Spray Foam Insulation in South Beach, NY

Spray foam insulation in South Beach has to account for the ocean. Wikipedia describes the area as once a summer beach colony of bungalows and tents, later home to the Happyland amusement park and today the South Beach-Franklin Delano Roosevelt Boardwalk. Tract homes now stand on much of the old South Beach rail line right-of-way, and many former summer bungalows are year-round homes.

After Sandy

During Hurricane Sandy in 2012, much of South Beach flooded and several homes were damaged. Wikipedia notes that many local homeowners later chose buyouts so their homes could be demolished, while others stayed and rebuilt. Rebuilt houses often have raised first floors and enclosed areas below that must follow flood rules. FEMA's Technical Bulletin 2 says only Class 4 and Class 5 flood damage-resistant materials are acceptable below the base flood elevation in a special flood hazard area.

Ocean Breeze floods first

The southern tip of South Beach is Ocean Breeze. Wikipedia describes it as low-lying and often the worst-flooded part of Staten Island after heavy rain, with side streets that become impassable. The New Creek Bluebelt runs through the area to collect stormwater. For houses here, we always ask about flood history and check for damp framing before any work below the first floor.

Bungalows

Old bungalows were built for summer and many have shallow crawl spaces, thin walls and small attics. Making one comfortable year-round usually means sealing the floor from below, insulating walls during any renovation, and sealing and insulating the attic or roofline. Where the crawl space must remain vented because of flood rules, we insulate the floor above with materials suited to damp conditions.

Humid summers

Air from the bay is humid all summer, and Central Park's normals show July and August dew points averaging close to 62F. That moisture condenses on cool surfaces in crawl spaces and basements. Closed-cell foam keeps that air off cold framing, and a vapor barrier over the ground keeps soil moisture down.

We will look at the house, ask about its flood history and send a written plan. Get a free estimate