How safe are home insulation materials? Our home insulation project, while creating energy cost savings, may cause some future health issues.
Here are a few lessons I learned while our home
encountered an energy audit and insulating services.
First the blower door test: A large fan set in the
exterior doorway assists in checking for air leakage sites and determines the
air tightness of your home. Our home was deficient not only in thermal barriers
(R-value-resistance to heat flow), but also had a high level of air leakage.
My initial energy savings effort was to increase the
insulation in our home’s attic as a do it yourself project. Unbeknownst to me
at the time, the existing Vermiculite
insulation contained asbestos.
According to the EPA, “There
is no known safe level of asbestos exposure. Asbestos fibers must be airborne
to cause a health risk through inhalation, so the first step is not to disturb
the material, which would release more fibers into the air.” Thereafter I learned that Energy EfficiencyVermont would not offer their insulation project rebate-incentive program if
Vermiculite was present. The cost of removal of the Vermiculite, (following a
strict State of Vermont protocol for removal) based on bids received, ranged
from six thousand dollars to nearly twice that amount.
Once the attic was cleared of Vermiculite and
thoroughly cleaned, we had an energy audit performed. Upon completion of the audit we decided to have our attic air sealed and insulated with blown in cellulose, as well as have
some exterior walls insulated with spray foam. (Air
leaks, letting warm, moisture laden air into the attic where it condensed on
the cold surfaces, was the primary cause of a
moisture problem in our home as well as contributing to high heating
bills.)
We chose what EnergyEfficiency Vermont and others advised is one of the best insulation
contractors available. However, as I later learned homeowners need to be
familiar themselves with insulating options, pros and cons of each and most
importantly – health and safety considerations. The Vermont Public Safety web
page, specifically, The Vermont BuildingEnergy Code Handbook, details general requirements to consider before
talking to your insulation contractor.
Only after the spray foam installation in our home’s attic and walls,
I discovered (contrary to what our contractor advised); according to the EPA
guidelines, home occupants should vacate
during spray foam installation. According to Johns Manville (manufacturer
of the spray foam), the recommended re-occupancy time is 24 hours, assuming
proper ventilation was available during this time. Excessive exposure can
produce serious, possibly irreversible lung damage.
We were able to lower
our blower door test number from CFM50: 3400 to CFM50: 1223, after air
sealing and blown in cellulose installation, and some DIY insulation work such
as caulking and weather-stripping. A thermally improved older home of the size
of ours might test between 600 and 1100. Our projected heating expense savings
is $266 annually. The basement will be
our next energy savings focus area. Heat
loss generally occurs primarily in the attic, cold air infiltration primarily
through the foundation walls.
How energy efficient is your home? A home energy
audit can help answer that question, identify the biggest sources of energy
waste, and suggest specific remedy’s along with projected dollar savings and
payback timeframes. Read about energy audits and insulation rebates at EnergyEfficiency Vermont website.
My goal is to reach 999 blower door testing and a
personal age of 99.
Learn - to be warm and safe.
Learn - to be warm and safe.
Postscript View the 2023 VT Digger article: 'I wanted to cry': Devastating risks of spray foam insulation hidden from Vermont homeowners
References
Asbestos in Vermiculite. Read more @ http://www2.epa.gov/asbestos/protect-your-family-asbestos-contaminated-vermiculite-insulation.
Photo of Vermiculite
Photo of Vermiculite
Read about air sealing @ http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/guest-blogs/heat-loss-air-no-big-deal-right.
Vermont Public Safety web
page, specifically, The Vermont Building
Energy Code Handbook, general requirements at http://www.ecodes.biz/ecodes_support/Free_Resources/2011Vermont/Residential/2011VT_Res_Energy_main.htm
Read about energy
audits and insulation rebates @ http://www.efficiencyvermont.com/For-My-Home/ways-to-save-and-rebates/Audits-Heating-Insulation/Audits.
Spray-foam
References:
Environmental Health Technical Brief- Spray
Polyurethane Foam Insulation http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/environmental_health/eoha/pdf/technical_brief_spf.pdf
EPA guidance
American Chemical
Council
http://polyurethane.americanchemistry.com/Resources-and-Document-Library/Health-Effects-of-Diisocyanates-Guidance-for-Medical-Personnel.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment
COMMENTS WELCOMED