Ways to fix an odor problem? | Ask Mason Knowles - SPF Consultant | Spray Foam Technical Questions and Answers | SprayFoam Magazine Q&A Forums

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Author	Comments
Jenny Hamon Posted: May 13, 2013 02:06 PM	Ways to fix an odor problem? I posted about this back in 2010, and 3 years later, we still have a problem. Our house has foam in the exterior walls as well as the attic space. When the temperature outside reaches above 70 degrees or so, my house stinks like foam. I have contacted the contractor that installed the foam several times. He came to inspect the problem 3 times in the years after the foam was put in, and each time he basically blew me off. Now he is out of business, and I can't seem to track him down. I have contacted both the distributor and the manufacturer, and they are asking for samples to be sent to them for examination. I am afraid it will be determined to be an application problem, and if I cannot track down the contractor (and he no longer has a business) I am afraid I am screwed. I have done a lot of things to try to remedy the issue: I have repainted my house a light color, so as to reflect more heat; removed the old, dark-colored roof and replaced it with a very light cream-colored one instead to try to reflect the heat as well; and installed an air exchanger in my home. After all of this (and about $20k) I am no better off, and my house still reeks. Has anyone had any luck mitigating odors in cases like this? I am open to any suggestions.
jimcoler I have over 10 years of experience specifying and installing open and closed cell spray foam. I've sold my business but I'm still selling for the new owners and consulting on large and custom specific jobs. I've expanded my knowledge into t Posted: May 13, 2013 08:46 PM	Try reducing the moisture content of the air inside the home. I've noticed what appears to be a trend with high moisture content being one of the causes that contributes to the release of the smell! One common area of moisture is basements or crawlspaces! Even though most people say they're dry, there can still be a lot of moisture migrating up through the crawlspace or basement floor. So, that's where I recommend using Xypex on it/them! Hope this helps! Jim
Jenny Hamon Posted: May 14, 2013 10:09 AM	Thanks, Jim. There used to be a little moisture beneath our house, but we have had our home mitigated for radon, so the crawlspace below the house is constantly having all air (and moisture) drawn out of it with a huge fan, as part of the mitigation system. Otherwise, the rest of the house is very dry--we live in a very dry state. I can leave a bag of potato chips open for days and they stay crisp, and I can air dry laundry in a matter of hours within my home. So I don't think moisture is the issue. But I appreciate your suggestion.
Circle-D Posted: May 15, 2013 09:23 PM	Not to be a smart Azz but if you are air drying laundry in your home THAT is a huge source of moisture. When clothes dry where does the water go?? It evaporates into your foam home and can't get out. Not saying this is the cause of the odor.
Jenny Hamon Posted: May 17, 2013 09:28 AM	Skip, we own a dryer that vents outside, and I don't typically dry things in the house; just a few sweaters occasionally. And I doubt that amount of moisture would make a difference. I really don't think it is a moisture issue. I think the foam was sprayed off ratio or too thick, and is now off gassing chemicals that are potentially harmful. I'm really unhappy about the situation and need to know how I can fix it.
Circle-D Posted: May 26, 2013 10:17 PM	Have you consulted with the foam manufactuerer? The reputable ones will send someone out, do an inspection and take the neccesary steps. If it is off ratio or to thick it should be removed and replaced.......at someone elses expense, not yours. You paid for a quality job the first time.
Jenny Hamon Posted: May 27, 2013 01:25 PM	I have consulted them (it is Gaco Western). They are sending someone out next month. He has already told me by phone that he is sure it is an application problem, however. The guy who put it in is no longer in business and has left the area. I contacted him, and he was not insured at the time of the application, which is horrible that we didn't check on that, and now he will do nothing to fix it because the statute of limitations has passed. I think we are totally screwed. I am thinking of selling the home so I don't have to deal with this. I don't think removal is an option--we can get the stuff out of the attic, but it is in every exterior wall of this house.
SprayFoamSupply.com Posted: May 30, 2013 08:09 AM	Someone posted on the linked in message board about a product that generates hydroxyls that scrub the air. No idea if it works or not. I only read about it yesterday. Sounds interesting, but almost all advertisements sound good. Not sure if they rent units or not. If you give it a try, let us know how you make out. Good Luck, George
steven argus Posted: May 30, 2013 12:59 PM	JDHam, I have sprayed a lot of Gaco Western foam and have never had a problem. All there products are excellent. They are a very reputable company are very easy to deal with. Your problem does sound like an application problem to me. Nonetheless, I'm sure Gaco will help you through this process.
mason Posted: Jun 06, 2013 10:32 AM	Contact the supplier and ask for their assistance is diagnosing the problem. Gaco Western is a responsible company with good technical service. You might ask them if they would want an independent investigation performed by a 3rd party. I frequently get called in on issues like this. Don't assume because the contractor is out of business that they won't help. The samples can help let them know if the problem is in the foam and not somewhere else (such as a build up of VOCs from sealing the house tighter). So, go ahead and take some samples and send them in. Can't hurt.

Author

Comments

Jenny Hamon

Posted: May 13, 2013 02:06 PM

Ways to fix an odor problem?

I posted about this back in 2010, and 3 years later, we still have a problem. Our house has foam in the exterior walls as well as the attic space. When the temperature outside reaches above 70 degrees or so, my house stinks like foam. I have contacted the contractor that installed the foam several times. He came to inspect the problem 3 times in the years after the foam was put in, and each time he basically blew me off. Now he is out of business, and I can't seem to track him down. I have contacted both the distributor and the manufacturer, and they are asking for samples to be sent to them for examination. I am afraid it will be determined to be an application problem, and if I cannot track down the contractor (and he no longer has a business) I am afraid I am screwed.

I have done a lot of things to try to remedy the issue: I have repainted my house a light color, so as to reflect more heat; removed the old, dark-colored roof and replaced it with a very light cream-colored one instead to try to reflect the heat as well; and installed an air exchanger in my home. After all of this (and about $20k) I am no better off, and my house still reeks.

Has anyone had any luck mitigating odors in cases like this? I am open to any suggestions.

jimcoler

I have over 10 years of experience specifying and installing open and closed cell spray foam. I've sold my business but I'm still selling for the new owners and consulting on large and custom specific jobs.

I've expanded my knowledge into t

Posted: May 13, 2013 08:46 PM

Try reducing the moisture content of the air inside the home. I've noticed what appears to be a trend with high moisture content being one of the causes that contributes to the release of the smell!

One common area of moisture is basements or crawlspaces! Even though most people say they're dry, there can still be a lot of moisture migrating up through the crawlspace or basement floor. So, that's where I recommend using Xypex on it/them!

Hope this helps!
Jim

Jenny Hamon

Posted: May 14, 2013 10:09 AM

Thanks, Jim. There used to be a little moisture beneath our house, but we have had our home mitigated for radon, so the crawlspace below the house is constantly having all air (and moisture) drawn out of it with a huge fan, as part of the mitigation system. Otherwise, the rest of the house is very dry--we live in a very dry state. I can leave a bag of potato chips open for days and they stay crisp, and I can air dry laundry in a matter of hours within my home. So I don't think moisture is the issue. But I appreciate your suggestion.

Circle-D

Posted: May 15, 2013 09:23 PM

Not to be a smart Azz but if you are air drying laundry in your home THAT is a huge source of moisture. When clothes dry where does the water go?? It evaporates into your foam home and can't get out. Not saying this is the cause of the odor.

Jenny Hamon

Posted: May 17, 2013 09:28 AM

Skip, we own a dryer that vents outside, and I don't typically dry things in the house; just a few sweaters occasionally. And I doubt that amount of moisture would make a difference. I really don't think it is a moisture issue. I think the foam was sprayed off ratio or too thick, and is now off gassing chemicals that are potentially harmful. I'm really unhappy about the situation and need to know how I can fix it.

Circle-D

Posted: May 26, 2013 10:17 PM

Have you consulted with the foam manufactuerer? The reputable ones will send someone out, do an inspection and take the neccesary steps. If it is off ratio or to thick it should be removed and replaced.......at someone elses expense, not yours. You paid for a quality job the first time.

Jenny Hamon

Posted: May 27, 2013 01:25 PM

I have consulted them (it is Gaco Western). They are sending someone out next month. He has already told me by phone that he is sure it is an application problem, however. The guy who put it in is no longer in business and has left the area. I contacted him, and he was not insured at the time of the application, which is horrible that we didn't check on that, and now he will do nothing to fix it because the statute of limitations has passed. I think we are totally screwed. I am thinking of selling the home so I don't have to deal with this. I don't think removal is an option--we can get the stuff out of the attic, but it is in every exterior wall of this house.

SprayFoamSupply.com

Posted: May 30, 2013 08:09 AM

Someone posted on the linked in message board about a product that generates hydroxyls that scrub the air. No idea if it works or not. I only read about it yesterday. Sounds interesting, but almost all advertisements sound good. Not sure if they rent units or not. If you give it a try, let us know how you make out.

Good Luck,

George

steven argus

Posted: May 30, 2013 12:59 PM

JDHam, I have sprayed a lot of Gaco Western foam and have never had a problem. All there products are excellent. They are a very reputable company are very easy to deal with.

Your problem does sound like an application problem to me. Nonetheless, I'm sure Gaco will help you through this process.

mason

Posted: Jun 06, 2013 10:32 AM

Contact the supplier and ask for their assistance is diagnosing the problem. Gaco Western is a responsible company with good technical service. You might ask them if they would want an independent investigation performed by a 3rd party. I frequently get called in on issues like this.

Don't assume because the contractor is out of business that they won't help.

The samples can help let them know if the problem is in the foam and not somewhere else (such as a build up of VOCs from sealing the house tighter). So, go ahead and take some samples and send them in. Can't hurt.

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