Closed cell foam smells. Paint?

[Jennifer Eden]

Hi,

We had closed cell foam insulation blown in the attic. Now it smells like plastic on the floor below. It's not too bad a smell, but it is a foreign smell and lot's of it? What's a good way to block it?

Perhaps paint the insulation? If so, then with what? (It's in a space we can't sheetrock.)

Thanks in advance!

[JoeSpareBedroom]

There is foam and foam. It depends on what gas is used to create the bubbles. If there is an odour it may be urea formaldehyde foam containing formalin gas In days of yore this was used in the UK and elswhere for house insulation This is no longer permitted in Europe due to links with various respiratory diseases including cancer. Dunno what the postion is in the USA, you are usually ten years behind Europe at least on safety issues. You need to check what you have. If urea formaldehyde you need to isolate it.

we have gone through foams containing refrigerant gases (CFCs & HCFCs) and now we are at CO2. I think. Last time I checked.

====================

Relax. The idiot in the "non-stick surface" thread says all of these substances are perfectly safe, and he's apparently been huffing some of them for quite some time.

[DD_BobK]

What produce was used? Open cell closed cell? How long ago?

How "tight" is the house? Modern / recent construction? Upgrade to an older home?

Local environment? (SoCal, Pacific Northwest, East Coast?)

checkout

I would advise against adding another product (like paint) to the mix.

Can you heavily ventilate the house & attic space before winter arrives?

If your house is really "tight", the smell could get a lot worse in the winter when the house is "closed up".

cheers Bob

[hallerb]

I would call and ask the contractor who did the job or the manufacturer of the foam for suggestions.

Paint MIGHT attack the foam and cause grief. Best to ask before doing anything.........

[JoeSpareBedroom]

What produce was used? Open cell closed cell? How long ago? ===========

It says "closed cell" in the subject line of the message, and also in the body of the message. I'm guessing she means "closed cell", but I could be wrong.

[ransley]

What type of foam is it, polyurethane offgasses but it goes away. Other types dont offgas. How long ago was it done.

[hallerb]

certain foams are highly flammable and must be covered with drywall......

thats another thing to consider