Spray foam insulation is a larger upfront investment which will pay for itself over time. The home is much more efficient with spray foam versus batt insulation for example. If you factor in heating costs over a 5-10 year time it will actually be the less expensive.
When applied correctly and after the 24 hour curing process the foam is harmless. Any bad foam jobs would have been done by an inexperienced or unqualified installer. Canada has some of the strictest guidelines for foam installation and provided they are followed and the installers are certified there will be no issue. At the end of the day if I had to choose to stick my face in a batt of fibreglass or foam...I'd pick foam every time.
Most insurance companies require foam product to be protected with a thermal barrier, such as drywall or a DC315 thermal barrier. In areas where drywall is not installed, DC315 thermal barrier paint is applied on top of the spray foam insulation.
There's no need to stud up walls in your basement. The foam will adhere directly to the foundation.
The foam is R-6 per inch.
Yes we can, during colder months we switch to our "winter blend". It can react at colder temperatures. Sometimes we may need to pre-heat an area a day or so before the application, but as a rule we can spray substrate up to -10 degrees Celsius.