Spray Foam Insulation in Tiki Island, TX

Spray foam insulation on Tiki Island works with homes built to some of the strictest flood standards in the area. Wikipedia says developers dug canals in the 1960s and used the fill to raise the land to between four and ten feet above sea level, and the village incorporated on August 30, 1982. About 70% of its roughly 1.6 square miles is water.

Homes on pilings

FEMA reports that Tiki Island has about 950 homes, most on tall concrete pilings, and that local standards go beyond FEMA minimums by calling for no habitable ground floors and for breakaway walls. When Hurricane Ike brought 10 to 12 foot surges in 2008, most homes lost their ground floors as the breakaway walls failed as designed, and no one was killed or injured.

What that means for insulation

The living floor of a Tiki Island home sits over open or enclosed space that may flood. Insulation under that floor should be closed-cell foam, which resists water, rather than batts. Anything below base flood elevation should be flood-resistant, and ground-level enclosures are for parking, access and storage. In the attic, roof deck foam or a sealed and insulated ceiling keeps the living space cooler.

Planning work on a raised home

Working under a home on tall pilings takes lifts or scaffolding, and that access cost is part of the quote. Doing the floor and any ground-level work in one visit keeps that cost down. We note access needs on the visit so the price you see is the price you pay.

Code baseline

Galveston County is in Climate Zone 2A (OpenEI). For an uninsulated floor in Zone 2, the Department of Energy suggests R-13, which closed-cell foam reaches in a few inches.

Stronger standards

FEMA notes that Tiki Island residents receive a 10% discount on National Flood Insurance Program premiums after the village adopted stronger building standards. Using flood-resistant insulation where it matters fits that approach. Get a free estimate