UFFI - Urea-Formaldehyde Foam Insulation

On average, I am asked about UFFI at least weekly. I give the same story every time: The item in question was used to insulate existing homes in an attempt to make poorly insulated homes better. This is the same reason that we find Vermiculite insulation in the attics. Below is an article from CMHC that explains it fully and what should be taken away from this is that unless the UFFI is getting wet, it should pose no more health risk than the carpets, cabinets, counters and flooring in the home.

What Is UFFI?
Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI) was developed in Europe in the 1950s as an improved means of insulating difficult-to-reach cavities in house walls. It is typically made at a construction site from a mixture of urea-formaldehyde resin, a foaming agent and compressed air. When the mixture is injected into the wall, urea and formaldehyde unite and "cure" into an insulating foam plastic.
During the 1970s, when concerns about energy efficiency led to efforts to improve home insulation in Canada, UFFI became an important insulation product for existing houses. Most installations occurred between 1977 and its ban in Canada in 1980.


Why Was UFFI Banned?
In the insulating process, a slight excess of formaldehyde was often added to ensure complete "curing" with the urea to produce the urea-formaldehyde foam. That excess was given off during the curing, almost entirely within a day or two of injection. Properly installed, UFFI might not have resulted in any problem. Unfortunately, however, UFFI was sometimes improperly installed or used in locations where it should not have been. Enough complaints were received, particularly from people living in small, well-sealed homes, that Canadian authorities became concerned about possible health implications. The further use of UFFI was banned in 1980.


What Is Formaldehyde?
Formaldehyde is a pungent, colourless gas commonly used in water solution as a preservative and disinfectant. It is also a basis for major plastics, including durable adhesives. It occurs naturally in the human body and in the outdoor environment. Formaldehyde is used to bond plywood, particleboard, carpets and fabrics, and it contributes to "that new house smell." Formaldehyde is also a by product of combustion; it is found in tobacco smoke, vehicle exhaust and the fumes from furnaces, fireplaces and wood stoves.
While small amounts of formaldehyde are harmless, it is an irritating and toxic gas in significant concentrations. Symptoms of overexposure to formaldehyde include irritation to eyes, nose and throat; persistent cough and respiratory distress; skin irritation; nausea; headache; and dizziness.
Health Canada has determined that 0.1 parts per million (ppm) is a safe level of formaldehyde in the home. Sensitivity to this level may vary based on individual age and health.

Health effects.

Health effects of Urea-Formaldehyde are put into effect when the elevated level is reached. Urea-formaldehyde releases formaldehyde emissions into the air. This triggers watery eyes, nose irritations, wheezing and coughing, fatigue, skin rash, severe allergic reactions, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, and difficulty in breathing in some humans (usually 0.1 ppm). Studies have shown that exposure may cause cancer in humans and animals. Occupants of UFFI insulated homes experienced systemic symptoms such as headache, malaise, insomnia, anorexia, and loss of libido. Irritation of the mucus membrane (specifically eyes, nose, and throat) is a common upper respiratory tract symptom to be found in both home and work environments containing enough UFFI- insulation concentration. However when compared to control groups, the frequency of symptoms did not exceed the controls expect when it came to wheezing, difficult breathing, and a burning skin sensation. Controlled studies have suggested that tolerance to formaldehydes odor and irritating effects can occur over a prolonged exposure. Tolerance, sensitivity, and idiosyncratic reactions should be considered for further investigation. The effects of cancer or congenital malformations may be too low to assess.

Should You Be Concerned About UFFI Today?
Tests show that UFFI is not a source of over-exposure to formaldehyde after the initial curing and release of excess gas. As it was last installed in 1980, it would certainly not be causing excess indoor formaldehyde today. Houses with UFFI show no higher formaldehyde levels than those without it. However, if UFFI comes in contact with water or moisture, it could begin to break down. Wet or deteriorating UFFI should be removed by a specialist and the source of the moisture problem should be repaired.
In new or other well-sealed houses, significant indoor formaldehyde levels may still occur when new carpets or wood composite materials, such as plywood, particleboard and waferboard, are used in home construction, cabinetry and furnishings. These are the most likely sources of high formaldehyde levels in the home today.
 

If you are asked for a UFFI declaration.
Since 1993, a UFFI declaration has not been required for mortgage insurance under the National Housing Act. However, a UFFI declaration may still be requested as part of a real estate listing or an agreement of purchase and sale. Even though UFFI should not be a cause for concern, you may, depending on where you live in Canada, be asked to declare whether or not it is in your home.
Some home inspectors will have the training or experience to identify UFFI. You can make a physical check of the home yourself. Look for a series of small patched holes, 1.2 to 2 cm (1/2 to 3/4 in.) across, at regular intervals on exterior or interior walls. Foam may be obvious where floor joists meet the exterior walls of the basement or around electrical outlets or switch plates. These indicators do not necessarily mean that UFFI is present, but they may alert you to the possibility.



Darren St.Jacques is a certified master home inspector with Nook 'n' Cranny Home Inspections Inc. in Hamilton, Ontario. Nook 'n' Cranny Home Inspections Inc. also performs air quality sampling and testing for Asbestos, Radon, Allergens, Mold.
  
Source of information: CMHC and Wkipedia.

Licensing of home inspectors

Thanks to some media publications and the likes of a certain contractor-turned TV personality, home inspectors have been painted with the tainted brush of entertainment.
Are some home inspectors more experienced, qualified and trained than other's? Of course they are. Like any service or profession, there are good, bad and ugly stories to be told. It's human nature for us to hear about the bad and ugly ones, which typically only make up about 10% of the other good or great inspections people have had.
Which brings me to accountability: Who oversees the home inspectors? Who regulates the home inspection industry? Nobody?
The answer is not so simple: Here in Canada, the home inspection industry is largely unregulated, although one main association here in Ontario- *OAHI and other provincial arms under CAHPI, have been trying to position themselves as the regulating body for the home inspection industry for some time. They are recognized by CMHC and other government entities, so this may come to pass. There are other associations that inspectors belong to who are trying to be recognized, but cannot make headway into the mix to be considered as alternatives.
British Columbia and Alberta are the only 2 provinces to date to license its home inspectors. The closest accreditation to a licensed home inspector elsewhere is a Registered Home Inspector. Not to say that other inspectors are less qualified if they are not RHI's, because many are. It's just what is recognized by real estate offices, CMHC and Government and even that contractor turned TV personality that thinks he knows all about what a home inspector should have seen, thinks that you should choose a registered home inspector.
Rumour has it that Ontario has plans to license the home inspection industry, but when is any one's guess. I'm sure there are many things that need to be in place before this can happen. I for one, look forward to being a licensed home inspector, and I know that many of my fellow inspectors do as well. For those of us that are full time home inspectors, we welcome the opportunity to add credence to our trade and state that we are professionals.
For consumers; Licensing of home inspectors will provide a standard for home inspections that should reduce the "Ugly" stories to a minimum. The majority of bad and ugly inspection stories seem to be mostly caused by inexperienced, untrained or poorly educated home inspectors. As an RHI (Registered Home Inspector) will tell you: The requirements to become an RHI are tough and designed to elevate that person to a level that inspires confidence and professionalism.

For Inspectors; Becoming licensed means you have earned the right to be called a professional home inspector. Good or bad, you have at least met minimum requirements, other than an online exam taken through a home inspection association. The licensing of inspectors will thin the heard and reduce the chaff that causes the headaches- at least until they have finished their education and put in the effort to become a properly trained inspector. If you have put in your time for education, training, experience and so forth, you deserve to be considered for an inspection booking over the person without your investment of time and money- right?

In my opinion...

Darren St.Jacques
(soon to be an RHI)

*OAHI (Ontario Association of Home Inspectors) CAHPI (Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors)

Asbestos in your home

Asbestos:
Asbestos is a natural mineral with unusual qualities. It is strong enough to resist high temperatures, chemical attack and wear. A poor conductor, it insulates well against heat and electricity.

What has asbestos been used for?
Asbestos has been used in hundreds of applications and products over the past 4,500 years. The ancient Greeks wove it into oil lamp wicks, funeral shrouds and ceremonial tablecloths. During the 1800s, it insulated the hot engines, boilers and piping that powered the Industrial Revolution.
For half a century, until the 1980s, asbestos was used in office buildings, public buildings and schools. It insulated hot water heating systems, and was put into walls and ceilings as insulation against fire and sound.
Asbestos has also been widely used in transportation and electrical appliances, frequently mixed with, and encased in, other materials.
Asbestos has also been found in many products around the house. It has been used in clapboard; shingles and felt for roofing; exterior siding; pipe and boiler covering; compounds and cement, such as caulk, putty, roof patching, furnace cement and driveway coating; wallboard; textured and latex paints; acoustical ceiling tiles and plaster; vinyl floor tiles; appliance wiring; hair dryers; irons and ironing board pads; flame-resistant aprons and electric blankets; and clay pottery. Loose-fill vermiculite insulation may contain traces of “amphibole” asbestos.

What health problems are associated with exposure to asbestos?
Health Canada states that the asbestos content of a product does not indicate its health risk.
Asbestos poses health risks only when fibres are in the air that people breathe. Asbestos fibres lodge in the lungs, causing scarring that can ultimately lead to severely impaired lung function (asbestosis) and cancers of the lungs or lung cavity.

When can asbestos be a problem in the home?

Today, far fewer products in the home contain asbestos. Current products that do contain the material are better made to withstand wear and use.
However, frequent or prolonged exposure to asbestos fibres may still bring health risks. This can happen with the release of fibres into the air when asbestos-containing products break down, either through deterioration as they age or when they are cut. People can put themselves at risk — often without realizing it — if they do not take proper precautions when repairs or renovations disturb asbestos containing materials. This can occur in a number of situations:

•Disturbing loose-fill vermiculite insulation which may contain asbestos
•Removing deteriorating roofing shingles and siding containing asbestos, or tampering with roofing felt that contains asbestos
 •Ripping away old asbestos insulation from around a hot water tank
•Sanding or scraping vinyl asbestos floor tiles
•Breaking apart acoustical ceilings tiles containing asbestos
•Sanding plaster containing asbestos, or sanding or disturbing acoustical plaster that gives ceilings and walls a soft, textured look.
•Sanding or scraping older water-based asbestos coatings such as roofing compounds, spackling, sealants, paint, putty, caulking or drywall
•Sawing, drilling or smoothing rough edges of new or old asbestos materials

How to minimize the asbestos risks in the home?

• If you do not know if products in your home contain asbestos, have an experienced person inspect them. If there is asbestos, the best interim measure (unless the product is peeling or deteriorating) is to seal the surface temporarily so that fibres will not be released into indoor air. If the product is already protected or isolated, simply leave it alone.
• It is a complex and expensive matter to remove asbestos, and should be done by an experienced contractor. When disturbing an asbestos product, maximum precautions must be taken to safeguard the workers and anybody else who may be nearby. Asbestos dust must remain within the work area so that it cannot be breathed in by unprotected persons.

* Nook 'n' Cranny Home Inspections recommends testing of suspected materials for asbestos in your home through an accredited testing laboratory.


Information courtesy of CMHC @ http://www.cmhc.ca/en/co/maho/yohoyohe/inaiqu/inaiqu_001.cfm