Attic insulation can bring more comfort to your home. It can also reduce your energy bills and protect you from vermin getting inside the building. There are a lot of advantages to installing insulation in your home.
However, if the insulation is not fitted properly, it can create a health hazard. The quality of indoor air can be significantly lowered. Your house can be filled with a bad smell that causes nausea and makes you uncomfortable in your own house. The toxic substances that can escape from badly executed insulation, the air you breathe in, and the water you drink can become a health or even life hazard.
Attic has improper insulation.
Respiratory problems often have a source in the bad air quality at home. If your attic has improper insulation, it can create chemical off-gassing. That means that insulation, via evaporation, releases harmful chemicals. Inhaling toxic particles for a prolonged time can lead to lung problems, such as breathing difficulties or asthma. The problem with air quality can also be noticed because of a persistent odor that stays in your home even after ventilating it. It would be best if you didn’t wait until you start noticing the first health issues. If you see that something is wrong, contact an insulation specialist as soon as possible.
While most houses suffer from under-insulation, a house may be over-insulated. That means that your attic insulation is overdone, and because of that, there is no natural flow of air between indoors and outdoors. The most common sign of over-insulation is increased humidity in the attic. When the moisture gathers in the walls or the ceiling, mold or fungus can appear in your house.
While being exposed to mold for a longer time, your health can be negatively affected. You can experience allergies, runny nose, sinus congestion, respiratory problems, irritation, cough, and more. Your body can also be affected by mycosis, a fungal infection. Some molds can release mycotoxins. These types are also known as toxic molds and can cause severe neurological problems or even lead to death.
Avoid skin problems
Inappropriately installed insulation can also cause skin problems. If the insulation is installed improperly or has dangerous components, it can expose your skin to harmful irritants. Very often, insulation contains fiberglass. When installed improperly, it can get under your skin. Very often, one of the components of fiberglass is formaldehyde. This compound can irritate the nose, eyes, and mouth, or even cause serious skin allergies.
Unfortunately, poorly installed insulation can even cause cancer. Foam insulations can release substances into the air that are potentially carcinogenic. If the chemicals are not bond properly to the finished insulation material, they can escape and spread around your whole house. When the carcinogenic particles float in the air, they can easily get inside your organism by breathing or even through the water you drink. The substances that are in insulations can damage thyroid hormones and disturb the functioning of the nervous system. Long exposure to toxic and radioactive elements can lead to cancer.
It is necessary to use catalysts called amines to solidify the foam insulation. If the installation is improper or poorly handled, the catalyst can escape from the insulation. It has a specific odor that can make people feel nauseous, significantly lowering the building’s quality of living. After long exposure, it can cause severe health problems.
To avoid the health risks connected with the bad installation of attic insulation, contact an expert specialized to add insulation to houses. A DIY attic insulation project is often not successful and can cost you more money than hiring a professional. Do not risk your wellbeing and health. With the help of an expert, you can be sure that insulation will fulfill all its roles without creating an unhealthy environment in your home.
