Why Spray Foam Insulation Is Best Left to the Professionals

spray foam insulation is a great way to make your home more efficient. It is a lightweight, polyurethane and isocyanate mixture that expands during application to fill every crack and crevice in a structure. If the insulation is properly installed, it will form a tight seal to keep air out and heat in. This is one of the reasons it is best left to a professional, who can apply it quickly and neatly while adhering to any necessary building codes.

During the installation process, the contractors use specialized rigs that mix and spray the material. The techs inside these rigs wear special masks, protective clothing and gloves. This is because the chemical A-side, which makes the foam expand and harden, contains a toxic isocyanate, most commonly methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). MDI has been categorized as a suspected carcinogen by the EPA, and it’s made using chemicals that are known to be bio-accumulative toxicants and endocrine disruptors.

Quiet Comfort: How Spray Foam Insulation Can Reduce Noise in Your Home

Even though the new HFO blowing agents used in most spray foam are much less toxic, the process is still extremely hazardous to workers. They can suffer from respiratory irritation, skin rash and dermatitis, eye and lung damage, and long-term exposure can lead to chemical sensitivities. That’s why it’s important that homeowners only have their homes sprayed by licensed, trained professionals who know how to use the product safely. During a spray foam job, it is also a good time to upgrade a home’s windows to maximize energy savings and create the most weatherproof seal possible.