Comments on: NEW IDEAS FOR GREEN INSULATION

By: Mickey

Mickey — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:11:25 +0000

I am sure that things have changed since we put cellulose in our house about 30 years ago but I would never put it in any house of mine or recommend it to anyone. We blew it into an existing 70 to 80 year old farm house ever since I have had the insulation sifting out of window frames and any and all cracks that it could find. It has been a pain in my backside for 30 years. If you are not putting it into a new house don’t do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

By: pickle.face

pickle.face — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:40:31 +0000

what are the best materials for an insulator in a box??
–>PiCkLe.FaCe!!

By: datudean

datudean — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:41:39 +0000

I think you forgot to include the cheapest and yet highly effective insulation (and 100% absolutely green).

we people living in the tropics utilize the use of air as insulation to walls and roof. as much as possible we integrate it to our designs. air is abundant and it is always free to use.

By: datudean

datudean — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:32:27 +0000

i think you forgot to include the cheapest, lightest and greenest kind of insulation.

we people living in the tropics, we utilize air spaces as insulation. you can verify it. air is still the best insulation.

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 06:15:18 +0000

I\’d like to know anything anyone out there knows about the potential toxicity/pluses/minuses of Icynene. It is listed as \”green\” on its own and some other websites, but I can\’t find more than brief mentions of it. I\’m thinking of using it to insulate my home.

A company I have talked to here in Oregon, Phelps, that uses it, says that moisture is not as much of a problem because water slowly passes through it. So if your roof is leaking, you\’re going to see the leak, but the icynene doesn\’t retain the water the way the way

Lastly:Good article. I am not an insulation contractor, I\’m a nurse practitioner, and did my master\’s on a subject related to home air pollution (chlorpyrifos exposure). Most people don\’t realize they get most toxic exposure inside, not outside, their homes, so it is important to consider the toxicity of anything you use/bring into your home. Remember that substances you use indoors are going to be MUCH more concentrated than those you use outside. Personally I try not to get paranoid, but I avoid anything containing old-fashioned particle board (offgases formaldehyde and other things) and I painted my rooms with low voc paint.

It\’s important to consider Hypocrates\’ maxim: the difference between a medicine and a poison is in the dose. Regarding cellulose and their borate content: Boric acid is fine if you use a bit of it for medicinal purposes or to kill ants. I don\’t know if it has health effects if it is floating around in your indoor air constantly. I wish it was easier to get information on the toxicity of everyday products. Seems there should be some trusted website you could go to. If you know of one, please tell me! And info on icynene, please!

By: garyo

garyo — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 05:37:48 +0000

As Eric has mentioned,
The effect of fiberglass insulation on humans or the environment is limited. When installing fiberglass insulation I wear an appropriate mask, eye protection, long sleeve shirt, nitrile gloves (they seem tougher), and of course, long pants. A Tyvek painter\\\’s suit would work well. A cool shower after handling fiberglass seems to help wash off any fibers that have penetrated my protective layers.
Once installed in a building, fiberglass insulation is contained within the walls, ceilings, etc. It\\\’s toxic effect upon humans or our environment is non-existent at this point. Which other insulating products can the same be said for? Foams can emit gasses over their lifetime, blue jeans have what in them? I do remodeling in the Northeast, I have worked on houses that have had \\\”state of the art\\\” insulation from all eras since the late 1800\\\’s.The oldest had no actual insulation, but were well built with interior plaster walls. Houses built in the 30\\\’s -50\\\’s often have fiber building board behind their siding and sometimes bats of \\\”rockwool\\\” insulation. Newer homes usually sport fiberglass in various thicknesses. The goal no matter the age of the house however, is to make a home more comfortable while expending less energy ($) in doing so. Use the insulation of your choice, look at the big picture people, use of any insulation saves energy. Let\\\’s work together on this.

By: andrej

andrej — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:23:29 +0000

Just wander if you came across some European manufacturers of eco insulation?

By: kevin

kevin — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:21:22 +0000

i’m a international business man from china,and we have developped a kind of super material for insulation,and it’s not the same as fiberglass and rockwool,it’s 19 layers,and we export it to the uk,but we donot know how to get a new order,it’s cheap if you buy it from us,and it’s better than any other materials.so if there are any business people will be interested in it,pls tell me or contact with me,and hope some one will help me.my email is :guyueping1@hotmail.com

By: JB

JB — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 04:31:28 +0000

I am building larger cedar planter boxes in my business. I’ve seen several spray in gels discussed but I’m not sure if I would have to have a licensed applicator do it, get a license myself or if I need a license at all?
Any other options that would be cost effective? The purpose is to avoid wide temperature fluctuations and most of all prevent freeze damage to the roots. Any ideas conventional or on the edge are welcome. Thank you.
Whoever is paying for this site BRAVO!

By: John Peters

John Peters — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 02:34:14 +0000

Everyone brings up good points in the article, but no one has bothered to address the science of thernal energy transfer. If your talking about insulation you need to talk about how heat and cold move. There are a lot of statements about various product benefits versus other products but all I read is marketing bullets. Lets cut the fat and look at the science of the matter.

Thermal energy (heat or cold) moves in three ways; conductivity, radiation and convection. Unfortunately, our present building code only address’s radiation (R value). A truly effective insulation material should be able to mitigate all three of these. When taking a closer look at convection we find the biggest culprit of thermal energy loss; air infiltration. Only spray foam insulation can address all three forms of thermal energy transfer (especially air infiltration) while still maintaining Class I fire rating.

I pose no marketing bullets here or try to make something out that it is not. Science is science. Adhesion and expansion is how spray foam performs the best.

I own a spray foam insulation company (www.ecologicinsulation.com). You can call my above statement biased because of this or lift the vail from your eyes and see the light. If you want to save money on heating and cooling bills and reduce your pollution output spray foam is the answer.

By: Dare

Dare — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:17:48 +0000

Does anyone have any experience with Sealection 500? I’ve read the wikipedia entry on it: mostly positive except for mentioning that it’s an Isocyanate.

I’m insulating the floor of an old Victorian in Savannah, GA. Anyone know of any other green insulation companies down here?

Thanks.

By: Andrew Carson

Andrew Carson — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 07:15:33 +0000

Hi use sheep wool insulation blown supa_fill its cheap here in New Zealand and if someone wanted to import and install in quantity the cost wouls be very similar i.e 70usc per sq ft installed

By: Callie

Callie — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 23:17:39 +0000

It is about time people speak up and get away from the “way it has always been done” ideas! We are all in this together and it is about conserving energy, recycling and having a healtier place to live. I grew up in a home with fiberglass and some other “poured bagged stuff” that as kids, we used to play in, now we learn it probably accounts for my lungs being like a smoker even tho I have never smoked! Radiant Barriers prevent heat from entering building, less strain on A/C units. etc etc etc

By: Len Mecca

Len Mecca — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 22:43:10 +0000

Obviously you didn’t do your research when you reviewed cellulose. You have it wrong by a wide margin. it’s NOT highly flamable . Try burning it with a blow torch – nothing happens. It has a class A fire rating – one of the highest. Pests to NOT like it. The fire treatment is borate which is used extensively to treat for insects and mold. It DOESN’T grow mold – borates again. When you mention water, you must be talking about buckets of water? That’s a problem fscenario for all insulations. I did my research and have used cellulose in my home long ago with no regrets.

By: Peter Hewlett

Peter Hewlett — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 03:40:58 +0000

Used carpet underfelt is discarded and replaced by foam underlay when old carpets are replaced. Has anyone investigated the feasibility of re-using it as roof-insulation? It looks as if it would insulate very well, and I presume it is already treated against fire and pests. It also has the great virtues of being readily available and free. Great website!