PICS: What Is This Insulation Called??

Question

Hello all,

Can anyone help me identify this type of loose-fill insulation?  It is gray-white, fluffy, has small shiny strands in it, fluffs around like snow... Please see pictures. Any help is appreciated!  Thank you.

Account Closed · Answer

The first thing to remember is you should figure out what kind of loose fill insulation you have before you start the demo. That looks like mineral wool to me.

If it looked like Zonolite we would be having a VERY unpleasant discussion right now.

Account Closed · Answer

Shannon, that kind of strange allergy attack happens all the time when you work on older houses...well, at least it's constantly happening to me. Stuff lingers behind the walls and under the floors. Right now I have a particularly nasty case of contact dermatitis from God knows where and am here in front of my computer instead of at my current project because of it.

But what I'd really like to talk about is the mask you mentioned. The cheapest rated particulate mask you can but, and if you buy 20 a pop you can get them for fifty cents each off Amazon and other places, is an N95 mask. That's good for pretty much 90% of the work I do. Whenever I'm in a situation like yours where I suspect there might be some kind of asbestos contamination, I wear something heavier than than. What the EPA recommends for asbestos-remediation work and what I do is wear a half-mask respirator (I really like mine, a 3M 7500-series http://a.co/jkTKaZG) with P100 pink-colored cartridges. I use the same mask when Iam forced to work with stuff that has nasty fumes in enclosed spaces, but switch out the round pink particulate filters for organic vapor cartridges.It's a bit Breaking Baddish, but it gets the job done.

Account Closed · Answer

It's mineral wool, or rock wool.

Loren Becker · Answer

I have this same type of insulation in my California home.  I was build in 1956 not sure what you call it or if its safe or not. maybe mineral wool

http://inspectapedia.com/insulation/Rock_Wool_Insulation.php

Mel Quiroa · Answer

Loose fill insulation, mineral wool, Thermafiber Safing etc.  The coughing would come from glass fibers within the insulation.  However please keep in mind anytime you are dealing with houses older than 1980's you should always take proper care to ensure you are not disturbing any products that may contain asbestos.

Shannon K. · Answer

Thank you everyone for your replies!  +4 (including me) for mineral/rock wool.  We originally decided that's what this was months ago, however I have been coughing and clearing my throat a lot lately this week even with a mask on as we cleared one last room and replaced all with pink batt.... (this rock wool was on the interior ceilings of the house and zero insulation on the exterior walls where I wanted it!)

Now I woke up with a sore throat, sneezing, extremely stuffed up, etc. So it appears I was coming down with a wonderful summer cold/allergies and its not from the insulation. Yuck!

PICS: What Is This Insulation Called??

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