Formaldehyde is not a thing to take lightly, especially when considering insulation for your home.
Here at RetroFoam of Michigan, we get this question a lot about our injection foam insulation, as well as our spray foam insulation. The quick answer is, we use non-toxic insulation that is safe to have in your home.
Now, let's talk about formaldehyde.
What is Formaldehyde?
There are a number of items in your home that contain formaldehyde you may not have thought about, including tobacco smoke that exposes the smoker and those breathing secondhand smoke.
Formaldehyde is also found in low concentrations in cosmetics and other personal care products like lotions, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, keratin hair smoothing treatments, and some fingernail polishes, 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.
When formaldehyde is present in the home, it has been known to cause respiratory issues for people who have asthma or who are sensitive to the gas.
Formaldehyde was used quite often in older forms of traditional insulation like fiberglass. It was also found in urea-formaldehyde foam insulation used from the 1930s until the 1970s.
Does RetroFoam Injection Foam Contain Formaldehyde?
RetroFoam injection foam insulation has a trace amount of 0.06 parts per million of formaldehyde present in the dry product, but when it is mixed in our trucks, the formaldehyde is bonded into the material.
That means RetroFoam’s finished foam insulation is formaldehyde-free once the product reaches your walls because it isn't able to off-gas.
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.
Does RetroFoam of Michigan Use Formaldehyde Free Spray Foam Insulation?
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 the preservative properties of formaldehyde. This means 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.
MSDS and Tech Sheets for Our Foam Insulation Products
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 do a deeper dig into our products, copies of the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and Tech Sheets for both RetroFoam and the spray foam insulation we offer can be found on our website.
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