What Kind of Insulation

[Gary Cobb]

Can someone tell me what kind of insulation is in these 3 photos? The white stuff is very soft, so is the gray, but not the one with the zip rule in it.

Thanks

[Alton Darty]

The first looks like it may be a recycled cotton based product. The second appears to be a similar material, it may have been bleached or dyed to have a more consistent look, and the third looks to be cellulose. All three are available in our areas. Cellulose has been around for a while, the other two have not been widely available in my part of the state until the last 8-10 years.

[Rick Hurst]

First picture looks like Rockwool.
Second looks like Insulsafe
Third looks like Cellulose.

rick

[Phillip Stojanik]

Rick has it pegged...its celulouse (ground up news papers and magazines) treated with a flame retartant.

[Phillip Stojanik]

1st and 3rd are the same by the way.

[Ted Menelly]

Rick has it right. The first is not the same as the third. The first is wool and the third is cellulose. Looks that way to me anyway.

[Jerry Peck]

First picture looks like Rockwool.
Second looks like Insulsafe
Third looks like Cellulose.

rick

I agree, looks that way to me, and the description (which clarifies the looks) points to those types too.

[Jim Luttrall]

If you can't tell the difference between Rock wool and cellulose, just drop some down your collar and wear it a while or kick it around and inhale deeply. :eek:
Rock wool irritates the !@# out of my throat and skin while cellulose is pretty benign.

[Rick Hurst]

What kind of insulation comes with oak leaves in it?:D

These were scattered throughout the entire attic.

rick

[Jim Luttrall]

What kind of insulation comes with oak leaves in it?:D

These were scattered throughout the entire attic.

rick
Rick that is the new organic bio-degradable blend;)

[Rick Hurst]

Jim,

I thought maybe it was some of that new "green" ideas that just dried out and turned brown.:D

[Ed Voytovich]

It is unusual and typically ineffective to insulate with baskets. They're too expensive and the coverage rate is very, very low.

On the other hand, they are not subject to settling or wind washing.

[Rick Hurst]

It is unusual and typically ineffective to insulate with baskets. They're too expensive and the coverage rate is very, very low.

On the other hand, they are not subject to settling or wind washing.

Ed,

Whatever your smoking, pass it on.:D

rick

[Michael Farha]

The 1st one appears to be Rockwool, the 2nd, fiberglass & the 3rd, cellulose.

[Mike Schulz]

Blown fiberglass and cellulose is what is used here all the time. What do you all use that you didn't recognize the products above.:confused:

[Linda Swearingen]

That middle one looks like something they call "expanded fiber" around here; I believe it's a fiberglass product but is non-itchy (!). It's pretty expensive, and usually only on newer and usually pricey installations.

[Mike Schulz]

The blown in fiberglass insulation is slightly cheaper then batt insulation. The loose fill fiberglass is spun glass so it will be itchy. The only non-itchy I know of is Owens-Corning's PinkPlus, and Schuller's ComfortTherm. Both of these are wrapped in 4-mil polyethylene that's perforated to prevent it from acting as a cold-side vapor barrier.

[Brian Tilton]

Try looking closely and see if you can read the newsprint in it.

[Gary Cobb]

Blown fiberglass and cellulose is what is used here all the time. What do you all use that you didn't recognize the products above.:confused:

Just baskets.:)

[Richard Rushing]

Gents, the first one (Rockwool) is one that is normally found in older homes and if you go into the attic with this crap present, you better be ready to have an adequate mask on or you will feel the effects for a couple of days. No sh!+...

While Rockwool is a good insulator (because of being so dense), it often creates breathing issues for occupants that have respritory issues when attic openings are accessible from inside the home without having the opening sealed very well.

Can't stand that crap.

Rich

[Rick Hurst]

Rushing,

Where have you been man? Hope all is well.

rick

[Richard Rushing]

Working like a one-armed paper hanger...

When not working like a fool, I'm spending as much time as possible with my granddaughter (3). That lil imp is the joy of my life-- can't wait to see her, then can't wait for her to go home... :D

Just had a B-day the other day and feeling like I had 10 all at once...

How bout you, how's life treating you? When are we going to go grab a beer? Need to set some time aside and go laugh at ourselves.:)

Rich

[Donald LaDue]

I'm a home owner and landlord in Rochester NY, Hi everybody. I have vermiculite residuem (just small amounts in between the joists and under fiberglass insulation) in the crawlspace/attic of my 1952 Ranch house here in Irondequoit, NY (Suburb of Rochester). I was very curious about the product because I was afraid it was some kind of asbestos product. It looks like some time in the past somebody had the vermiculite pour in insulation installed then later had it removed and replaced with R13 faced insulation (later r 19 installed I put an additional blanket of r30 in). There is just a small amount of the residue left. I researched the stuff and came up with the name vermiculite. According to what i found some vermiculite does have asbestos in it as its a mineral product and sometimes is found with asbestos, so back in the bad old days the two got mixed right where it was dug from the ground.

I haven't had it tested yet to see if it does have asbestos.

[Reis Pearson]

I think the 3rd is vermiculite. Grand pa Bowers used it to insulate his hot water heater, and in the USAF we used it to ship small bottles of M.E.K as shock / wet absorber in T.C.T.O. kits.
If it is vermiculite, it should feel like Styrofoam used in gardening soil, and close inspection should revile multiple layers of brown and black.

Vermiculite has a pretty distictive look and of the photos posted, none of them look like it. Here are a couple examples I've found online...

[Ken Bates]

Mineral wool (aka rock wool) is easy to identify.

It is in fact igneous rock that has been melted and then formed into fibers.

What makes it unique and easy to differentiate from any type of fiberglass are the small beads of melted mineral amongst its fibers. A low power magnifying glass will assist in seeing these beads.

Fiber-glass is glass. Mineral wool is minerals.

[Jerry Peck]

Fiber-glass is glass. Mineral wool is minerals.


Ken,

Fiberglass is also a type of mineral wool, just like rock wool is.

When someone says "mineral wool" they usually mean "other than fiberglass", however, when something specified "mineral wool", fiberglass can be used there unless specifically stated otherwise as fiberglass *is* a "mineral wool".