Adding insulation is a good way to cut energy bills and make your home more comfortable, however doing your own spray insulation foam is a bad idea. While you can get a DIY foam insulation kit from your local big box hardware store, CBC recommends hiring a professional for this job.
The tricky part to spray-foam insulation isn’t just that it needs to be done right to work, but that it can be a real safety hazard during installation. To start, the materials that the foam is made from are toxic, and require proper safety equipment to handle. You will need gloves, goggles, a mask that fits properly, and other protective clothing to keep yourself safe while applying the insulation.
The other risk that people might not recognize is the risk of fire. The propellant that keeps the foam in a liquid state is flammable as is the vapor it creates in process. This means that any open flame or ignition source (like a furnace) can cause a fire while the foam is being applied. The foam itself can cause a fire if applied too thickly due to the chemical process that occurs while it’s curing. For all these reasons, hiring a contractor is an obvious choice.