We had spray foam insulation put into our attic space in 2013-2014
BarbBob
| Posted in Green Products and Materials on
Since this space was usable, we had the foam put in so I could use it as a sewing room. The attic door is off our bedroom and stays open to allow for air flow.
Around that time I had noticed some changes in my husband. He has recently been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers. We are 52 yrs. old.
I too have been having some memory issues, not being able to finish a sentence as I cannot think of the word, and pain in my arms and hand.
How would someone find out if anyone else has had any of these symptoms? The company knew from the start it was going to be a usable space for us.
Thanks.
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Replies
First of all, let me express my sympathy for your situation. I'm very sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis, and I wish you luck on your difficult journey.
Now that your question has been posted here, you may hear from a few GBA readers who have also been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
That said, environmental health experts can't use an anecdote like yours to establish causation, as I'm sure you know.
I haven't read any published reports associating spray foam insulation with Alzeimer's disease.
Studying this issue would require a large sample of households -- ideally, in the thousands or tens of thousands -- so that the rate of early-onset Alzheimer's in homes without spray foam insulation could be compared to the rate of early-onset Alzheimer's in homes with spray foam insulation.
The fact that the spray foam installers "knew from the start" that your sewing room "would be a usable space" is, frankly, irrelevant. Lots of families live in rooms that are insulated with spray polyurethane foam.
As you probably know, spray foam insulation needs to be covered on the interior with a layer of 1/2-inch drywall for fire safety. Has that work been done?
-- Martin Holladay
Is your basement or crawlspace damp? An unfortunate side effect of making a house more tight is that it exacerbates moisture issues, leading to mold growth, which can result in the symptoms you are having.