'I never thought it would happen to me': Homeowner claims spray foam insulation made house stink

so when it's cold and of course you know the heating bills they Skyrocket I we all know about that but many of us look for ways to kind of improve and also be more energy efficient as well so spray foam insulation by the way it's a form it's a really popular form that people put in their attic but one homeowner says he wound up with foul smelling gas instead Boston 25's kale Thompson shares how the experts say the problems with spray foam often start Crews tore the roof off this Florida home in an effort to rip out the foam insulation below after the homeowners believed it poisoned the air inside scares me to death that was 12 years ago but spray foam insulation is now more popular than ever with a tighter seal it's a green choice for home builders and homeowners looking to make their homes more energy efficient try to get the highest wind rating all my windows are hurricane rated storm safety and efficiency were Philip sears's goals when he and his wife built their dream home he says spray foam insulation installed by American Residential products was great for several years until it wasn't you could walk in the closed 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 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 and 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 um then yes it it could be your biggest nightmare John lepoer with indoor air quality Solutions has been inspecting spray foam all across the country for several years and believes it works I love the product I think it's an excellent product but he says if it isn't installed properly the mixes off and especially if people are home when it's installed the chemicals can make them sick that bill can't be unrung they're going to be sick probably forever nobody really knows in Philip sears's case an inspection done by a company hired by American Residential products also found the foam exhibits an uncharacteristic odor he reached a settlement with American Residential products after suing since the foam is so adhesive and difficult to remove he 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 windows cracked open and using a dehumidifier for the past two years i' read the horror stories and I never thought just like a lot of people it would happen to me American Residential products acknowledged the settlement and didn't have any other comment even if spray foam is mixed correctly it tightens the Seal of the home so you may also need to update your HVAC system for better ventilation John says make sure you factor in that cost and do a lot of research before choosing an installer Kell Thompson for your local station Boston 25 News