the roof, the duct runs and the ceiling leaks, then recommend either roof deck foam or ceiling sealing and more depth. The Texas code summary lists R-38 for ceilings in Zone 2.

Salt air and fasteners

Living between the bay and the Gulf means salt air reaches everything under the house. Before foam goes on the underside of a floor, we check joist hangers, straps and fasteners for corrosion so nothing gets covered that should be repaired first.

Second homes

In 2000 the peninsula had 5,425 housing units for 3,853 residents, a sign of how many are vacation homes. A house that sits closed in summer benefits from a sealed, well-insulated envelope that keeps heat and humidity down while it is empty. Get a free estimate