Non-Green and Questionable Insulation
Types you may not want in your home
Insulation with a high R-value is a good choice for padding your walls, but other factors like health considerations and product life cycle come into play for many who wish to upgrade their homes. Let’s face it, some insulation is better than others.
Types of insulation
- Batt insulation is often made of mineral fiber (fiberglass or rock wool) and sold in blankets of various sizes and thicknesses. It can be the least expensive, but requires careful installation for effectiveness.
- Loose-fill insulation is loose fibers or pellets like fiberglass or cellulose (newsprint, cardboard or waste paper). It’s blown into walls and the attic through a large hose. It’s more costly than batt but can fill smaller spaces more easily and reduce air leakage.
- Spray insulation is a polymer like polyurethane that is injected or sprayed into walls, ceiling and floor cavities. It expands to fill the space and does double-duty as an air barrier, which can make it competitively priced with some batt types. Spray insulation is commonly used for retrofitting.
- Rigid insulation can be large, formed sheets of fiberglass, polystyrene or polyurethane. It’s often used in basements, crawl spaces and exterior walls.
Some problems with insulation
Some foamed insulations, extruded polystyrene and spray polyurethane involve the use of HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons), which although not as damaging to the ozone layer as CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), contribute to depletion nonetheless.
Expanded polystyrene doesn’t use HCFCs or CFCs, but pentane used as a blowing agent can contribute to low-level smog formation if it’s not captured. The ingredient styrene has been identified by the EPA as a possible human carcinogen.
In addition to these concerns, many synthetic insulations are sourced from non-renewable petrochemicals.
Fiberglass
Formaldehyde used to bind fiberglass makes this insulation less than ideal for many because of concerns about off-gassing. The fear that fiberglass may cause cancer, respiratory diseases or allergies in the long term (like asbestos) has also been an issue although studies haven’t proven a link. It does cause irritation with direct contact and high levels can aggravate asthma or bronchitis.
Some companies are now touting their green credentials and allaying fears about fiberglass being an unhealthy insulation. Owens Corning, maker of PINK fiberglass insulation, has been certified low-emission by independent, nonprofit organization GEI (Greenguard Environmental Institute). PINK is made from about 35 percent recycled content (bottles and jars) and is used in green building program Built Green Colorado.
