Spray Foam Insulation Improves Indoor Air Quality

Outdoor pollutants such as dust and dirt, allergens, mold and mildew spores, moisture, pollution, and a whole passel of “undesirables” can enter your home through air leaks. These air leaks are quite common in most homes throughout the United States mainly due to poor insulation.

Air leaks contribute to poor indoor air quality – a condition that not only damages our health, but also hurts our pocketbook.

Consider these alarming facts:

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has rated indoor air pollution as one of the five most urgent environmental issues, accounting for more than $1 billion in direct health care costs annually
• An estimated 40 million individuals in the United States are affected by allergies or other respiratory illnesses due to poor air quality in their homes
• The prevalence rate of pediatric asthma among children and infants has increased from 40.1% to 69.1% – a 72.3% increase
• Poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to the development of infections, lung cancer, and chronic lung diseases such as asthma, according to the American Lung Association
• Respiratory illnesses and related lost productivity are estimated to cost between $4.7 billion and $5.4 billion due to poor indoor air

The American Lung Association recommends that the first line of defense against indoor air pollution is to keep out pollutants from the air we breathe. This is one of the major advantages of spray foam insulation.

Spray Foam: A Healthier Insulation for Healthier Living

Spray foam blocks 100% of all air leaks. Sprayed on as a liquid, it quickly expands . . . finding and filling every gap, nook and cranny in an attic or wall before hardening into a solid.

Once it hardens, it gives provides a complete air seal. This makes it the most effective insulation available today.

Spray foam insulation is superior to fiberglass insulation (blown or batt) in a number of ways. It provides a higher R-value (resistance to heat flow) and greater energy efficiency. And while fiberglass may slow down air leakage, it doesn’t stop it. Spray foam stops air leakage for good – establishing an impenetrable air and moisture barrier.

By reducing air infiltration, spray foam prevents dust and harmful pollutants, including mold and mildew, from entering your home. It enables you to breathe easy.

And when spray foam is applied to the interior and exterior walls, it can help block pollutants originating in other parts of your home, such as those from the garage, combustion furnace, or water heater.

Closed-Cell Foam: The Better Choice

While both open cell and closed cell spray foam have an advantage over traditional insulation, closed cell is the better of the two for keeping moisture or vapor from penetrating your walls, attic, or crawl space.

Why is this important?

The moisture that typically enters your home is airborne. It can contribute to mold growth and aggravate allergies.

Traditional insulations absorb and retain water, encouraging mold growth. Spray foam insulation, on the other hand, regulates moisture, is not a food source for mold, and minimizes the flow of airborne moisture to prevent mold growth.

Regulating moisture is critical if you want to avoid mold growth within your home and reduce asthma attacks and other allergic reactions. Thus, closed-cell spray foam’s capability to turn away moisture makes it a superior form of insulation for allergy purposes.

Keep in mind . . . cleaner, drier air means less allergens, mold and mildew. Your whole indoor environment becomes healthier!

Learn How You Too Can Breathe Easier . . . And Save Money

Breathing cleaner air is just one of the advantages of applying spray foam insulation in your home. You can also save money by reducing your utility bills and enjoying a more comfortable indoor environment all year round.