Spray foam insulation, including closed-cell and open-cell foam, is a versatile liquid foam used extensively for insulating floors, ceilings, walls, and more. Not only does it seal off gaps, it also creates an effective air barrier, crucial for maintaining indoor air quality.
This air barrier is instrumental in building energy-efficient homes, significantly improving heating and cooling efficiency.
This air seal is crucial in maintaining indoor air quality and contributes significantly to creating energy-efficient homes by improving heating and cooling efficiency.
Despite its reputation for cost efficiency and its significant role in constructing energy-efficient homes, the disadvantages of spray foam insulation concern home builders and homeowners. These drawbacks must be carefully considered, particularly in terms of indoor air quality and long-term building integrity.
Home builders and homeowners alike must weigh these drawbacks against the benefits, especially when considering long-term impacts on indoor air quality and building integrity.
What Are the Disadvantages of Spray Foam Insulation?
As stated above, many people use spray foam insulation as it’s beneficial for energy efficiency, which can lead to lower energy bills. This type of insulation is often compared to fiberglass insulation in terms of cost and efficiency. Also, spray foam insulation installation costs you less than any other insulation.
Well, how can spray foam insulation be cheaper than the others? When in fact, the installation cost itself is higher?
Spray foam installation can be applied to any surface, including crawl spaces, without losing shape. This flexibility makes it a popular choice among various insulation materials. This type of insulation will last longer without upgrading over time. Spray foam insulation is best for resisting any heat loss.
However, spray foam insulation’s disadvantages have been discussed more than its benefits. Indeed, spray foam is quite dangerous due to the materials inside, such as isocyanates and polyol resin.
These two chemicals are harmful as they are sprayed into the airspace and form an aerosol you breathe in. As a consequence, protective equipment is necessary when using the spray foam. The breathing irritation from these hazardous materials may vary depending on how much it’s inhaled.
5 Disadvantages of Spray Foam Insulation
- Health Risk
Using spray foam requires protective equipment and must be applied correctly. If you spray them too much, it allows you to inhale more hazardous aerosols. Those chemicals can cause long-term irritation from the skin to the respiratory system.
- Damage Water in Your House
Spray foam insulation also poses a risk of water damage, especially in attics, where it can lead to roof damage. The insulation’s tendency to trap moisture can result in mold and mildew growth, compromising the indoor air’s health and the building’s structural integrity.
In attics, the foam can cause water to soak into the walls and roof, potentially compromising the structural integrity of the building.
- It’s Shrinking Over Time
Even though the spray foam is affordable and easy to use, this product will shrink over time. Typically, in extreme temperature changes area. Therefore, you need to reapply the spray foam insulation or maybe try to use another insulation.
Read also: How Long Does Spray Foam Insulation Last?
- Longer Time to Cure
Due to its hazardous chemical composition, spray foam insulation necessitates a longer curing time, often up to 24 hours. During this duration, the chemicals may emit harmful gases, contaminating the indoor air and posing significant health risks to the occupants. To mitigate these risks, homeowners and builders must ensure proper ventilation during this period.
Therefore, it’s crucial to allow adequate time for the insulation to cure fully to avoid exposure to these toxic gases.
- Increases Global Warming
Spray foam insulation is frequently promoted as an eco-friendly choice, particularly for energy-efficient homes. However, the materials in its composition, while enhancing home insulation, also contribute to global warming by depleting the ozone layer.
This paradoxical aspect of spray foam insulation presents a significant dilemma in its use for environmentally conscious building practices.
This paradoxical nature of spray foam insulation presents a dilemma, as it offers energy savings but at the potential cost of increased global warming risks.
Read also: Spray Foam Insulation For Metal Buildings
Last thoughts, the spray foam insulation offers you a longer lifespan and fewer bills. It does work well in insulating walls, floors, and roofs. Thanks to its efficiency, most homeowners and contractors choose spray foam insulation as an ideal solution to keep the house warm.
Also, it’s low in maintenance, giving you peace of mind without worrying about a replacement or an upgrade. Besides, spray foam insulation is a winner for those concerned about eco-friendly products.
Despite that, you might want to consider the toxic compounds inside the spray foam insulation. If you already have respiratory system irritation, we bet you should use another type of insulation.
All in all, check if the spray foam insulation meets your needs and budget.
Read also: How to Get Foam Insulation Off Hands
So, we have given you a detailed explanation in this article about spray foam insulation, do you find this article helpful?
Does it give you more confidence in using the spray foam insulation? We would love to know!
