Retrofoam News

Independent research confirms that Retrofoam's safety far exceeds the United States' and Canada's stringent safety thresholds.

Knoxville, TN: February 10, 2009: Polymaster Foam announces the results of an independent materials testing lab that proves their product Retrofoam, a foamed-in insulation, far exceeds health safety standards set by both the EPA and the Canadian government.

Published in January 2009 by the Canadian research company Cambridge Materials, the test report concluded that after two months of monitoring a home both prior to and after Retrofoam insulation, air contaminants were found to be well below the Health Canada's 1995 and 2006 exposure guidelines for formaldehyde." By following both the EPA's and OSHA's guidelines, the company tested total aldehydes, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and relative humidity and found that the formaldehyde samples varied from 28 ug/m3 to 36 ug/m3 well below the 120 ug/m3 determined safe by Health Canada.

The testing comes at a critical time for the American based company who is suprised by Canada's ban of this product. President and owner Steve Sayers has been in the business since 1983 and has seen the technological and scientific improvements in how the foam is manufactured. It simply isn't the same product that was used back in the 1970's and this most recent health safety test proves that." Currently, Retrofoam is prepared from ultra-low emission materials that produce no off-gassing at levels of concern and results in a product that is completely inert.

Formaldehyde is both a naturally occurring and a chemical agent. It is found in all woods, in pressed woods such as particleboard and in permanent press clothing. New carpeting, leather, and many construction products contain more free formaldehyde than the Retrofoam product.

The Canadian ban is based on a product that was created back in the 1970's called UFFI, urea formaldehyde foam insulation. This product was said to cause reactions in homeowner's that were sensitive to formaldehyde. Canada banned it in 1980 for further testing. After testing thousands of homes, researchers could not find one home that had unsafe levels of formaldehyde due to UFFI. The Canadian ban has never been lifted. Even the United States struck down a ban of UFFI in 1983 due to lack of evidence that it posed a health hazard.

Retrofoam is a urea formaldehyde resin that is used to insulate homes and offices with values of R-16, compared to R-13 for fiberglass batting. The insulation is designed to pay for itself over time by saving the customer money on utility bills. It also acts as a sound barrier and has been updated to include a product that is guaranteed to eliminate mold in walls. Additionally, Sayers is working on a Sustainable Green program for Retrofoam and says he "hopes to have that program up and running before year end."