SAFETY
Insulation Safety Concerns:
Asbestos:
Asbestos is a construction material that was used as a fire-resistant insulation until 1975 when it was banned. It can be found in ceiling tiles, floor tiles, wall insulation, and pipe insulation. If asbestos materials are not disrupted or exposed, it is best to leave the material alone. Asbestos is a threat to health when exposed and made airborne. Certain precautions should be taken when removing asbestos; it is best to hire a professional to remove asbestos.
Indoor Air Quality:
Most people spend over 90% of their time indoors. Gas appliances, cars running in a closed area such as an attached garage, kerosene heaters, and gas fireplaces can cause carbon monoxide exposure.
On Insulation Safety:
When people think about insulation, they think of energy efficiency and comfort in the home. Fire safety seldom comes to mind. But this should be a concern because the two most common insulations - fiber glass and cellulose - perform very differently in terms of fire safety.
Fire Characteristics:
Fiber Glass Insulation -
Fiber glass itself is inorganic and, as such, is noncombustible. In fact, unfaced fiber glass insulation is accepted as a fire block in wood frame walls. The Uniform Building Code says: "Fire blocks may also be of gypsum board, cement asbestos board, mineral fiber, glass fiber, or other approved materials, securely fastened in place."
However, most vapor retarders used on fiber glass insulation are flammable. For this reason, faced insulation should be covered with gypsum board or other building code approved finish material soon after installation. To reinforce this recommendation, member companies of the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) print the following warning on the kraft paper and foil vapor retarders on batt and roll insulation: "This vapor retarder is flammable and should not be left exposed."
This warning is also printed on most packaging and product literature. For those applications where the vapor retarder facing is left exposed, such as garage walls or ceilings of warehouses and other storage areas, flame spread-resistant (FS-25) faced fiber glass insulation is available.
Asbestos:
Asbestos is a construction material that was used as a fire-resistant insulation until 1975 when it was banned. It can be found in ceiling tiles, floor tiles, wall insulation, and pipe insulation. If asbestos materials are not disrupted or exposed, it is best to leave the material alone. Asbestos is a threat to health when exposed and made airborne. Certain precautions should be taken when removing asbestos; it is best to hire a professional to remove asbestos.
Indoor Air Quality:
Most people spend over 90% of their time indoors. Gas appliances, cars running in a closed area such as an attached garage, kerosene heaters, and gas fireplaces can cause carbon monoxide exposure.
On Insulation Safety:
When people think about insulation, they think of energy efficiency and comfort in the home. Fire safety seldom comes to mind. But this should be a concern because the two most common insulations - fiber glass and cellulose - perform very differently in terms of fire safety.
Fire Characteristics:
Fiber Glass Insulation -
Fiber glass itself is inorganic and, as such, is noncombustible. In fact, unfaced fiber glass insulation is accepted as a fire block in wood frame walls. The Uniform Building Code says: "Fire blocks may also be of gypsum board, cement asbestos board, mineral fiber, glass fiber, or other approved materials, securely fastened in place."
However, most vapor retarders used on fiber glass insulation are flammable. For this reason, faced insulation should be covered with gypsum board or other building code approved finish material soon after installation. To reinforce this recommendation, member companies of the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) print the following warning on the kraft paper and foil vapor retarders on batt and roll insulation: "This vapor retarder is flammable and should not be left exposed."
This warning is also printed on most packaging and product literature. For those applications where the vapor retarder facing is left exposed, such as garage walls or ceilings of warehouses and other storage areas, flame spread-resistant (FS-25) faced fiber glass insulation is available.