Spray Foam Insulation in Zoar, OH

Spray foam insulation in Zoar calls for a lighter touch. The village was founded in 1817 by a group of German Separatists as a communal Christian society that lasted until 1898, and much of its original layout and many of its buildings survive. Most of the village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 as the Zoar Historic District and designated a National Historic Landmark District in 2016. Zoar is tiny, with 172 residents in 2020.

Historic buildings

In a historic house, the goal is comfort without changing the exterior or trapping moisture in old walls. We usually focus on the attic, where sealing and blown-in insulation are reversible and invisible from outside, and on the rim joist. We avoid spraying foam on old masonry or timber that needs to dry.

The levee

Zoar sits at the base of a Tuscarawas River levee built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1936. Wikipedia notes the Corps gave it its lowest safety rating, and by 2012 estimated repairs at about $130 million. Homeowners here should know their flood exposure before finishing basements.

Before any work

Check with the village and any historic review requirements for your property.

Newer homes near the village

Not every house around Zoar is historic. Newer homes in the surrounding township get the same treatment as anywhere else in the valley: air sealing, rim joist foam and blown-in to the Zone 5A target, with spray foam where it pays.

Comfort without changing character

For historic buildings, attic sealing and careful rim joist work can add real comfort while leaving original siding, plaster and trim untouched.