http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/spray-foam-jobs-lingering-odor-problems look at how many hypochondriacs there are out there

Huh?? Are the "hypochondriacs" the ones who have shoddy (and smelly) foam jobs in their homes?

Any product can be installed incorrectly. The problem may be inherent in the product itself (Chinese drywall issues) or by errors and/or omissions by the installer (spray foam/bad waterproofing/etc.). While I remain skeptical of some sensitivity claims (chemical, mold or EMF) there are cases that are clearly show that different people have different levels of tolerance. Spray foam is created by a chemical reaction dependent upon exacting conditions and quantities used. When a company disregards these requirements who knows what byproducts are produced?

May be that spray was expire first check its expiry date.

I used 2# foam in my own house with perfect success. "Spray foam is created by a chemical reaction dependent upon exacting conditions and quantities used." As is a cake. One should look to the applicator for answers to this rare occurrence and if you do have a problem, professionals from the factory and other their competitors will know best the strengths and weaknesses of the industry standards. We specify all current forms of insulation with zero issues with health, blower door or thermal imaging tests.

Long view, never choose the low bidder in residential work.

Posted By BadgerBoilerMN on 12 Jan 2012 08:09 AM
Long view, never choose the low bidder in residential work.

As someone who works for an engineering firm I must say I wish owners/construction managers would follow that advice!

Long view, never choose the low bidder in residential work.

I just haven't found that to be the case this last year.

My best work has come from the low bidders. They are the ones who have kept working despite the construction slowdown and don't need to charge double to keep the doors open.

Posted By ICFHybrid on 12 Jan 2012 09:35 AM

Long view, never choose the low bidder in residential work.

I just haven't found that to be the case this last year.

My best work has come from the low bidders. They are the ones who have kept working despite the construction slowdown and don't need to charge double to keep the doors open.

This is remarkably bad advise and statically inaccurate. Though there is always room at the bottom, those who do not know their cost of doing business will sooner or later find they can't afford to stay in it. In residential contracting the low bidder, has, buy definition, made a mistake. It is this sad fellow that will be unable to pay his suppliers or suffer the loss of one General, whom decides not to pay his subs. Examples of this pattern are too numerous to mention here. Having tried it both ways, I can attest that you can not make up in volume (man hours or jobs) what is not profitable on the small scale. Economies of scale are best left to mature manufacturers. Homeowners usually suffer from low bids.

In residential contracting the low bidder, has, buy definition, made a mistake.

Not sure what school of economics your theories come from, but in this difficult economy, the fact remains that the low bidders are working and performing and the others are getting increasingly hungry. In fact, twice now, the unsuccessful bidders have showed up to work as hourly labor under the sub who got the work.

I would say that the truth lies somewhere in the middle (maybe I'm the proverbial agnostic mediating between the bible thumper and the atheist).

A few years ago, I went with the low bidder to put a new roof on our house. They were not really a roofing company-- more like an itinerant family that specialized in construction, painting and renovation. Their bid was several grand less than the roofing companies I got quotes from, and they seemed to be experienced. The job went well enough, they applied bitumen (sp?) at the roof edges and in gullies, and the final job looked fine. A few months ago we got an early wet snowstorm in New England and a large oak tree split in two and half of it fell on our roof. Luckily, only some shingles were damaged.

I got an local roofer over here to fix the shingles and he pointed out that our ridge vent was not properly nailed down. The fellow who installed it used nails that were not long enough to reach the wood! Effectively, the ridge vent was just barely tacked on. So it cost me $900 to have the ridge vent replaced properly. Lesson learned-- don't hire gypsy families to do your roofing! (no offense to gypsies)

On the other hand, I recently had my basement box sills foamed. I got two quotes from local insulation companies, who wanted $1200 for the job. Then I found a fellow on Craigslist who said he would do it for $600. He seemed knowledgeable and articulate. When he arrived, I talked with him a bit and learned he was a former IT manager who had always been involved in construction and now made it his fulltime job. He did a careful, well-executed foaming job, and I was glad that I had hired him.

So, it is probably fair to say that it can be slightly or even considerably more risky to go with the low bidder... but if judiciously considered, it can be a smart decision. Also, if the low bidder is just a small amount cheaper than the others, that should probably count in his favor.

So, it is probably fair to say that it can be slightly or even considerably more risky to go with the low bidder.

I don't think paying anyone more than it should cost gives you any better chance of seeing quality work. It might be fair to say that it is risky to hire a fly-by-night outfit, one that has no local ties, for example, but you can't expect to get "better" work by throwing money at it. Right now, more than ever, there are guys who can do the work and who will work for less than before.

It might be fair to say that it is risky to hire a fly-by-night outfit

Yes... it's hard to find issue with that statement! But it can be tricky to establish who is fly by night and who is just a small contractor who can deliver good work at a good price. I know that, for example, the large plumbing houses that have fleets of custom-painted vehicles charge an arm and a leg, while independent plumbers can do quality work at about half the price.

But it can be tricky to establish who is fly by night and who is just a small contractor who can deliver good work at a good price.

I would say that "an itinerant family that specialized in construction, painting and renovation" as per your illustrative example, might be a good candidate for fly-by-night status.

One can hardly get a thumb on all the generalizations here. What I have been finding is that the independent contractors, particularly in electrical, plumbing and heating, ask an hourly rate substantially higher than the large houses with fleets of trucks.

The more skilled the trade, the less likely you are to find a bargain (or know one when you see it). Still, I can't argue with your "economics" as I have been making a living for the last ten years helping people with high efficiency boilers, radiant floors and the like. The vast majority of these jobs were DIY or low bid work with a few notable exceptions. Lately the phone rings with plumbing and heating customers whom have "lost" their contractor.

Times are tough, make sure you get what you pay for since 2# foam is hard to remove. If I didn't know anything about foam, I would avoid the low bidder.

Currently, my lowest bids have been coming from the most knowledgeable, the most pleasant and the most skilled contractors. The places with fleets of trucks are laying large numbers of "technicians" off. They continue to bid at the same rates.