When it comes to your home, safety is paramount -- especially regarding the insulation you decide to add throughout.
Formaldehyde is not a thing to take lightly. And it can be hard to find accurate information about foam insulation and whether it contains formaldehyde or not.
Here at RetroFoam of Michigan, we often receive questions about our injection foam insulation and spray foam insulation.
To set the record straight, the foam insulation products we offer are non-toxic and safe to have in your home.
Now, let's dive into what you need to know, keeping things straightforward and conversational about foam insulation and formaldehyde.
First, let's demystify formaldehyde.
This chemical compound can be found in many household items where its presence might actually surprise you. From tobacco smoke affecting both smokers and bystanders to everyday products like cosmetics, shampoos, and nail polish, formaldehyde is more common than you might think, according to the American Cancer Society.
Other items that contain trace amounts of formaldehyde are crafters glue, caulk, drywall adhesive, some insulation boards, and some liquid detergents, just to name a few, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
While typically in low amounts, formaldehyde in older insulation options, like fiberglass It and urea-formaldehyde foams -- used exclusively until the 1970s -- was more prevalent and could off-gas into homes, posing health risks, especially for those with respiratory sensitivities or asthma.
Does RetroFoam injection foam insulation contain formaldehyde?
Let's address the elephant in the room -- yes, RetroFoam insulation does contain a minimal trace amount of formaldehyde -- 0.06 parts per million -- in its dry form.
However, it's crucial to understand that this trace amount is chemically bonded during the mixing process, which occurs outside your home in our specialized equipment. By the time the RetroFoam is injected into your walls, it is classified as a formaldehyde-free insulation.
Once cured, it cannot release any formaldehyde gases into your home, ensuring it remains safe and non-toxic.
RetroFoam is also a Class One Fire Rated material, meaning it doesn’t promote flames or act as an accelerant inside your walls if the worst were to happen and there was a fire in your home.
Along with injection foam, we also offer spray foam insulation for open cavities like the attic, crawl space, and rim joist.
Spray foam insulation doesn’t require formaldehyde's preservative properties. Therefore, the spray foam materials we use are formaldehyde-free insulation.
The spray foam insulation we use is not only safe for your home but is also environmentally friendly.
The products used at RetroFoam of Michigan are classified as formaldehyde-free once the foam reaches your walls or is sprayed into a cavity.
If you want to explore our products in more detail, copies of the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and Tech Sheets for RetroFoam and our spray foam insulation can be found on our website.
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