Insulation & air quality

Unknown

Icynene Spray Foam great stuff.

rih

insulation and air quality

I live downstairs in a wooden two family house. We're planning to insulate the walls. The insulation used will be made from recycled paper. 2 questions. 1) Is there a preferred brand/type of insulation vis a vis chemical treatment and allergy issues? 2) As an allergy sufferer (dust and mold) will insulation cause any air quality problems? I'm uneasy about this because I fear the house will not breathe as it did uninsulated. (We're not insulating the basement and the attic insultion is not that tight--and we're leaving it that way.) Would opening a window occasionally solve any problems along these lines?

Brad White_203

If I may

and not intrude on Bill's corner:

Allergens are so diffuse, not only in air but in identification. Most as you know are, by definitions, protein reactions. Dust, in the inorganic or fibrous irritation but non-protein spectrum are really irritants to which the body reacts.

That said, to me the least dusty method would be the foams, either urethanes or phenolic foams. These also have to have low-expansion properties lest they force your plaster off the studs.

AirKrete (magnesium oxide) is another, known to be inert and inherently fire resistant. I have not specified this but know architects who have and are installing it. Literature indicates good air tightness and non-settling permanence, low expansion.

Last but certainly a cost-effective product is cellulose, usually shredded newspaper treated with boric acid as a fire and bug retardant. Dense-pack application is key to air sealing.

So, in descending order of preference, AirKrete, Low-Pressure Closed-Cell foams, low pressure open-cell foams and dense-pack cellulose.

Now, the broader question is, "why do you want the house to be so leaky?"

Exterior air quality is variable and not under your control. The notion of "I do not want to seal up my old house because I will get to a point of poor IAQ" is wishful thinking in most cases. I have seen only a few houses get there and that took major renovation.

Basically it is "a nice problem to have". You control ventilation, not the weather. And yes, you can open a window now and again.

Also if the attic and basement are not so tight, why insulate the walls to their exclusion? That is like putting on a sweater but not wearing any pants or a hat. (You can be arrested for going out like that except in Boston, NYC and San Francisco.)

I would make every effort to seal the basement, rim joists and chases going up through the house. Then seal the attic floor, all wiring and pipe penetrations, all potential air leakage paths. Canned foam is what I have in mind here. Air leaks in the basement and out the roof due to stack effect, even if no wind. Add wind and internally generated pressures and you really have something. Point being, your basement has probably as many if not more allergens, spores, etc. than outside and it is where air usually enters your house first...

Please do not limit insulation to just the walls. Yes, insulate them but do the basement and attic too after air sealing. Control your environment.

Unknown

\"Blown in\" insulation

It's usually recycled paper, and is treated with a fire retardant, insecticide and water repellent. There are lots of trade names like "Dense-Pak". Installing this type is a very dusty business. If you suffer from allegies, you may well have some reaction to the dust, or the chemicals used to treat the product. Wrapping the building in Tyvek will reduce the infiltration, and you may need to install an energy or heat recovery ventilator to bring in fresh air and reclaim some of the heat/cooling enegy used. Icynene foam is the best, but is usually only practical to install in new construction or major renovation. Brad White gave some excellent info, too. You need to balance fresh air with energy savings. You can't live in a thermos bottle.

Steve_168

Dog Dander

New dog Moms eyes are swollen looks like alleges ,Would a Trane Clean Effects , Electronic air cleaner in the duct work help? If not what would you recomend to help the air quality. Thanks Annie =}

Unknown

Pet Dander

When a dog or cat licks itself to clean its fur, the saliva dries, and then crumbles and floats away in the air. It and skin flakes are what people are usually allergic to, not the hair. However, only a doctor can truly tell what triggers allergies. Any duct mounted electronic air cleaner is very effective at removing particles from smoke, pet dander or pollen. No iaq accessory will cure any allergy problem, only minimize it, and I strongly recommend that your Mom gets medical attention to find out what she is allergic to before you invest in any air cleaner.