Building Express is a licensed and insured insulation contractor serving northeast Michigan both residentially and commercially.  We are located in beautiful sun-shining Alpena Michigan and have been servicing our customers with spray foam insulation since 2008.


Whether you're a homeowner, contractor , or architect we have have an insulation product perfect for your project.


For those unfamiliar, spray foam insulation is a heat and pressure based two component mixture of isocyanate and polyol resin that are introduced to form a chemical reaction creating the foam.  The results are an insulation product that can help prevent drafts, reduce infiltration of dust, pollen, and other outdoor pollutants, and in some situations provide an insulation R-value unachievable by any other form of insulation.  If your interested in seeing the process, please visit our spray foam gallery page.

There are two forms of spray foam insulation; open cell and closed cell. 

Open cell insulation is a softer, more porous form of foam.  Open cell still makes a great air barrier because of its ability to expand and bond to a dry surface or cavity.  Open cell is for use indoors and "above grade" or earth level.  Open cell can also be used in interior walls or floors for sound reduction.

Closed cell insulation is a far more dense foam making not only an excellent air barrier but a vapor barrier as well.  Closed cell doesn't expand as much as open cell insulation but its density provides a higher R-value per inch.  Closed cell is great for use outdoors, in pole barns, below grade in crawlspaces or even  in a trench running piping or a heat run off of an outdoor wood stove.  However closed cell can be used inside the home or building as well and with its high density it can actually work great in strengthening a structure.

Here at Building Express we get our spray foam materials from Demilec USA LLC.  Unlike some other spray foam manufacturers Demilec requires our company to be certified installers through Demilec in order to purchase their products.   In turn we are provided with on the call technicians to assist us, and periodically visit our job-sites to discuss new products and solutions.

Demilec's commitment to manufacturing a green product is shown in their use of renewable and recyclable materials.  Demilec has multiple green recognitions and certifications from various organizations including NAHB Research Center, LEED Certifications, and USDA Bio-Preferred.  In addition their products are in compliance with the International Building Code® (IBC), the International Residential Code® (IRC), and the International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC).

  • Pole barns
  • Blinds / Shanties
  • Trenches running plumbing / heat runs

​Remodels

Closed Cell -- Heatlok ® XT

​New Construction

There are several applications we can provide with spray foam insulation.  From crawlspaces to attics, from new construction to existing homes.  







For new construction you have many options available to you. Determining whether to use open or closed cell will depend on the type of construction, depth of the wall and/or ceiling cavities, and your overall goal and budget with your level of insulation.   Often times in new construction we can provide multiple solutions to provide insulation at an R-value and budget that's right for you.





When doing a remodel in your home can often be a great time to take a look at your insulation and decide whether to improve it.  Often times old homes can have little to no insulation as building codes have changed to meet energy efficient standards through the years.  In these cases its not always too late.  Poorly insulated attics and crawlspaces can be the biggest causes of heat loss and can most often be easily accessed in order to evaluate and provide insulation solutions. Finished exterior walls can  be troublesome to insulate if you aren't already planning to remove paneling or drywall, however even with no plans for demolition it doesn't mean there's not a solution.  Insulating finished exterior walls consists of many variables depending on the construction of your home, poor or damaged insulation already in the walls, type of finish work on the interior or exterior of the home, and even the possibility of there being lead based paints or asbestos in older homes.  Many homes must be addressed differently, and as such we like to take a thorough look before we offer solutions.  





Crawlspaces are a part of the home that have been neglected when insulating homes in past years.  We often see old homes that have never had insulation in even the band joist of the crawlspace.  The band joist is a part of your home that should be insulated being treated as an exterior wall beneath your floorboards.  If you have hardwood, tile, or linoleum floors in your home and minimal or no insulation in your band joist or exterior walls of your crawlspace than I'm going to guess everyone in your home has a pair of slippers.  Our closed cell spray foam works absolute wonders in a crawlspace.  At an R-value of 6.9 per inch with our winter blend formula of Demilec's Heatlok XT, our standard is 1.5"-2" sprayed in both the band joist and interior surface of the foundation. The insulation ties together from the top of the band joist, down the foundation, to the plastic visqueen laid on the ground below your home.  With the plastic and the qualities of our closed cell insulation we can create a vapor barrier, an excellent R-value for your crawlspace, eliminate cold floors, and even prevent pests from being able to access your crawlspace and home.  





An attic or roof deck is the most important part of your home to insulate not only to keep you warm in the winter but cool in the summer months. Most often we upgrade the R-value of an attic using Owens Corning's blown fiber-glass insulation, AttiCat.  Unlike cellulose, another blown insulation, AttiCat is clean, dustless, odorless, and doesn't settle over time.  While AttiCat is our most popular and budget friendly attic insulation solution, spray foam can also be used with exceptional results.  Spraying foam insulation to your roof deck can allow for removal of unneeded blown or batt insulation and create the possibility of using your attic space as heated storage, or in some cases even a living space.

  • New Construction / Remodels
  • Attics
  • Crawlspaces

BUILDING EXPRESS, INC.

4170 US 23 South
Alpena, MI 49707

Spray Foam Information and Specifications

Open Cell --  AGRIBALANCE ®

Insulation Solutions

​Attics

Crawlspaces