When I started on the long path of building a custom green home over 5 years ago I noticed something when shopping for insulation. It seemed you couldn’t shoot a sling shot without hitting a few newly licensed installers of sprayed foam. They were everywhere.
Presumably they were making a lot of money or hoped to do so. Sprayed foam insulation is very expensive. Some of these folks were new franchisees, builders, and/or other types of contractors looking to add some extra income. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I was still trying to choose between open and closed-cell foam. (That debate rages on but interestingly has become less heated since most installers now seem to offer both.)
In the end, I chose closed-cell, the more expensive of the two, and as best I can tell after 3 years of living in this home, all has gone well. My home is undeniably well insulated. On mild winter days (say a high of 50°F) my heat pump rarely comes on at all. I’m satisfied with my energy bills for this 3200 sq. ft. all electric house and our electric bill rarely exceeds $150.00. Sometimes it’s much lower.
A Word of Caution
I was present when my contractor applied the spray foam to the exterior wall cavities of my home. It was pretty interesting to watch this cake batter like substance puff up and harden before my eyes.
I remember being surprised that the fumes were relatively low – not really bothersome to me even during the application. I was surprised because a few months earlier I was at another under-construction home during a spray foam installation, also closed-cell and the fumes were so overwhelming that to this day I worry if what I inhaled that day may one day manifest itself as cancer.
Two very different experiences to be sure – had by me.
More recently, other homeowners throughout the country have come forward with some very bad experiences with sprayed foam. Financially, these experiences have been catastrophic. Imagine building and moving into your dream home, only to be plagued and sickened by a persistent fishy smell that just won’t go away. These incidents are real. These homes are unlivable and salvaging them means a lot of deconstruction and, at a minimum, a painstaking removal of all foam and residue that would be something akin to using a toothpick to remove dried cheese and tomato sauce from a lasagna pan. You and I both know you’d throw that pan out. But this is a home.
So think about it. Do you think the builder, the installer, or the manufacturer is standing in line to fix this? No. Trust me. Finding accountability in cases like these is like flushing a rattlesnake out of a 1000-acre preserve with a posse of two – you and your lawyer. Better hope he’s not afraid of reptiles.
Get Educated About Sprayed Foam Applications
It has been determined that these situations occur because of one of two reasons. The installer sprayed the foam too thickly or the chemicals were not heated to the correct temperature before they were sprayed. That, and proper ventilation measures were not taken at the time of installation. These cases are rare, perhaps even less that 1% of all jobs, but given the nightmarish consequences for homeowners, they are plenty cause for concern.
You want the fabulous efficiency benefits of sprayed foam insulation? Fine, but do yourself and your family a favor. Get educated and proceed with caution at every juncture.
Never ever assume your contractor knows what he or she is doing. Nice guys make mistakes too. I urge all homeowners to read this article, Spray Foam Jobs With Lingering Odor Problems, written by Martin Holladay of GreenBuildingAdvisor.com. The article does a fantastic job explaining the problem and what precautionary measures should be taken. Also, read the comments posted to this article by construction professionals speaking candidly on this topic. You’ll get a great overview of the dynamics of this topic. As Mr. Holladay writes:
“….the stories I heard from homeowners with odor problems were a wake-up call. The bottom line is: know the credentials of your contractor, and weigh the risks of failure against the benefits you hope to achieve.”
Remember, it’s your home, your money, and the health and safety of your family that’s at stake.
Thanks for the article. I’m invovled with different phases of construction and am a firm believer in researching products and contractors as much as possible. Remembeing one of Murphy’s Laws.”If there is a possibility for something to go wrong, it will.” I don’t stay up all night worring about installations. But I consider that a little worry is healthy; and the knowledge you gain is to your benefit. When building, I have product knowledge ahead of time. A majority of the time spent in building is the planning and procurring stage. Building is done early in the am, when I know my contractors will be showing up. I then go in the field to quality control and co-ordinate the contractors on site.
My recent experience with spray foam leads me to conclude that, though it is very effective, this is neither a green nor always a safe technology. A recent disaster from one of the recently-purchased MASCO subsidiaries involved an installation of closed cell spray foam onto the existing framing of an older building. The installation application was faulty and this application could not have been observed because regulations due to toxic vapors require that the building be vacated for at least 24 hours during installation. Problems involved overly thick passes with insufficient time between passes and possible failures at the application nozzles, application of fire coating without the proper time interval between applications. (I have since learned that there are five critical aspects to spray foam application and failure of any one of them will cause the insulation to outgas, develop gaps, splits and cracks, or otherwise to fail.) Upon testing the installation, the manufacturer required removal of all installed foam insulation. This is not so easy, particularly when the foam is not fully cured and remains sticky and toxic. In short, a one-day, application costing around $4,000 resulted in a six-month clean-up costing around $150,000 in direct clean-up and restoration effort. Clean-up procedures included chopping and cutting, dry ice blasting, detailed removal of sticky (and toxic) residue by hand and with solvents. Needless to say, replacement insulation chosen no longer involves spray foam. Rather, a mineral wool product manufactured by [brand name omitted]. Comparable products are available from [brand name omitted], as well. The resulting replacement installation appears to provide comparable performance with without toxicity. It also permits easy access for future wiring and plumbing repairs and improvements. That leads me to wonder about the popularity of foam, probably due largely to successful marketing. I’m rooting for the mineral wool insulation industry and hope mineral fiber insulation systems will soon be deservedly well-recognized for their beneficial performance related to thermal and sound insulation, as well as for fire-resistance. By the way, MASCO has purchased so many small insulation contractors in Connecticut that they are creating a monopoly, here.
I have found you post very interesting and informative.
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
As a small A/C contractor I have been preaching – Do your homework first!
Most contractors belong to a professional organization that offers “best practices”. A few minutes on the web could save them money and stress. They should ask their contractor for contact referrals for recent customers.
Again, Thank You!
Another great article! It is so tragic when I hear stories like this. It comes back to the importance of vetting any worker you bring into your home. If you are going the new construction route and are willing to pay for 4×6 framing and spray foam, look into SIPs as well to see if that may meet your needs. They use pre insulated panels where the rigid foam is extruded using a non Cfc blowing agent and is inert. It all comes back to doing your homework!
Great article, confirming the need for proper due diligence.
Great article.
I’m no expert on the various types of insulation to use; regardless of your choice on an existing structure an internal & external infrared survey should be considered to locate areas of concern. This will save you thousands on wasted labor and materials and target the specific areas. Its money well spent!
On new installations, the structure can be inspected to see if the insulation is been properly installed. I’ve seen installations where material is missing or improperly installed.
Thanks for the article Trish. I have been evaluating building failures for over 20 years and have seen numerous poor installations of SPF. There seems to be many unqualified applicators in the industry that know little about either the product or the conditions in which it is applied. As with all buildings, an applicator should have a thorough understanding of all of the integrated components of a building and how each interacts with the next. I have witnessed numerous projects where SPF has been installed without any consideration for ventilation, moisture, air quality or other issues and the results were less than satisfactory to the building owner. As with ALL products or modifications to a building, do your due diligence or hire someone that has the expertise to do it for you.
We are currently living through our own personal open cell spray foam nightmare. Have had to move out of our home due to odors and adverse health effects 5 months after installation. Any suggestion on testing that should be done on the foam and air? The manufacturer is just starting some investigation.
There are many document cases of sprayed polyurethane foam that has cracked, has a pungent odour after application and/or has delaminated from its substrate. All of these cases could ultimately be traced back to improper application by the contractor. Sprayfoam manufacturers all have specific installation instructions for their materials which when followed will result in a perfect application and most importantly a happy home owner. Some of these installation instructions include the following (check with your chemical manufacturer for any slight deviations to these points):
– the substrate and ambient temperature differences cannot be more than 65°F
– the substrate shall be dry, free of grease and contaminants prior to spraying
– no single pass shall be greater than 2″ thick (this point is very critical)
– the foam should have sufficient time to cool down between passes
– each manufacturer has instructions on how many 2″ passes can be applied per day
– areas within 30 feet of foam application shall be roped off including warning signs to prevent anyone not wearing personal protective equipment from coming into contact with the resin or isocyanate
– manufacturers have slightly different formulations of each foam depending on the ambient conditions at time of application. It is up to the applicator to ensure they are using the correct formulation. Typically application temperatures below 50°F require a low-temperature formulation.
A homeowner can have the reassurance to know their foam is installed correctly when the foam does not have any discolouration from burning, adhesion concerns or cracking. Properly installed SPF shall not have any residual odours emitting from it, nor should it present any health hazards to the building occupants. If any of these conditions occur, contact your SPF contractor or manufacturer immediately.
Hello Colin Szewaga,
It was refreshing to read your reply, but I am concerned as a future user of closed-Cell Foam for insulation. You were the only one of the reply’s that delt with specifics and actual guidlines for the use of the installation of foam as insulation. Where can I get this info for my own use? I will use foam but I want to know more about the proper installation procedures. Even though I have checked into having it installed I did not know about the information that you presented in your reply to the article.
Where do I get this information, and how do I know that the dinfor that I get is correct?
Best Regards
Robert L. Gifford
gifford@ellijay.com
Hello Robert
This information that I mentioned should be available on all manufacturers websites in the form of installation instructions or technical data sheets.
This information that I presented is also regulated in Canada under the CAN/ULC S705.2 standard.
Regards.
http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/spf/spray_polyurethane_foam.html
The above link is part of EPA’s online Greenbuilding site. EPA & industry groups are studying spray isocyanate foam safety.
Some of us remember the UF spray foam insulation concerns of the seventies. I was involved with UF resins in wood products. Isocyanate resins were evaluated during my search for alternatives. The occupational exposure risks were too great, so my technical group opted for safer materials. Many exposed workers developed severe sensitivities.
Occupant exposures to unreacted isocyanate along with building moisture problems from damp closed-cell foam are concerns that require further study; especially for sensitive individuals. The IAQ benefits of air sealing provided by spray foam may be outweighed by other IAQ risks.
Chris Julian
I’d like to point out that low pressure kits that people can buy and use themselves do not produce the MDI exposure you discuss in this article. You should never have been allowed to be in that room when a high pressure rig was spraying. With the low pressure kits, you can use a regular hardware store respirator and tyvek suit and not be exposed. The re-entry time for the home for high pressure rig foams is 24 hours. The re-entry time for low pressure kits for the room is 1 hour. Thank you for keeping the two types of spray foam separate because the safety levels are worlds apart.
Spray foam can be very expensive and unhealthy. There is another product that has no VOC’s, and has recieved the Green Energy Approval for clean air, EPA approved, and has recieved and Air Barrier Association certification which is approved for sealing , will not crack, peel, has 0 smoke and flame spread. Can be applied to any surface, will not let the heat in or out of the structure.
Hello Vince
When you speak of the Air Barrier Association, are you referring to the Air Barrier Association of America?
What is the product you speak of that “has no VOC’s, and has recieved the Green Energy Approval for clean air, EPA approved…will not crack, peel, has 0 smoke and flame spread. Can be applied to any surface, will not let the heat in or out of the structure”?
The problem with spray foams typically is that we are trying to use them in a manner that they were not intended or to do too many things. The advantage of spray foams is that they can provide continuous insulation. They can also provide air and vapor barriers if they are closed cell. If you are trying to spray this material into a stud cavity of any kind it is not going to be able to accomplish either of these objectives. Further more there are many other problems with spraying into stud cavities. It typically means that you are spraying on the inside of a building which causes ventillation issues as discussed but not for the reasons that you think. It is more of a water vapor settling out of the spraying process issue. Once you spray closed cell foam on a structure it holds everything in. The Heating Ventillating and Air Conditioning systems have to be designed to remove that moisture once it is trapped inside.
The other primary issues with any kind of insulation in a cavity that houses other components like electrical outlets, or plumbing or anything else is that these items cause thermal breaches in your insulation. SPF and other foams should be on the outside of any systems cavities so that penetrating items do not have to go through them and if penetrated the penetrations have to be detailed properly to not allow the pasage of air or vapor and minimize any kind of heat loss. Anywhere that there is heat loss or a cold surface you will get condensation which is often worse than most other issues.
I also love the eternal mention of mineral wool. Do you know what mineral wool is? It is a close cousin to the A word and if it gets a big enough market share will get the same tag. After all we always have to find the latest bogeyman so that people can make money removing perfectly good systems.
No materials are inherently entirely good or bad. They all have uses. As a matter of fact Asbestos is in just about everything naturally and is still used as a primary ingrediant in some items that have to deal with extremely high heat because there isnt anything better with the same properties under certain conditions.