The best way to protect your family is to hire an asbestos removal service to remove it. Thickness Ranges: 1.5-3". (Sustainability alert: Most fiberglass products are made with somewhere between 40 and 60 percent recycled glass content.). The nature of this problem is such as to constitute a hazard to the public health and safety, and should be brought under appropriate regulation." Owens Corning PINK Next Gen Fiberglas insulation installs faster because it's made like no other fiberglass insulation. from $213.71. While adding new fiberglass to your home offers tons of "green" and money-saving benefits, DIY fiberglass insulation comes with health hazards. Fiberglass became popular in the United States as another insulating material -- asbestos -- was phased out of use. However, concerns over fiberglass shouldn't be confused with the confirmed link between lung cancer and asbestos. HEPA (high-efficiency particulate absorption) filters have a 99.7% efficiency rating. Cellulose is a plant-based insulator and is the oldest form of home insulation. Fiberglass and cellulose are both used as insulators, although they offer somewhat different advantages. E: The Environmental Magazine. Fiberglass insulation is present in 90 percent of homes, buildings, schools, and offices. Rolls of natural cotton and recycled cotton prepared for use as an alternative to fiberglass insulation. What Is Asbestos Insulation, and Why Is It Dangerous? 2. and see how many opportunities there are for airborne fiberglass to pass through these openings. An idea that everyone has the right and the chance to work hard, live comfortably, and have prosperity throughout their life. One American of every four deaths in urban areas of the United States has asbestos particles or dust in his or her lungs. Though most insulation is safe to use for short periods, prolonged exposure may lead to irritation and pain in some cases. The asbestos legacy shows that senseless human suffering and mind-numbing litigation always follow when society allows wealthy manufacturers to do as they please." Hello, contact dermatitisbut insulation exposure goes beyond red, itchy hands. If you've ever come in contact with fiberglass, you already know what it can do to your skin. Before removing fiberglass insulation, it is a good idea to dampen the area to prevent particles from entering the airspace. Today, manufacturers have found safe alternatives to these previously used chemicals. When buildings operate under negative pressure, some air must be introduced from outside to balance the pressure differential. Fiberglass insulation is found in 71% of U.S. homes and comes in many formswhether it's batt, blown-in, or loose insulation. Read More How to Protect Yourself Against a Broken CFL (Hazardous? Commonly found in blanket form, called batts, it is available in bags containing standard pre-cut lengths and widths. Thats fiberglass insulation, the most popular type in America. Cleaning the exposed fiberglass lining on these ducts may compromise the resins holding the fibers down, leading to more fiber shedding and more contamination. If you have an older home or vermiculite insulation, its worth having a professional test your homes insulation for asbestos. If youre planning on installing insulation yourself, even the best methods can be dangerous and unsafe. Over time, the indoor relative humidity will increase, potentially causing mold growth on cool interior surfaces or inside wall cavities. Fiberglass -- a material that nature does not make --is now measurable everywhere in the air. ejnet.org Fiberglas Insulation Foamglas Cellular Glass Foamular XPS Foamular NGX Thermafiber Mineral Wool Perimeter Fire Containment Rainbarrier Continuous Insulation Accessories All Products Enclosure Solutions Wall Enclosure Solutions Below-Grade Enclosure Solutions Roof Enclosure Solutions All Enclosure Solutions Especially important is the cleaning of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. During that time, the fibers irritate the lungs and any other part of the body they may travel to, disrupting cell division by interfering with chromosome distribution and changing important genetic material. Owens Corning PINK Next Gen Fiberglas insulation installs faster because it's made like no other fiberglass insulation. Do not remove it yourself. But what about fiberglass insulation? Shortly after, construction safety legislations were enacted to prohibit the used of sprayed-on asbestos or the use of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). Nausea and vomiting (symptoms of acute exposure), Loss of coordination (long term exposure can cause neurological damage), Irritation of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Also, change your clothing as soon as you're finished handling fiberglass. Fiberglass was once considered a possible cancer risk, and fiberglass products were labeled as such. Inhaling fiberglass particles can cause nose bleeds, severe coughing, and lung damage. Attenuated fiberglass is everywhere, in almost every car, every building in some form or fashion, heating ducts, even inside cooking stoves and refrigerators. Even quickly brushing your hand across fiberglass insulation can leave those glass shards embedded in your skin, causing immediate irritation and a rash. Read More Wastewater Differences: Greywater, Blackwater, and RecycledContinue. Does fiberglass actually contain glass? Likewise, when the heat pump turns on in the colder regions the same negative pressure is induced. Need professional help with your project? A good rule to follow is: if it looks like a job for professionals, it probably is. Polystyrene Insulation in combination with PINK Insulation batts and FoamSealRTM Sill Gasket in a 2x6 or 2x4 wall assembly. The rest of this article provides a detailed rundown of some of the most common insulation types, along with some information on their toxins and health effects associated with them. Batts are available in different thicknesses, with the thicker batts offering a higher resistance to heat flow. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: What Is a HEPA Filter? Its lightweight, easy to install, and relatively inexpensive compared to other forms of insulation like cellulose and spray foam. This is where the problem really begins. Insulation is generally safe when its properly installed, Damaged, exposed, or old insulation can pose health risks, Asbestos insulation (or contaminated vermiculite) is carcinogenic, Direct insulation exposure may cause skin and respiratory issues. The reasonable insulation costs per square foot from insulation companies around the country may inspire you to get out of the house for a few hours while someone else tackles all the preparation and safety precautions. Fiberglass Dangers and How to Protect Yourself, What to Know About Replacing Your Homes Insulation. nytimes.com. However, fiberglass insulation is by no means a perfect material for insulating homes. Fiberglass insulation is the most common home insulation in the U.S. Icynene foam insulation presents more of the same health hazards,airborne dangers in the form of black mold and mildew. Those cuts can create severe itching and irritation. Still, we frequently see asbestos-related problems, from the evacuation of poorly constructed school buildings to debris created from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005. Take InterNACHI's free online "How to Inspect the Attic, Insulation, Ventilation and Interior" Course. While you may think you're breaking out in a skin rash after touching fiberglass, those markings are probably cuts. Sources: Its known use goes back to the ancient Greeks, who admired it for its ability to withstand very high temperatures. The pink cotton-candy colored fiberglass insulation is commonly used in residential homes and commercial buildings to prevent the loss of thermal energy. Do you know what happens to this fiberglass that sits in the attic through alternating periods of heat and cold, humidity and dryness? 9 Signs That Your Home Is Poorly Insulated, The 6 Top Tips for Choosing the Right Home Insulation. You can use a checklist for inspecting and repairing your own insulation to make sure youve got all your bases covered. Although fiberglass industry lobbying delayed publication of NTPs conclusions for two years, the report was sent to Congress in June 1994. Quadruple your inspection business and reduce your liability with the At one time, spray foam insulation was known for being toxic because of its ingredients. In rural areas, the concentration of fiberglass in outdoor air is reported to be 0.00004 fibers per cubic centimeter, about 1000 times below the amount thought to endanger one-in-every-thousand fiberglass workers. All of these properties made it particularly attractive for home construction, and asbestos was the main material used for building insulation for the late 19th century and much of the 20th century. To make spray foam less flammable, some manufacturers add either a flame retardant or an inhibitor. eryone knows about the fiberglass insulation that has been used for many decades in attics all over America. The most common form of insulation found in homes, fiberglass is a woven product made of plastic that is reinforced with glass fibers. There are many insulation options, but exterior home insulation is a bit different from most. You may want to replace your existing insulation with faced insulation or rigid foam insulation if its regularly exposed to moisture. In tobacco products, a similar method in cigarette filters allows for increased nicotine absorption. It is glass and the verification of friable toxicity and carcinogenic," he stated. According to some estimates, thermal insulation (made from fiberglass and its alternatives) conserves 12 times as much energy as is lost in its production, and it may reduce residential energy costs by up to 40%. In its pure form, vermiculite is safe. You see, when the air conditioning turns on in the southern regions, a negative pressure is created within the home. More than 30,000 commercial products now contain fiberglass. InterNACHI is a registered trademark of the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. Contact Installed Building Products of Tampa, the attic insulation contractors Tampa homeowners call first when they need help making their homes as cozy as possible year-round. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: Vermiculite insulation was banned once it was discovered that it contained a high percentage of asbestos fibers that were proven to cause several deadly diseases. Its crucial to consider a critical agent used in binding this insulator: formaldehyde. Blackwater, greywater, and recycled water are all types of wastewater that have a secondary use after their primary purpose has been fulfilled. Glass fibers are also thrown into the air when the insulation is moved, which can cause irritation to your eyes, nose, and throat. It will be nearly impossible to clean. When inhaled the fumes irritate mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose, and throat, cause headaches, nausea, diarrhea, skin rash, and abdominal pain. But as early as the 1930s, the health hazards of asbestos became clear. In the summer, hot air moves from the outside to the inside and makes it uncomfortably warm. Here are some common insulation health hazardsand what you can do about it. Billions of pounds of fiberglass now in buildings will eventually be dumped into landfills, from which it will leak out slowly as time passes. You give it a kick, and the blanket unfurls onto the floor. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC): Formaldehyde. Anyone whos ever accidentally touched fiberglass insulation knows that it can instantly irritate skin. Thats part of what makes asbestos insulation removal so trickyand it should only be done by a professional. All of this fiberglass will eventually be released into the environment, Why You Are At Risk and What To Do About It. So, we made the industry's best batts even betterto help get the job done faster and more accurately. Once breathed in, asbestos fibers will be inhaled deep into the lungs, where they stay for long periods of time. These filters eliminate chemicals like formaldehyde from your homes environment. Fiberglass Nominated As a Top Occupational Hazard Read More Exterior Home Insulation: Should You Use It? (And this says nothing about the hazards to wildlife.) The main way insulation poses a health risk is when the tiny, needle-like fibers become airborne. It's also relatively inexpensive and easy to install, though messy. Some commons signs that you've inhaled fiberglass include: Sore or irritated throat Painful nasal passages Irritated, sore lungs Trouble breathing If you suffer from health conditions like asthma or bronchitis, exposure to fiberglass can exacerbate your symptoms. Breathing in fibers can also increase the difficulty of breathing. Homeowners have a million reasons to want to add more fiberglass insulation to their homes. What is R-13 insulation used for? Chances are you've already installed fiberglass insulation in your home or have had someone else do it for you at some point. If the dose-response curve is a straight line (that is to say, if half as much fiberglass causes half as much cancer) and if there is no threshold dose (no dose below which the cancer hazard disappears), then exposing the Earth's 5.7 billion human inhabitants to low concentrations of fiberglass will inevitably take its toll by causing excess cancers in some portion of the population. Another older type of insulation is loose fill rockwool, easily identifiable by its greyish, wool-like appearance. Common uses most people are aware of include thermal insulation, acoustic insulation, fireproofing and various applications in automotive components. It can be pink, yellow, white or green, depending on . Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Fiberglass is also used to create products as varied as automobile bodies, boat hulls, arrows, roofing, shower curtains, and tent poles. If you ever need to remove fiberglass insulation or handle it for any reason, protecting yourself is pretty simple. Glass wool is an insulating material made from glass fiber arranged using a binder into a texture similar to wool. Fiberglass is a type of fiber primarily composed of glass that is used in a wide variety of applications,and is predominantly employed as a residential and commercial thermal insulator. 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