fiberglass insulation

[brandon fuchs]

Hi there, a realtor who refers me alot of business asked this question for someone she is showing houses to. The person has a workplace injury and cannot be exposed to fiberglass. They want a house that doesn't have fiberglass insulation in the walls. I know most brick houses don't. Houses before a certain age as well unless they were brought up to code. Any suggestions?

[Jim Luttrall]

Report what you see and defer to an industrial hygienist for particular testing, etc. if they need it. Be aware almost all modern houses have some fiberglass in them. About the only way to avoid it totally would be to build a new home and control every aspect of construction.
That being said... how will fiberglass sealed in the walls affect anyone? Unless there are fiberglass duct boards or unfinished areas with exposed fiberglass from what I understand fiberglass is pretty benign.

[brandon fuchs]

That is the issue most houses do. She sends me alot of business so I want to try to help her/them out. I'm figuring telling them odds are older houses pre-1960s will not have fiberglass.

[chris mcintyre]

They want a house that doesn't have fiberglass insulation in the walls.....Any suggestions?

There are a lot of insulation materials that do not contain fiberglass from spray foam to newspaper even old blue jeans (denim).


I know most brick houses don't.


Exterior finish is not a clue as to the type of insulation used in the walls, now if you are talking about solid masonry/concrete walls that's different....

[Billy Stephens]

Most Modern Appliances ( Refrigerators, Dishwashers, Water heaters, Ranges have Fiberglass in them.)
.

[mike huntzinger]

all of your furnace ducts will be fiberglass insulated

[Rocky Boyer]

there is a solution to having fiberglas insulation in the wall cavities. Check out Homesulate.com. They have an injection system that inject foam in the exterior walls. The foam will condense and calapse the existing fiberglas,cellulose etc. and fil the cavity completely with foam.

I have heard of foam installers spraying the foam to the exterior of the hard duct piping, getting rid of the fiberglas on the duct work. As far as the dishwasher having fibergals around the body, this can be removed and sprayed with faom also. There are many solutions to haveing fiberglas in the envelope.

[mike huntzinger]

and if you have ever taken the water heater apart there is fiberglass insulation around the tank too

[Rocky Boyer]

yes, this is true. There is a solution though. Try a tankless, demand heater.

[Garry Sorrells]

Brandon,
They will not be able to find a house without fiberglass insulation in it construction or appliances. The answer is to have house built from scratch. It is possible to take an existing house and then totally gut the interior making sure that the interior is completely cleaned of all residual fiberglass as you would asbestos then rebuild.

I would be careful how you present information to the Realtor. It might come back to haunt you if the Realtor passes you off as an expert and the buyer later sues the Realtor and you for damages when they have relied on you in the purchase. Seems stupid but possible. The Realtor will through you under the buss asap when anything happens. Remember to CYA (cover your _ _ _).

[brandon fuchs]

Hi Gary, I know that there will be fiberglass somewhere without doubt. I suppose they just wanted to minimize how much there is. Houses built before 1950's from what I've seen have less fiberglass overall. You think I should just keep my mouth shut.... I'd hate to lose the business I've been getting from this realty group over something so trivial but then again this is America. Getting sued is not something I'd be able to or want to afford.

[Vern Heiler]

Hi there, a realtor who refers me alot of business asked this question for someone she is showing houses to. The person has a workplace injury and cannot be exposed to fiberglass. They want a house that doesn't have fiberglass insulation in the walls. I know most brick houses don't. Houses before a certain age as well unless they were brought up to code. Any suggestions?
I want to know what happened to this guy. I am brest stroking through this stuff every day:eek: .

[Billy Stephens]

.
I want to know what happened to this guy. I am brest stroking through this stuff every day:eek: .
.
No Free Monies for You ! :D
.

[David J. Smith]

Hi there, a realtor who refers me alot of business asked this question for someone she is showing houses to. The person has a workplace injury and cannot be exposed to fiberglass. They want a house that doesn't have fiberglass insulation in the walls. I know most brick houses don't. Houses before a certain age as well unless they were brought up to code. Any suggestions?

I do not know what bearing brick, age or code have to do with fiberglass insulation being present in a building. In my area any buildings built, including brick clad, in the last 60 years may have fiberglass insulation or mineral wool. Buildings 80 years and older with the original interior lath plaster still in place probably do not have fiberglass in the wall but sometimes have upgraded insulation in the attic or roof space that could be fiberglass. Buildings that have upgraded insulation in the walls may have other types than fiberglass. Even by opening up some areas there may still be other areas that have been insulated with fiberglass. It is a tall order to state that a building has no fiberglass insulation any where unless there is documnetaion from the buildings construction.

[Garry Sorrells]

Brandon,
First, if you really want to stroke the Realtor, have them provide you with the written criteria that they want you to provide a recommendation about.

Second, a new home built with fiberglass that has a complete vapor barrier installed correctly will have the fiberglass better separated from the interior environment than any type of older construction with no or poor vapor barrier.

I would approach the issue by recommending a new home (not nec. a custom) that the builder warrants / guarantees that the interior vapor barrier and envelope is a sealed one. A tell tale indicator is a house that requires a fresh air intake vent an air to air heat exchanger to physical ventilate the house since it is so air tight. Put the onus of responsibility on the builder for meeting the buyers needs.

Good luck

[Caoimhín P. Connell]

Good morning, Gents on beautiful Sunday morning:

My take on the issue is slightly different. I have never heard of such a situation where an individual has a work place injury that would preclude them from living in an house with fiberglass insulation. It is a medical milestone!

If what you’re saying is true, I’m sure medical docs across the globe are agog with this individual, who is likely to be the center of much research in the years to come. Or, alternatively, the center of an investigation by law enforcement officials for insurance fraud.

Either way, good luck!

Cheers!
CaoimhÃ*n P. Connell
Forensic Industrial Hygienist
Forensic Applications Consulting Technologies, Inc. - Home (http://www.forensic-applications.com)

(The opinions expressed here are exclusively my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect my professional opinion, opinion of my employer, agency, peers, or professional affiliates. The above post is for information only and does not reflect professional advice and is not intended to supercede the professional advice of others.)

AMDG

[H.G. Watson, Sr.]

Yep, count me in with C.P.C. as being doubtful of such!I might entertain a formaldehyde sensitivity or a medical need to avoid, but the mere presence of contained fiberglass in and of itself? Bah, humbug! Avoiding inhaling fibers maybe even perhaps, avoiding a home with wet, dirty, saturated insulation sure, but a workplace injury that makes living in a home merely having contained fiberglass in and of itself a problem? Not buying it, other than a "mental health" issue.

[Robert Hronek]

I think maybe a little discussion with the buyer is in order to find out what their needs are and if they really understand the hazard of fiberglass. Maybe they have been told things that are not true and need some education. I would work with the buyer to find out what their true needs are and to set up realistic expectations for your services.

Like the name implies is the material is glass and I would not see that being a problem. Now with fibers in the air I can see that would be a problem. Then there are chemicals like formaldehyde used in processing. If it is the fomaldehyde then the person may have a broader issue with chemical.

Is there a study showing that there is fiberglass is in the air of homes. I thought it was just in the air for a short time after it was installed.

Maybe what they need is an energy audit and the home air sealed to limit any potential for the FB to get in to the air. Seal up the air ducts particularly any that run in the attic and the returns that could be connected to the attic by virture of using wall cavities.

Then there is the use of room air purfiers that would help to remove anything in the air. The tighter the home the more benefit a room air purifier would be.

[Sam Sloane]

Brandon, seems you're more concerned about yourself than providing the best service for the consumer. Why not just be honest with the Realtor and tell him/her that a fiberglass-less house in IMPOSSIBLE.

You will be respected more for your honesty than for kissing butt.