Was Urea Formaldehyde (UFFI) foam insulation really a health hazard?
(updated Sept 2009) Since the early 80’s Urea-Formaldehyde Foam Insulation (UFFI) was banned in Canada and the US. The Canadian ban is still in place while it is now legal again to sell Urea-Formaldehyde based foam in the US and Europe. Whether it ever was or still is actually a health problem or not, it is still hurting real estate values, even if it has been removed. One of the building science realities that is unfortunately not understood by the real estate industry is that now almost 30 years after it was installed, even if Formaldehyde off gassing was a health problem, there is absolutely no Formaldehyde gas left in any walls in Canada today. 30 year old UFFI is no longer even a potential health hazard and should have no detrimental effects on real estate values or even require any special precautions in renovation other than ordinary dust masks. What’s the real story on this greatest of renovation controversies? I’ll let you follow this fascinating story in detail through the li
