Is Spray Foam Safe?

11 years ago

I ask b/c like all products I'm sure there are people who are more sensitive to it, but then I read a posting on here to look into it further and found this:
http://sprayfoamdangers.com/2012/01/24/is-spray-foam-insulation-making-you-sick/

Has anyone had similar problems? I don't know the ingredients of the foam vs. batt insulation? Is rigid foam better for indoor air quality? Thoughts?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

Brian_Knight
11 years ago
As the number of spray foam jobs increase there will be more cases that go awry. Its a huge subject with many variables and perspectives. Its kind of surprising to me that there arent more problems out there considering the many ways that it can get screwed up.

Ive spent more time than I care to admit researching spray foam and for the most part, Iam a fan. As long as one hires an experienced installer, they dont use old chemicals, spray wet surfaces or too thickly at once there's not much that can go wrong. Experienced installers (not salesman) are absolutely the most important ingredient.

There are certainly indoor air quality concerns even for well done installations. That's true for almost all building materials and according to NIOSH, accounts for only 4% of indoor air quality concerns. Indoor Air Quality is best served by a permanent mechanical ventilation system providing fresh air introduction from the outdoors.

Rigid is much safer as its done in a controlled environment. Its also usually more separated from the interior air in typical installations.

Foam in general is airtight, has the highest R per inch and is very durable. It saves more long term energy than it costs. It would be great if there were more natural alternatives with the same qualities.
worthy
11 years ago
The biggest safety concern is during the installation and immediate curing period from the outgassing of isocyantes. This may be especially problematic when the foam is applied by inexperienced operators or diy's.

You could look for trade association approved installers and applicators and stipulate in writing that the contractor follow certain trade protocols.

Here is a link that might be useful: EPA on SPF
Related Discussions
Rigid foam vs. spray foam under crawlspace
Q
Comments (12)
love this forum that you can do a little diy advising! ok the mold in the supply boxes and on the grills probably isn't from the duct takeoffs @ the plenum. it takes a long time for mold to travel that far..and if there isn't moisture & food source it won't spread to that area. it isn't always mold..sometimes it is just dust. so mold/dust buildup at the ducts @ plenum is lack of proper air seal. mold in supply boxes & on grills is lack of proper air seal at the cut in the sheetrock ceiling where supply grill is attached to the box. nine times out of ten..you can solve the issue by sealing supply boxes to sheetrock. see attached picture. hardcast brand #1402 mastic tape is used to seal supply box to sheetrock. this tape is 3" wide. I split the 3" into 1 1/2" lengths. stick to sheetrock and fold into supply box. as the tape adheres to many surfaces you need to be careful to keep it within the area covered by the supply grill. once it sticks to the sheetrock..you'll lose paper if you try to move it. surfaces have to be clean & dry for tape to adhere. and once in place you'll want to press it in place as it is somewhat pressure sensitive. the tape is strong enough to keep the box tight to attic floor on the attic side when installing the supply grill. wash the dust off the grills, wipe inside the supply box & into the duct. reinstall the supply grill. oh and when you remove the supply grills..take a sharpie and mark what direction they faced (throw to window..dirveway side whatever note you need to put them back in same position) this way you'll put them back as they were. I've tried several other brands of mastic tape. hardcast 1402 is the best. the others are 2" width and mastic is thinner, resulting in less strength and useful life. why would I chose spray foam for my floors? I've sealed floors several ways, foam is the easiest albeit more costly, once prep work is done. there isn't enough room to physically install foam sheathing to the bottom of the floor joists. I'll seal any big holes..like under tub then do 3" foam. I've looked at froth packs like tiger foam..but having worked with so many foam companies locally, will just have them do my floor when they are in my area. the software is pricy. we lease it yearly. once upon a time we bought the cd..but too many people abused it. so now it is a download & upgrades to original install. a lot of mastic isn't always an indication of a good seal. it doesn't take a lot if you put it in the actual leaks. you can feel around the duct take offs on the plenum while unit is running and feel some of the leakage. also checking plenum connections to the equipment at the same time. I use mastic tape to connect plenums (after screwing them in place) much easier to seal under the plenum to equipment with tape than painting mastic upside down.
...See More
Spray foam question (quick, before it dries!)
Q
Comments (9)
Normally on a cabinet mount microwave/hood combo,you have two venting choices.Direct vent out of the back of the unit, through the wall,(exterior),with a diffuser. The other venting option is up through the cabinet, into the attic and up venting out the roof.Both options require a boot that rectangularly fits on your microwave and adapts to a round vent pipe usually 6".With either of these methods, the only place you would woory about sealing is where the vent pipe goes through the drywall on either the wall or the cieling. I generally just seal these protrusions using joint compound and fiberglass mesh tape and finishing off if the vent pipe is exposed.On cabinets that are lower than the cieling where the vent pipe is exposed, i generally build a chase to cover the vent pipe,but still seal where the vent pipe goes through the cieling.On your situation, the way im picturing it is that you have a vent that is protruding out through the wall. You might run this by the hvac forum as maybe there is a gasket that could be placed between the unit and the hole, giving you a seal.IT doesn't sound like you are vented properly by stating that there is no seal/connection between the vent on the wall and the microwave. I think you should leave this to a pro and call an hvac contractor and get their opinion of your situation, as this might be a little more involved than just spraying foam trying to form a seal that isn't there to begin with.An hvac or an appliance outfit should be able to rectify this for you as we can only try to visualize your situation and end up giving advise that might not be safe.
...See More
Spray foam... needed in small cavity?
Q
Comments (4)
Thanks for the reply, dg... I'm in MD, so the weather is all over the place, from hot/humid summers to cold winters with the occasional 4' snow fall. Considering the (small) size of the gap, getting anything in there between the rim joist and the first I-beam web (other than foam) is a no-go. If you look carefully at the pic, the concrete actually juts out to the same distance as the bottom flange of the I-beam... it's only near that small window that the backside of the flange is (almost) even with the window frame. Unless you know of some flexible OSB ;-) That wall alone is about 25' feet long, and not all walls have a window, either. Considering that gap was completely enclosed before (fiberglass along the bottom, as seen partially pulled out, and fiberglass completely covering the web), I would think any humidity issues would present themselves regardless. I realize fiberglass is not a true moisture barrier, but if it can create enough of a barrier to cause mold when placed directly against a concrete wall, it HAS to be doing similar in its current configuration. Putting foam in its place would not only create a true moisture barrier, but a better thermal barrier, as well. That's my line of reasoning, anyway...
...See More
Help! How to remove spray foam from black door frame
Q
Comments (8)
I have 9 black windows down stairs and all of them are covered in spray foam. I’ve tried acetone, but it also ate away my black paint on my vinyl windows. The only thing that works to remove just the spray foam is fingernail polish remover. You will use a lot of it and a lot of rags but it works well. It does take a bit of time and elbow grease fyi…but at least it doesn’t take the paint off. The windows where I used acetone, it made them very dull and left a white film so I am going to see if any of my car detailing products will work to shine my window back up. There is a lot of great products made for car vinyl to bring the black back. I haven’t gotten there yet but I’ll keep you posted if it gives it that brand new look back. Save yourself some time and headaches by using fingernail polish remover to remove spray foam from black windows!
...See More
User
11 years ago
The article the OP referenced would be more useful if the author revealed the kind of foam used and the chemicals found to be in it.
energy_rater_la
11 years ago
you can find a lot of info here on this site
by simply searching the site for foam insulation
posts.

not all will apply, but there are many threads
about sf insulation.

install problems usually arise from wrong mix and or temp
of product. moisture content or wood being foamed
too high. installer not trained. to list a few.

product issues like R-value of foam not meeting
code requirements, and 'average' fill of insulation
resulting in low spots in insulation 'averaged' out
by excess product. to list most common.

read through posts via site search.

best of luck.
worthy
11 years ago
This piece from the Green Building Advisor sums up an informed discussion on spf with loads of links.

In the discussion, Robert Riversong raises the often overlooked fact that spf helps seal in all the bad stuff in indoor air that builders then have to try to counteract with more complicated ventilation systems.

"Building Science," says Riversong, "ignores the most important thing: that homes are for human habitation. The health of the occupants (as well as the health of the environment which supports human and non-human life) must always take precedence over energy efficiency (which is now required only because of our over-reliance on science and its handmaiden, technology)."

This post was edited by worthy on Tue, Feb 5, 13 at 0:07
User
11 years ago
The reference information posted by the members here is the best way to educate yourself about insulation. Unfortunately, many internet sites and blogs are not reliable. Some are homeowners relating health problems that they assume are from one insulation or another and some are entirely fabricated. This happens because the major insulation manufacturers are locked in a fight for market share and the organizations that they pay to promote their products will stop at nothing to discourage homeowners from using the other products.
brickeyee
11 years ago
"We are in contact with 30 other families in the USA and Canada"

Out of what population exposed?

Some folks are allergic to various medications.

Should we ban those also?

The 'precautionary Principal' when misused would have us all still living in in caves.

This post was edited by brickeyee on Tue, Feb 5, 13 at 11:27
energy_rater_la
11 years ago
"In the discussion, Robert Riversong raises the often overlooked fact that spf helps seal in all the bad stuff in indoor air that builders then have to try to counteract with more complicated ventilation systems."

ventilation systems don't have to be complicated
or expensive.
saying that foam is 'sealing in all the bad stuff'
is an alarmist pov.

bad stuff aka chemicals are in nearly everything.
you can't blame a reaction to chemicals in carpet,
or other items on foam. outgassing takes time,
and if a homeowner is chemically sensitive then
care from the time the first part of the build
is needed.
reactions to hvac caulk, finish of wood floors
and paint the walls have to be taken into account,
and products chosen that have less impact.

even without foam some people have reactions to
materials & even equipment & furnishings of the home.

building science's motto has ALWAYS been
Build tight, VENTILATE right.

they go hand in hand.
Brian_Knight
11 years ago
Agreed. The computer you are sitting in front of is probably more toxic than 99.99% of spray foam jobs.

Indoor Air Quality is best served by mechanical ventilation.

Is Spray Foam Safe?

Comments (9)

Brian_Knight

worthy

Related Discussions

User

energy_rater_la

worthy

User

brickeyee

energy_rater_la

Brian_Knight

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US