Balancing Cost and Quality
As is the case so often in life, the mantra “you get what you pay for” is accurate when it comes to spray foam equipment. Low-quality equipment, including most entry-level equipment, is liable to need repairs often or break down completely when used consistently. To minimize maintenance costs and job downtime, invest in the highest quality equipment you can reasonably afford.
High-quality equipment’s reliability and capacity will keep you working at your best. By being able to consistently do excellent work, you’ll be able to take on more jobs and the equipment will be more likely to provide a positive return-on-investment. Additionally, you’ll be able to increase your profits — who doesn’t like that?
Selecting Spray Foam Equipment for Your New Business
Buying equipment for your spray foam business can be exciting, but the amount of options and customizations available are enough to give anyone choice paralysis. Luckily, there are some easy factors to consider as you begin to look for equipment:
- Application needs. Are you only spraying foam? Or will you need to spray things like coatings as well? Knowing your applications will help you choose equipment that can meet your needs.
- Project type and size. What type of jobs will you target? For those strictly spraying for residential clients, your power and capacity needs will be lower than for a company taking on much larger industrial, agricultural or commercial projects. Retrofits and HVAC jobs will also have different power requirements. The type of jobs will also determine the length of hose and flow rate your machine will require.
- Budget. Brand new, top-of-the line equipment, unsurprisingly, is going to be your most expensive option. Stay within your budget and consider going with used or equipment models from previous years to keep the quality you need while maintaining capital flexibility for other costs.
- Training. Will you or your employees require training? Classroom or Onsite?
- Location. What region of the country are you in? Your climate will help determine a number of factors including: the insulation requirements and need for AC or heat in your trailer, the heaters on your reactor and what foam you are spraying.
- Foam types. Knowing if you are spraying closed cell foam, open cell foam or both will determine your compressor, re-circulation and agitator needs.
While there is plenty of equipment to consider when starting your business, check out some of IDI’s recommendations on what to put high on your priority list:
Spray Foam Rigs
Whether a trailer, box truck or custom rig is your ideal solution, picking your spray foam rig is likely one of the first steps you’ll take when opening your spray foam business. If you aren’t sure where to start or just want to bounce ideas off an expert, contact IDI. We offer consultations, endless customizations options, a high-quality equipment guarantee, free training and more — get in touch and we’d be happy to partner with you on making your spray foam rig decision.
Proportioners
A high-quality proportioner is a must for any spray foam insulation business. Mediocre or low-quality proportioners are all over the market, but they aren’t worth the trouble — even at their lower price point. These proportioners are much more likely to produce bad foam and break down, leaving you to tear out and replace bad foam or spend time and money repairing your equipment.
IDI has a number of excellent proportioners to choose from that are available in a variety of sizes, so no matter how large or small your spray foam jobs are, you’ll be able to finish them quickly and with top-quality foam. Check out our selection of proportioners to find the best fit for your business, or get in touch with any questions you may have before you buy.
Spray Foam Guns
Having a spray foam gun that works consistently and reliably is one of the keys to creating an efficient, replicable installation process for your business. While cleaning and maintenance are going to be important for any spray foam gun, choosing one that can stand up to day after day of use without major downtime can be the difference between turning solid profits and just getting by.
Find a spray foam gun that suits your proportioner, scope of work and your other spray foam equipment with help from the experts at IDI. We carry a range of high-quality spray foam guns from trusted suppliers like Carlisle, PMC and Graco. Questions? Our spray foam insulation experts are here to help.
Safety Equipment
Safety should come first on every project, so you need safety equipment that you can trust to hold up no matter the job. From air filtration to pumps to masks and respirators to top-quality PPE and more, you’ll find what you need to stay safe while you spray foam from IDI. Shop our selection today to make sure you’re ready to take on every job as safely as possible.
For vital spray foam gear, accessories and more, developing a good relationship with your local supplier is the best way to make sure you have the equipment and support you need. Find a local IDI location or reach out to us for more information!
Choosing Compatible Materials
No matter how good your technique is, there’s no way to make up for subpar materials. Low-quality foam delivers inconsistent results, making it frustrating to work with and could lead to extra labor redoing sections of insulation that don’t come out right. Finding the best material for your equipment is important, but can be tricky. Reach out to the experts at IDI, where expert advice is always right down the road or at your fingertips.
IDI carries excellent open and closed cell spray foam brands, allowing you to find the best match for your business, projects and customers.
Natural Polymers
For environmentally friendly spray foam that doesn’t skimp on yield or performance, Natural Polymers’ selection of open and closed cell spray foam can’t be beat. Are you or your customers concerned with VOC levels? Natural Polymers insulation naturally has low VOC signatures to go along with excellent energy efficiency and dependability.
SWD Urethane
If you’re interested in maximum efficiency and effectiveness, check out SWD Urethane’s line of open and closed cell foam insulation. With foam that is less dense than average, while still providing top-quality performance, SWD Urethane products will help you finish jobs more quickly and efficiently than ever before.
SealTite PRO
With a concentration on conserving as much energy — and money — as possible, SealTite PRO offers closed and open cell spray foam solutions for jobs of all kinds. Help keep your customer’s energy costs down with some of the top products in the industry.
Elastochem
Covering the needs for residential, industrial and commercial spray foam insulation, Elastochem offers high-quality open and closed cell foam along with excellent customer support to make sure you have the materials you need to get the job done right.
Building Strong Supplier Relationships
One of the best things you can do during the early stages of opening your spray foam business is establishing a positive relationship with a local supplier. Your supplier is a great resource for advice, information about new products and equipment, training, technical support and more. Over time, a positive relationship with your supplier can even improve your equipment ROI and overall profitability.
IDI offers the widest range of products from trusted brands to go along with the support you need to make the best choices for your spray foam insulation business. But more importantly, IDI makes a great partner for anyone in the spray foam insulation business, pairing our product offerings with important resources, training opportunities to improve your knowledge and technique and expertise you can call on to help solve any insulation problems or provide advice as you need it.
Find the support, products, equipment and partnership you need to succeed at IDI. Contact us to become a partner or with any questions you may have.
The Importance of Proper Maintenance
Keeping up on maintenance is important for all of your spray foam insulation equipment. Whether it’s cleaning your rig, stripping down and cleaning the spray gun, replacing damaged components, changing out fluid in your proportioner pump or any of a whole host of other maintenance tasks, keeping your equipment in good working order will reduce your downtime and help you finish jobs efficiently.
However, even the best maintained equipment may break down occasionally. If you are in need of repair, head to IDI’s repair and service center. Expert technicians can diagnose, replace components and repair your equipment as needed, and they will make sure you and your crew are up to speed on any new use or maintenance tips once your equipment is working properly.
Planning for Business Growth With Your New Equipment
When choosing equipment for your spray foam insulation business, be sure to consider any potential growth. Similar to picking equipment that can stand up to your largest jobs, make sure you pick equipment that can scale with you as your business grows. This can look like rigs that have capacity for extra equipment, proportioners that are capable of consistent work and finding equipment that is compatible with various types of jobs.
Reach out to the experts at IDI with any questions about choosing equipment for your spray foam business, or check out our article on starting your spray foam business for more tips and advice.