The recent article on spray foam insulation was, in my opinion, very poorly written. The alarmist tone was based on incidents that could not be entirely attributable to spray foam and no examples of the many successful uses of the product were given.
The author may be an expert on some topics but it was clear they did not take the time to understand the complexities of successfully insulating a building.
Insulating buildings is often not a simple process, as getting it right includes a number of factors besides what type of insulation is being used. Basic quality control of the product and the installation are vital, but so is an understanding of the building as a whole, especially with regard to moisture and occupancy.
I have seen hundreds of homes showing the same horror stories the story featured, some insulated with foam, but others insulated with every other product in the market. Why? Typically a poor understanding of what was needed or poor installation or basic quality-control issues.
I spent over 40 years looking at buildings with infrared thermography and saw that success is very much possible if a proven product is used properly in ways that account for the realities of the building. Start with people who know what they are doing, monitor the installation, and tend to the whole house, not just the insulation.
Yes, there have been many alarming mistakes made, with foam and all other kinds of insulation, but all of them could have been prevented.
John Snell
Montpelier