Courtesy of DOE/NREL
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Glass Fiber Insulation Basics
Glass fibers can be virgin or recycled glass, held together with binders.
Why we like it
The cheapest insulation, non-combustible.
What we worry about
If you have ever worked with it you know how it makes your skin itch; imagine it in your lungs. Some have claimed that it is the next asbestos and is cancer-causing; one website calls it "The Asbestos of the 21st Century. Packages of insulation carry cancer warning labels, based on a 1998 study. However the American Lung Association lists the studies and the most recent ones conclude that "It is currently considered not classifiable as a human carcinogen. Studies done in the past 15 years since the previous report was released, do not provide enough evidence to link this material to any cancer risk."
The Lung Association recommends the following safety measures:
Skin
- Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved clothing and long pants.
- Do not tape sleeves or pants at wrists or ankles.
- Wear gloves.
- Do not scratch or rub your skin if fiberglass particles accumulate on your skin.
- When you finish, wash skin or shower with mild soap and warm, running water.
- Wear safety glasses with side shields.
- Wear a hat.
- Do not rub your eyes while you are working with fiberglass. Be sure to complete clean up before rubbing your eyes or scratching your skin.
Eyes
Effectiveness of Glass Fiber Insulation
It is open cell and air circulates in it, so it needs a carefully sealed vapour barrier. It has a relatively low R-value per inch. A wall insulated with fiberglass rarely tests at the R-value it was designed for because of all the gaps, settling and vapor barrier issues.
Eco-factor of Glass Fiber Insulation
Cheap, so it gets used, and can save a lot of energy. But beware the advertising that says "Pink is Green". As I wrote in TreeHugger:
So is Fiberglass green, as Owens Corning advertises? I certainly don't think so; however it is cheap, and properly installed it is safe and inert and fireproof, which are all pretty good things. But calling it green is a stretch of the term as we at TreeHugger know it; there is more to green than just saving energy.
More on Green Insulation
How to Install a Foam Insulating Gasket
Insulate the Bottom of Your Hot Water Heater
Green Your Home for Winter: Add Attic Insulation
Green DIY Projects: Build & Repair
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