UFFI air testing and materials testing

Urea formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI, which is pronounced “you-fee”) is a foamed-in-place insulation used to insulate buildings. UFFI insulation was very popular in the 1970s due to the high cost of oil heating following the oil crisis. The federal government subsidized this type of insulation for a time.

Formaldehyde is an irritant that can cause burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat. It can also be linked to respiratory problems, especially in asthmatic children.

Although formaldehyde is a recognized carcinogen, the concentrations normally found in homes are very unlikely to cause cancer.

Testing is performed to determine whether indoor air is contaminated by formaldehyde emanations. Health Canada guidelines set short-term exposure at 0.1 ppm (parts per million) and 0.04 ppm for long-term exposure.

The purpose is to determine if the material being tested is UFFI. To conclude that the material is UFFI, we will check the material submitted for analysis for appearance, physical properties and potential presence of formaldehyde.

For more information about UFFI, please visit the following organizations’ websites:

• Health Canada;
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

This gas is commonly found in residential indoor air. It can be emitted from building materials and furniture, particularly those made from particleboard products containing urea formaldehyde adhesives. It can also be emitted from sources such as tobacco smoke, potpourri, exhaust, fireplaces and wood stoves, and gas or oil appliances with faulty venting systems.

See photo below. It looks like urethane (insulating foam) or shaving foam with a pale yellow color. Unlike urethane’s styrofoam-like texture, UFFI, which is an insulation that does not age very well (drying out), normally breaks down into chunks or even a fine powder when handled.

It is recommended to take two to three air samples in a residential building in order to have them analyzed. The goal is to have a certain representativeness of the situation prevailing in the whole building, because if only one test is made, its result could be biased by a formaldehyde emanation not coming from the UFFI.

Indeed, the health risk related to UFFI being the emission of formaldehyde, it is important to know that this gas is commonly found in the indoor air of buildings. It can be emitted from building materials or furniture, particularly those made from particleboard products containing urea formaldehyde adhesives. It can also be emitted from sources such as tobacco smoke, potpourri, exhaust, fireplaces and wood stoves, and gas or oil appliances with faulty venting systems.

The best known visual clue is the presence of finishing points at more or less regular intervals in the mortar joints of exterior brick walls (see photo below). These finishing points seal the holes where the UFFI was injected to insulate the space between the exterior cladding (usually the brick walls) and the interior walls of the building.

Also, there may have been references to the house being insulated with UFFI in previous deeds of sale or sellers’ declarations.

For the air test, the results will confirm whether the building’s indoor air is safe according to applicable standards, but will not confirm whether the building has been insulated with UFFI. In addition, since formaldehyde can emanate from sources other than UFFI (see the “Learn More” section under ” OTHER SOURCES OF FORMALDEHYDE EMISSIONS” and the previous FAQ under “IS ONE AIR TEST ENOUGH?”), it is possible to have a problematic test result that is not due to UFFI (called a false positive result).

UFFI has been used primarily for insulating the exterior walls of buildings, between the exterior cladding (usually brick walls) and the interior walls. However, UFFI can also be found in other areas such as the interior of concrete blocks in the exterior walls of commercial buildings or other cavities in a building that need to be insulated.

UFFI was banned in Canada in December 1980 under the Hazardous Products Act. Notwithstanding the above, there are still many buildings insulated with UFFI since owners have never been required to remove this material, which, in most cases, no longer poses a significant risk of formaldehyde release since it was installed a long time ago (except if the UFFI comes in contact with moisture or if work in performed on it).