Back in ’96, I reworked a house. Set it on a foundation, added a kitchen and garage, reroofed, built a porch, installed a wastewater system. Didn’t do too much to the interior of the main house which was about 80-90 years old, balloon framed with plaster walls. When we started on it, there was some sort of white foam insulation in the floor joist spaces. It had a funny bad smell (funny because I have never found a word to describe it – kind of sour, like baby burps) It had some nasty crystals to breathe too, if I remember right.
Because of the smell, and to accomadate the electricians, we removed it from the joistbays and replaced it with urethyne foam. Owners were happy and the smell seamed to go away.
I was back there the other day to visit and though nobody mentioned it, the smell is back. Maybe the heat and humidity waking it up. Maybe they had it in the walls too.
Anybody have any ideas what the tyupe of insulation might be and what might neutralize the smell? I tend to be proactive and want to have the answer before the question is asked, whether by them or by me.
Replies
Stinky foam could be urea formaldehyde. Don't know about the crystals but depending upon the age of the material it could have had asbestos mixed in. Nasty.
There is the possiblity that the foam did not have anything to do with the smell. Other that it was trapping whatever is producing the smell.