Insulation update: ls fiberglass still safe?

alternative insulation to those who refirse to purchase fiberglass products.

The environmental market is the target of a new type of insulation due late this sunmer or ealy fdl. Using a patented process incorprating recycled textiles that normally would go to a landfill, Greenwood Cotton Insulation Products, Inc., a division of a 104-year-old textile comPany, Greenwood Mills, Greenwood, S.C.,

Story at a Glance

How to answer questions about the safety ol fiberglass insulation ... altemative Prcducts ... insulation made from recycled cotton textiles due soon.

expects the product to be available in kraft-face, foil-faced and unfaced batts as well as loose-fill.

No independent test results for Rvalue or fires resistance are available, according n Enviromwtal BuiAing News, which cdled the Product "an important new addition to the standtrd nber insula'tion qtions if it lives up to its billing."

Ktuk R Villr, vice President-sales and marketing for Greenwood, emphasizes, 'the product takes very liule raw energy !o Prcduc€' is nontoxic, contains no formaldehyde, does not cause itching, hrs ag heal0 hazards and is biodegradable."

The product will be marketed through insulation distributors and contractors, home centers and commercial distribuon. Initial disribution will be primarily in the Southeast.

Two other altematives o fiberglass insulation products have been in the market for some time.

Housewraps, frequently described as windbreakers for houses, enhan@ thermal efficiency by preventing air from entering through cracks and seams. On the market since the early 1980s, the non-woven, sPunbonded polypropylene fabric is Placed between the wall sheathing and siding of a house. This type of insulation is said to require less labor to install than 15 lb. felt u kraft P4er.

Although bousewraPs are often specified in areas witb tougb en€rgy standards, especially on high end u custom homes, it is estimated tbat less Oan hdf of the builders have ever usedtbm.

Reflective foil imulatim is anotbr alternative. Usually a ombinatio of bubble pac\and aluminun foil, it reflects radianl heat and provides a thermd heat bieak to resist oonvecdve heat flow Ll addition to blocking air infiltration and acting as a vapor brrier.

Reportedly non-toxic and safe to bandle, the product is said to €mit no gases or loose fibers into the airEnvironmentally sensitive customers wilt apreciate tbat installatio rcportedly needs no gloves, maslr, rcsPirator, protective clothes c goggbs.

tnsulation..,Sales'Tips

: Cu$omers:onetr tgitab to buy unfamilis podwts esPecially insulation- A retailer must sell them with thermd efhciency ratitgs, installation echniqrfes :d eovilounental $iltjf.

Melbn llood nadmal sal€s matrager, Amoco Foam Prodrrcs Co. (Amo+*r+ HouseuraP mmufacmer), suggess retail' ers ask distributors to train satespeqle to ioch*i the following infmatin in tbcir Pesentatims.

/ Explain enCrgy eflicicncY inchrding perosability rating.

/ Srress ctaracteristica tbat make irealluim ery.

/ Emphesize durabilitY both during md alter insaldioo.

/ Deqon$rarc tnrylmssaff tear resistanca