‘It could be your biggest nightmare’: Action 9 investigates potential hidden danger in Florida homes

ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. — A local man claims an attempt to make his home safer and more energy efficient has now pumped the home with a foul-smelling gas.

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This all stems from spray foam insulation installed in his attic. And he’s not the first person to have trouble with spray foam.

In 2011, work crews tore the roof off a Kissimmee home as part of an effort to rip out the foam insulation below. The homeowners believed it poisoned the air inside the home.

One of them told Action 9, “It scares me to death.”

But spray foam insulation is now more popular than ever. Experts told Action 9 Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal it’s the insulation of choice for most new home builders. With a tight seal, it’s a green product that home builders and homeowners use to make their homes more energy-efficient.

That’s why Phillip Scearce was first interested in using it.

“Try to get the highest wind rating. All my windows are hurricane-rated,” said Scearce.

Safety from storms and efficiency were his goals when he and his wife built their dream home in Ormond-by-the-Sea. Spray foam insulation installed by American Residential Products was part of that plan. Scearce said it was great for several years until it wasn’t.

According to Scearce, “You could walk in the clothes closet and it was, like, thick. I mean, it was definitely a gas. It was strong.”

The sudden foul fishy smell was coming from his attic. An inspection by Indoor Air Quality Solutions, based in central Florida, found the spray foam that was supposed to be closed cell foam all the way through was actually a mixture of cheaper open cell foam covered up with the denser closed cell foam. The inspection determined that mixture was the source of the bad odor. It wasn’t as thick in some spots as it was supposed to be either.

“If you get somebody that is more concerned with selling the foam and getting in and out and not protecting the home while they’re installing then yes, it could be your biggest nightmare,” said John Lapotaire with Indoor Air Quality Solutions. Lapotaire is a building envelope and indoor environmental consultant who has been inspecting homes with spray foam insulation across the country for several years. He believes the insulation works.

He said, “I love the product. I think it’s an excellent product.”

But if it isn’t installed properly, the mix is off and especially if people are home when the insulation is installed, Lapotaire said that’s when the chemicals can make them sick.

“And that bell can’t be unrung. They’re going to be sick, probably forever. Nobody really knows,” he said.

Even if it is mixed correctly, it tightens the seal of the home. Lapotaire said many people don’t realize they may also need to update their HVAC system to better ventilate the home. Otherwise, the foam or other indoor filth, from rodents for example, can also make them sick.

In Phillip Scearce’s case, an inspection done by a company hired by American Residential Products also found “the foam exhibits an uncharacteristic odor.” Scearce recently reached a settlement with American Residential Products after suing.

Since the foam is so adhesive, it’s difficult to remove. Scearce expects to lose money selling his home. Even though inspectors don’t believe his foam is toxic, he and his wife are worried about their health. They’ve been living with his windows cracked open and using a dehumidifier for the past two years.

Scearce said, “I’d read the horror stories, and I never thought, just like a lot of people, it would happen to me.”

An attorney for American Residential Products acknowledged the settlement and didn’t have any other comment. If thinking about using spray foam, John Lapotaire recommends you factor in the cost of updating your heating and air conditioning unit for more ventilation and do a lot of research before choosing an installer.

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