The Health Hazards of Spray Foam Insulation

Spray foam is one of the hottest technologies in home insulation. The EPA and ENERGY STAR commissions have both heavily advocated it as a worthwhile investment for homeowners due to its remarkable ability to keep heat in your home in winter and out of it in summer. While this is a good thing for your energy bills, this technology has not been without its flaws—it has been linked to severe and potentially life-altering health issues and massive home damage.

Health Effects of Spray Foam

Spray foam insulation is not easy to install; unlike the more-traditional fiberglass foam, it should be put in by a professional. The substance involves a mixture of chemicals that is completed and immediately sprayed onto a surface, where it then expands and dries into a foam seal that’s remarkably effective at containing heat.

However, these chemicals have been found to be potentially hazardous, particularly when the foam has been improperly installed. While still wet, the toxic gasses that spray foam can emit can cause major, potentially permanent respiratory issues, joint pain, vision blurring, or even seizures. In severe cases of respiratory irritation, victims may receive chemical bronchitis. This is why most spray foam installers will wear full-face protective gas masks and hazardous material suits during the installation process.

Reducing the Risk

Unfortunately, for the time being, spray foam is still not super well-regulated. Companies offering to install spray foam are popping up everywhere in major cities, however not all of them are experienced or reputable. Less-experienced companies often hire less-experienced technicians, which could be a problem. Should a technician make a mistake and apply the foam too thick, this could lead to it not drying properly and these toxic gasses potentially staying in the home for a long time, even permanently.

While most spray foams are non-toxic once they are dry, certain lower-quality materials have been found to have traces of formaldehyde, a chemical compound that is known as a human carcinogen responsible for numerous deaths.

It is strongly advised that you plan to leave your home for at least 24 hours if you are having spray foam installed, and in fact many companies now require that you do so. Likewise, make sure your installer will give you a written removal guarantee if anything goes wrong, in order to ensure that your problem will be rectified quickly if anything bad happens.

If you have suffered a major illness or injury as a result of toxic spray foam chemicals, turn to the experienced Corpus Christi personal injury attorneys. At Sico Hoelscher Harris LLP, our team has been extremely successful in representing clients who have been negatively impacted by defective or hazardous consumer products. We have successfully earned multi-million dollar verdicts in defective product cases involving major companies such as the Ford Motor Company and Michelin North America.