The full list
What You Need for Spray Foam Insulation
A one-component spray foam kit brings the foam, the gun, two cleaners and some protective gear. What you need for spray foam insulation beyond that is a short list, and each item on it comes from a line in the makers’ own manuals: a respirator with organic vapor cartridges, cover for what stays clean, a spray bottle, a thermometer for the 41 to 86 F window, a knife for trimming at 40 minutes, extra cleaner, ventilation, and drywall over foam in a room people use.
In the box
What comes in the box of each ranked kit
Read from each kit’s record, the 24-can size. The gun and the two cleaners are the same story across the five; the protective gear is where they differ.
| Kit | Gun | Cleaner | Protective gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kraken Bond FastCoat 24-Pack | Gun | 2 cleaners | Safety gear; the wide-spray cans likely no longer included |
| Akfix ThermCoat 24-Pack | Gun | 2 cleaners | Protective equipment |
| Stanley F990P SuperCoat 24-Pack Kit | Gun | 2 cleaners | Gloves, glasses and a suit |
| Sprayman SprayCoat 24-Pack | Gun | 2 cleaners | Safety kit |
| BEEST FullStop 24-Pack | Gun | 2 cleaners in the 24-can kit | Gloves, goggles and a coverall |
Outside the box
Eight things the box does not hold
Each one is here because a maker’s manual or data sheet asks for it, and the line says which.
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A respirator with organic vapor cartridges
BEEST’s quick start guide is the one kit document that names it, a NIOSH respirator with organic vapor cartridges, and DuPont and HandiFoam require one for their two-component kits. A paper dust mask is not that, so buy the cartridge respirator if your kit box only holds a mask.
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Plastic sheeting and painter’s tape
Cured foam only comes off with a knife or a scraper, say the Stanley and Sprayman manuals, so cover windows, floors and wiring before the first can.
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A spray bottle of water
The Stanley and Sprayman manuals ask for a light mist on the surface before the first layer and again before the second, for better adhesion.
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A thermometer
Every ranked kit gives a working window of 41 to 86 F, with the cans best at 68 F on four of them, and the surface counts as well as the air.
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A long knife or a foam saw
The foam can be trimmed after about 40 minutes, cut or shaved with a knife or a spatula, say the Stanley and Sprayman manuals.
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Extra foam cleaner and spare nozzles
The gun has to be cleaned straight after use, and a job that runs over more than one day empties the two cleaners in the box. Each maker sells its own cleaner, and Kraken Bond sells spare FastCoat nozzles.
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A fan or an open window for ventilation
The SprayCoat and SuperCoat documents limit use to well-ventilated areas, and the Sprayman manual asks that fresh foam not sit in a direct draft.
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Drywall for a room people use
In living space the building code expects foam plastic behind a thermal barrier, most often half-inch gypsum board, so budget for it before you spray.
Before you buy
How much foam the job takes decides how many kits to buy, and the guns and cleaners each maker sells are on one page.
Questions buyers ask
What do you need for DIY spray foam insulation?
A one-component kit, which brings the foam, the gun, two cleaners and some protective gear, and a short list on top: a respirator with organic vapor cartridges if the box only has a mask, plastic sheeting and tape, a spray bottle, a thermometer, a long knife, extra cleaner for a job longer than a day, ventilation, and drywall where people will use the room.
Do spray foam kits come with a gun?
All five ranked kits do, with two cleaners and protective gear in the 24-can size. A gun sold separately is the route for single cans and wide-spray cans that are not sold as kits.
Do you need a respirator for spray foam insulation?
You should wear one. BEEST’s guide names a NIOSH respirator with organic vapor cartridges, DuPont and HandiFoam require one for their two-component kits, and the Stanley and Sprayman manuals list a mask. A paper dust mask does not filter organic vapor.
From the job to the finished wall
Plan the job in five questions
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Where are you insulating?
A garage ceiling, a rim joist and a van wall each ask for a different foam, thickness and cover. Start with the job.
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What will it cost?
Board feet are the area times the thickness. Price the kits that cover them against hiring the job out.
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What do you need?
A kit, the gun and cleaner it works with, something to cover what stays clean, and the gear you wear.
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How do you do it?
Check the temperature, prepare the surface, spray in passes and cover the foam where people live.
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How long does it take?
The sheets give a tack-free time in minutes and a full cure in hours; only some say when people can go back in.