Setting the Pace

Spray Foam Magazine – Winter 2020 – Being a spray foam installer can be tough, manual labor. Shaunna Pace is the perfect representation of someone who can juggle challenges on and off the jobsite, with hard work not phasing this extraordinarily determined spray foamer. We spoke to Shaunna to find out why she loves the industry, and why more women should give the profession a try.

Shaunna and her husband Chad own Spray Right Foam Insulation in Otterville, Missouri, with Shaunna’s sister Shelby Geromini, recently joining them to help run the rig. With closed-cell foam, they spray mostly interior foam and the occasional foundation or roof.

Shaunna discovered the conveniences of spray foam while she and her husband were researching materials to use in the construction of their own home. They wanted to use a material that was effective, durable, and made long-term economic sense. They found spray foam was the ideal solution, but the companies who came out to quote the job presented a vast array of numbers to Chad and Shaunna. So, they decided to see how much it would cost to invest in their own rig. After looking at the numbers, they proceeded with what was to be a worthwhile investment.

The Spray Right Foam Insulation team covers the Missouri area and when asking Shaunna what it is like working with her husband she laughed and said, “Chad doesn’t do so much of the spraying now. He visits, specs, and quotes the jobs and then sends me and my sister to spray. He sent me on one job where there was about a one-foot clearance in the crawlspace. That really wasn’t my favorite and I didn’t want to do it, but Chad said, ‘These people are going to have to abandon their house if we don’t get this done.’ The mold was so bad under there. It was a Mennonite family, who lived in the house with their 10 children. Chad said, ‘Well can you do it?’ I said, ‘I can, but I may not like you very much afterwards.’ That crawlspace was so tight I had to turn my head a certain way, so my mask didn’t get caught in the floor joists.”

Shaunna wants to encourage more women to enter into spray foaming saying, “Some women may not think they can handle some of the tougher jobs and it’s not for everyone, man or woman. We have even had guys quit on us because they can’t handle it. But like anything you haven’t done before, you look at it and think, ‘how can I possibly do that,’ but you just get used to it.”

Shaunna has had to overcome some of her own fears including heights. When she first started the job, she nearly fell off a ladder, which really scared her. She was adamant she would overcome this fear and kept on telling herself, “You need to get over this to get the job done.”

She recalls one particular job which involved climbing up the side of a 20-foot chimney on a two-by-four ladder with a hose around her shoulders while climbing in through the top of the chimney. The chimney was dark and hot with not much space to move, but Shaunna managed to insulate the inner top section of the chimney, which was to be converted into a gas chimney. At a mere five foot four, Shaunna was the smallest on the team and therefore the only one who could possibly fit in the chimney. It was a nail-biting experience, but Shaunna had the rewarding experience of completing this job.

Shaunna has also had jobs she has really enjoyed like a recent shed she sprayed to house rescued monkeys. “The woman who saved these monkeys wanted a place to keep them warm in the winter,” Shaunna added.

Shaunna works full-time spraying and when asked about her spare time she chuckled and said, “I have four kids, one two-year-old girl and three boys ages 12, 11, and 10. We also have chickens, ducks, turkeys and a goose too. So, most of my free time is spent on feeding them.”

Speaking with Shaunna about her spray foam career, it’s obvious to see a common thread of enthusiasm and unwavering determination to succeed in all her jobs.

The interview concluded with Shaunna offering some inspiring insight and advice to any woman entering the spraying business, “At first you may think you can’t do certain jobs, but please know you absolutely can. It can be hot, horrible and dirty, but you can do it. There are times the job can be nerve-racking and exhausting, but it’s a real pleasure to accomplish these things. There are also days I want to rip my hair out in frustration over things that can and do go wrong. Anything including crossovers, messed up stick pumps, generator issues, air compressor issues, blown tires, getting the truck stuck in the mud, we have handled it as a team. I just pull up my big girl panties and keep striving on.”

Shaunna goes on to say, “I both love and hate my job most days, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. People see me climbing up some high scaffolding, and they are surprised saying, ‘Look at that woman go,’ I love to be able to turn around and say, ‘Ha, that’s nothing.’”