The old saying, “there’s no place like home,” still rings true. We all want the place where we live to be a safe haven for ourselves and our families, and that means keeping our space clean and comfortable. Unfortunately, there are many factors that can impact our home environment and threaten our well-being, as well as the health and safety of the ones we love.
The term “Sick Home Syndrome” has been used to describe the development of specific symptoms as a result of spending time in a particular home or building. These symptoms include cough, asthma, sinusitis, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, brain fog, and more. Toxins like molds, chemicals, viruses, and bacterias are everywhere, and the more we’re exposed to them, the greater our risk of developing health issues. Insulating your home with spray foam insulation can go a long way in helping you keep a clean and healthy home.
Mold is the leading cause of Sick Building Syndrome. While the presence of mold can be a simple nuisance to some, it can create significant health issues for others. In fact, about 10% of the population is allergic to mold and lacks the ability to process it within their bodies. This explains why one household member can be symptom-free, while another can become ill.
Georgia weather provides the perfect conditions for mold development, especially during our muggy summer months. Mold grows fastest between 77°F and 86°F with relative humidity above 55%. In addition to high humidity, mold needs a cellulose-based fuel source such as wood or sheetrock to thrive. Mold spores can be tracked into a home from used furniture, shoes, clothing, and pets, and high humidity conditions enable the spores to proliferate on walls, furniture, and carpets.
Spray foam insulation can help prevent mold in your home by sealing out the air and elements, keeping the roof, siding, attic, subfloor, crawl space, basement, and walls of your home clean and leak-free. Closed-cell spray foam insulation does a particularly good job of sealing out water and resisting the mold, mildew, pollen, and other toxins that develop in damp areas. Furthermore, spray foam does not rot, rust, or deteriorate, keeping it from becoming a hospitable environment for a mold colony.
Poor ventilation is another major cause of Sick Home Syndrome and its symptoms. When an insufficient amount of fresh air enters a structure from the outside, it causes carbon dioxide levels to rise, oxygen levels to decrease, and indoor pathogens to build up.
On warm Georgia days, a home’s attic heats up to the point that too much air is being expelled, and not enough fresh air is coming in from the soffits. This puts a negative pressure on the entire home and the comfortable cool air that is being pumped within it. Outside air begins to get pulled inside from windows, doors, and other openings, increasing indoor humidity. This phenomenon is called the Stack Effect.
By encapsulating your attic with a spray foam solution, you can essentially put a “lid” on your home and effectively stop the stack effect, as well as keep excessive moisture and allergens out. As an added bonus, homeowners who install spray foam insulation save an average of 20% on their year-round heating and cooling costs.
Common pests like rodents, insects, birds, and snakes are another threat to the health and safety of your home. Since many homeowners don’t go into their attics, crawl spaces, and basements as often, pests can make their homes in these places undisturbed and start wreaking havoc. Not only can these unwanted critters cause expensive property damage, but they also carry harmful viruses and bacterias that lead to vector-borne illnesses, asthma and allergies, and microbial infections.
Spray foam insulation prevents common Georgia pests like insects and rodents, and the harmful germs they carry, from entering your home by tightly sealing up cracks or holes. Spray foam provides a much more durable barrier than fiberglass insulation. Reducing the amount of moisture, mold, and mildew in your home also makes your home less attractive to all types of disease-carrying pests.
As a leading insulation contractor in Georgia, Epic Spray Foam is committed to excellent quality, service, and safety. We stand behind our work and will do everything we can to make sure our customers are fully satisfied with their products and services. Give us a call at 833-362-6489 to schedule your free estimate today!
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