3 Reasons to Frame First then Spray Foam

The critical trick to framing when you intend to use spray foam as the barrier between the wood and the concrete wall is to create a gap between the wall and the framed wall. We use at least a 1/2 inch gap but his would increase in areas where the concrete wall was perhaps not as plum as we would have hoped.

Why not put the spray foam first, and then frame the wall?

There are 4 basic reasons:
  1. The spray foam would create a mess on the floor which you would need to clean before you install the wall
  2. The spray foam if in place first may stick out further that the 1/2 inch gap needed, hence, make installing the wall a real pain
  3. We would like to seal all the gaps behind the wall studs, and any awkward spaces your framing causes at the corners - you can only do this if the wall is in place.