Side Effects of Blown Insulation

Emergencies

Two main types of insulation are in use: fiberglass and cellulose. Fiberglass is non-combustible; the downside to cellulose is that it is extremely combustible. To combat this issue, cellulose is treated with fire retardants; however, fire retardants lose their effectiveness over the span of several years.

Fiberglass is one of the most thoroughly tested building materials in use today, having no known serious side effects. Minor irritation, such as itching and skin irritation, can occur through contact and exposure.

Wetness can serve as a potential hazard to some types of insulation, as it can create an unwanted side effect. Cellulose, which is primarily a product of shredded newspaper, absorbs and holds moisture. The wetness will compress and flatten the insulation, which can permanently affect its ability to insulate.

One of the key positive side effects of insulation is less expense. Insulation holds warm and cold air within homes, which prevents the constant use of air conditioners and heaters within homes. Since they normally run by electricity, allowing them to function less will result in less expensive electric bills.

Insulation can have several different effects upon the environment. The added insulation, which lowers energy consumption, ultimately lowers the consumption of non-renewable energy sources. Lowering the need for these energy sources also prevents potentially harmful toxins and chemicals from being released into the environment. Much of the material that insulation is created from is recycled, further creating less environmental waste.

Although insulation created over the past 30 years is considered safe, some insulated houses created prior to this time contained minerals that are now considered to have harmful effects on people. Asbestos-containing insulation was commonly used prior to the 1970s.

Asbestos can lead to a variety of diseases, the most well known being mesothelioma, a type of cancer which involves the tissues of the lungs, heart and stomach. Other problems include asbestos warts, featuring calluslike growths in the skin, as well as pleural plaques, which feature calcified, thickened areas within tissues in the body.