What Spray Foam Does for Indoor Air Quality

In the modern-day world, people like to spend a lot of time kicking back at home after work with their families. With that in mind, one must be aware that the air quality inside the home where you spend at least half the day is no laughing matter. The air is crucial for a comfortable and inviting living environment. Polluted air, laden with harmful substances like fungi, bacteria, and toxic gasses, can lead to various respiratory ailments and diminish health and overall well-being.

Common Sources of Air Contamination

Sources of indoor air contamination range from car exhaust and industrial emissions to smoke and fumes from burning waste. Car emissions, containing toxic compounds and carcinogens, infiltrate living spaces through small cracks, contributing to nausea and headaches upon prolonged exposure. 

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Emitted by household products like paints, varnishes, cleaning supplies, and disinfectants, these everyday household items can cause short-term to long-term health effects.
• Tobacco Smoke: Harmful chemicals causing respiratory problems, heart disease, and cancer through secondhand smoke exposure.
• Mold, pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and bacteria thrive in damp environments and have the potential to trigger allergies as well as asthma attacks.
• Radon, a colorless, odorless gas, seeps into homes from soil and rock decay, which has the potential to cause lung cancer.
• Carbon monoxide, released by fuel-burning appliances, causes headaches, dizziness, nausea, and in some cases – death.
• Formaldehyde, which is found in building materials, can cause respiratory issues, skin irritation, and long-term health effects.
• Pesticides linger after being sprayed and can harm humans too.
• Asbestos can cause respiratory diseases like mesothelioma.
• Ground-level ozone irritates the lungs and causes coughing as well as chest pain.
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Accumulating in indoor air, causing immune system dysfunction and cancer.
• Phthalates: Off-gassing from plastics and personal care products, disrupting hormone levels and causing developmental disorders.
• Released from gas appliances, nitrogen dioxides exacerbate asthma and respiratory infections.
• Dust
• Allergens from pollen, mold spores, pet dander, dust mites, cockroach particles, airborne particles from insects as well as certain types of tree, grass, and weed pollen

 

Spray Foam’s Protective Envelope

To safeguard indoor air quality from external pollutants, it’s essential to invest in a high-quality spray foam insulation kit and seal off any gaps through which outdoor pollutants can penetrate. One effective solution is green spray foam insulation, which seals buildings tightly and keeps air pollution to a minimum. Applied as a continuous layer, this material fills voids, holes, and cracks, offering superior performance compared to traditional insulation options. No materials on the market other than spray foam insulators, whether it’s fiberglass, rockwool, or cellulose, come close to providing this type of air-tightness. Each of them easily contracts due to a variety of factors. These include moisture, building pressures, as well as pests and are unable to fill in tight cracks and openings like a foam insulation sprayer.

Polyurethane foam is a polymer-based building material with a porous structure. Its closed pores effectively block toxic substances from entering indoor spaces, ensuring a healthier environment. Comprised of two components—polyol and isocyanate—the foam undergoes polymerization during the spraying process as the two components are mixed, forming a durable foam with a strong porous structure. As the components are sprayed, the foam expands and adheres to the surface, making for sturdy insulation.

Spray polyurethane foam insulation acts as a protective barrier, preventing the intrusion of smoke, dirt, and allergenic components into indoor spaces. By utilizing spray foam’s expansive and adhesive technology, the material effectively seals even the tiniest cracks and holes, ensuring a comprehensive seal of the structure. This complete insulation minimizes the infiltration of external air currents, thereby thwarting the entry of toxic and harmful substances from the outdoors.

Protection from Within

Furthermore, a critical aspect of improving air quality is preventing the growth of mold and mildew within the walls. Dampness and humidity create ideal conditions for them to proliferate. Sealing a building with a foam insulation spray kit helps regulate indoor humidity levels, establishing a waterproof barrier system that repels outside moisture and keeps pests out, which themselves contaminate the air.

In addition to mitigating mold and smoke, spray foam closed cell also combats dust particles that carry allergens such as dust mites and is particularly advantageous in urban areas or near construction sites where dust levels can be elevated.

Here are some important benefits you will enjoy by having higher-quality air in your home or work environment:

• Reduced risk of respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis
• Improved lung function and respiratory health
• Better sleep quality and overall restfulness
• Enhanced cognitive function and productivity
• Reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases
• Decreased likelihood of allergic reactions
• Lower incidence of headaches and fatigue
• Improved immune system function
• Reduced symptoms of allergies and asthma
• Better mood and mental well-being
• Enhanced concentration and focus
• Lower stress levels
• Improved quality of life and overall well-being

 

Lifetime and Maintenance

Polyurethane foam’s durability stems from its resistance to corrosion, rotting, and degradation under water and chemical exposure. With a service life designed for 50-100 years, this insulation material ensures stable air quality over an extended period, offering cozy and comfortable living conditions. 

 

High R value spray foam is a wonder of an insulation material, offering seamless application to any surface, thus preventing peeling when exposed to airflow. Moreover, its moisture-resistant composition safeguards metal components from corrosion and moisture, inhibiting the growth of fungus and mold due to its unfavorable environment for them to grow in.

 

Other Benefits

 

Thus, today you have taken some time to ponder the importance of indoor air quality. Nothing is more important than your health and well-being. Effective insulation, coupled with a sealed building environment and ventilation system significantly enhances indoor air quality. That said, it’s good to know that spray foam is far more effective at keeping your home temperature regulated and your power bill down. It has a better effect on the outside world as well, by minimizing the amount of greenhouse gasses you have to generate to stay warm or cool down your home.

 

The way the installation of the spray foam is done is another factor that shouldn’t be taken lightly when it comes to accomplishing that air-tight envelope around your home. For that reason, while it is possible to install insulation yourself using do it yourself spray foam kits and definitely handy in the case that you need to do some touch-up work later, your best bet is to have a professional spray foam insulation company come by and perform the installation for you, so you can be confident that the cracks and crevices in your home are well-filled. Ecothermix’s professionals will be happy to send one of our professionals over to your home, evaluate your needs, use a calculator to determine approximately how much the cost of spray foam insulation will be, and help you protect your home.

 

Get in touch with us to set an appointment to secure your home air quality today.

 

 

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