Old insulation

[mathew stouffer]

What type of insulation is this, looked like layers of paper. Any know concerns, and is the vapor barrier flammable.

[Billy Stephens]

Matthew,

See 1933 in Link Product of yesterday(Ò³ 1) - ½ð°ÛÀû(Kimberly-Clark) - HiAllÇóÖ°ÉçÇø ´óѧÉúÇóÖ°ÕÐƸÂÛ̳ - Powered by Discuz! Archiver (http://bbs.hiall.com.cn/archiver/?tid-18584.html)
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[H.G. Watson, Sr.]

KIMSUL insulation - Google Search (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=KIMSUL+insulation)

I read somewhere the cellulose source was sugar cane. Originally treated for fire retardancy - don't know for sure, likely borite/borates or Lime.

Thought you might like a 1945 Ad for the product from Kimberly-Clark for the post-war building boom. One page pdf file attached for virus scanning and eventual B/W printing below:

[Phillip Stojanik]

Interesting looking stuff. I must confess I have never seen that type of insulation before. Any idea how old it actually is?

[Tom Rees]

Mathew, Is this a crawl space. That's where I usually see it around here. If that is a vapor barrier it should be against floor .

[Turk schexnayder]

Two photos of Kimsul insulation in attic on recent inspection. Home built in 1951, New Oreans area.

Kimsul Insulation - Seeking new ways to introduce its products for consumer use, Kimberly Clark Co. created Kimsul, a home insulating product made of creped wadding, impregnated with asphalt. Originally, Kimsul began as insulation paneling for refrigerators. Later, the product appeared in automobiles as dashboard insulation.

Kimsul was promoted as the insulation with many-layer construction; unlike then-typical loose bulk insulation, Kimsul had layers stitched together to form a blanket of uniform thickness. In connection with a famous 1948 movie, "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House," starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, Kimsul was advertised as the insulation used in the dream house. The product was easy to install and was resistant to fire, moisture, fungus, vermin and termites. National advertising for the product urged consumers to "Wrap your home in a blanket of Kimsul."
Earlier, Kimsul had been the standard material for insulating Navy quonset huts (prefabricated metal buildings - barracks) during World War II. It gave protection against the tropical heat and Alaskan cold. 1932