Expanding foam pregnant

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Hi all, advice please I’m having expanding foam done in the attic today will this be okay to stay in the house? I myself am not going up into the attic but im just worried about the fumes..

Well the stuff you spray yourself is not toxic if that helps, not sure about this as professionally done but wondering if its similar.

I thought spray foam wasn't a good idea because of trapping damp within the roof this rotting beams. Anyway, I've just looked it up on the Which website and they say it gives off fumes. So I'd stay away anyway, let alone if I were pregnant. The bloke pictured in the Which article is wearing breathing apparatus, not just a mask.

Thus rotting beams, not this....

Ask the professionals who are doing the job?

I hope you are not having it put on the underside of your tiles? And if it covers any timbers it will cause rot.

It is going into a join in the attic - I just need to know that if it’s safe to stay in the house or not if I’m not the one in the attic…

This is being done by my dad who is a roofer and painter/decorator.

but he isn’t sure on if I should stay so he told me to ask!

Better safe than sorry. Just go out for the day.

This subject is on Moneybox BBC radio4 now. Worth a listen on catch up.

Is it safe or? I’m currently out the house, my attic is joined above my bathroom the windows are open in there and the foam wasn’t applied near it was further across our home. I’m panicking alot about going back into the house

I found the product description and this is what it says…. I’ve spoken to a midwife and she’s not sure either

OP I know that it's your dad who is doing this, but in almost every case it's not a good idea. So much so, that many houses with foam insulation are deemed not mortgageable. Many owners who have had this done have had to pay thousands to have the foam removed before they can find a buyer.

As a previous poster says, the foam traps moisture. Most houses are designed to breathe - that why you have soffit vents in the roof even if you have 6 inches or more fluff insulation. Hot, moist air rises. When it meets cool conditions in a roof, it condenses and coats all the roof timbers etc with water; this will make them rot UNLESS the roof is properly ventilated (soffits etc) and the timbers are uncovered so that they can breathe.

Just think - if you put anything living/breathing in a plastic bag, that bag is going to fill with water vapour. The same applies to the plastic foam coating on any roof.

If you don't belive me, see WHICH: www.which.co.uk/reviews/insulation/article/spray-foam-insulation-ajTlp7t5K7lT#spray-foam-insulation-pros-and-cons

or even more dramatically, here: inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/money/property-and-mortgages/mortgages-equity-release-warning-over-loft-insulation-that-could-make-homes-worthless-1402136

I get the impression they are just sealing something between themselves and next door ? Not the whole attic for insulation 🤨. I’ve used it loads over the years and never had any issues ( unless your eating. It ) 😋. If you get it on your hands wd40 is the best thing to use to get it off 👍

Expanding foam is totally different to insulating foam, not even nearly the same thing. It’s to fill a gap. If it was my house in your position I’d just stay away from the loft. I wouldn’t leave.

This is only sealing a join between a building, it’s a preventative measure before the building get their scaffolding up to replace their roof tiles! The attic’s hatch is in my bathroom but my dad went up sealed it (fair bit away from the hatch.) came back down and sealed the hatch again. My concern is will the fumes travel into the house etc? My dad wouldn’t of done it if he didn’t know what he was doing!

it’s not being used as insulation it’s just being used as a weatherproof (our attic is dry.) but it was previously from the uneven slate roofs but this may not be fixed until next year so we are taking precautions!

Yes you’d be correct just sealing a join between our building no insulation we’ve not long had ours checked and it’s all fine up there just a little join causing abit of havoc with our ceiling which my dad didn’t want to seal the bedroom ceiling currently due to wanting to treat it!

mu concern is just my little baby, I didn’t want to expose my pregnancy to fumes that could affect him, I’m from a previous loss and I cant shift the anxiety.

Thank you, it’s very difficult as the hatch is in my bathroom will that still be okay? The hatch is down! Expanding foam cannot seep into the ceilings etc and cause any problems could it? Sorry for the questions I’m quite anxious I’ve been Googling for weeks before this day and still haven’t found answers!

I was listening to the radio today and there's been a massive issue with people are mortgaging or relasing equity when they have used spray foam. Worth checking the small print.

The building cannot be sold it’s an inheritance again not selling it I just need to know if it’s safe in my pregnancy 😩😩

THE EXPANDING FOAM - USED IS FOR A SMALL JOIN IN TWO BULDINGS ITS NOT BEING USED FOR INSTALLATION

IT IS EXPANDING FOAM IN A CAN NOT A PROFESSIONALS TREATMENT.

Expanding foam drys on the outside very quickly, you spray it ,it expands for about 5-10mins then gets a dry skin on it, it’s still soft and wet on the inside and takes a while to cure properly ( couple of hours ) I’ve never really noticed any smell when I’ve used it. I don’t think there’s any chance of it dripping ( it only does this if you spray too much when using it. The spray guns that screw on to the cans are very good and you can control the amount/ speed that comes out the can. So it only goes where you need it to.

😀

Thank you - my dad only used it on a join I don’t know how much he used etc I know it was a couple of cans but it was to do a couple of strips along a join to prevent my ceiling having issues from next door.
will it be okay to still use my bathroom even if the hatch is in there will it be unlikely to cause harm now?

the packaging makes the expanding foam sound scary - stating toxic if inhaled and suspected cause of cancer etc. I wouldn’t be concerned if I wasn’t carrying my little one

After a couple of hours it will be completely cured and is fine, I’m not sure how it would cause cancer ? 🤨 not unless someone was consuming a couple of cans a day 😂

I’ve just seen this on the back… beyond panicked now