hello,,,my new house has about a 100mm of dirty old fibre glass insulation in the loft and I intend to take the lot out and replace it with a safer alternative to the proper thickness,,,i have used earthwool on the last few houses ive renovated,,,its easy to work with and not itchy,,,but ive been reading a lot about asbestos lately and have discovered fibre glass can also be very dangerous if it gets in the lungs,,,so from now on I intend to use something safer,,,i was thinking sheeps wool???,,,whats your thougts on this any of you lads in the know???,,,is the sheeps wool any good???,,,how does it compare to earthwool,,,like how much sheeps wool would i need to do the same job as 27cm of earthwool??? are there any other safe insulations to use???......
alternative to fibre glass insulation for loft???
- Thread starter sonofrob
- Start date
Sponsored Links
First thing is wear a mask when laying it and some disposable overalls and gloves and there should be minimal risk, its not like your going up there afterwards to disturb it are you? Alternatively you can get insulation that's enclosed in a foil like jacket so there's no loose fibres going everywhere. No idea about the sheeps wool and how that compares though. You can get insulation boards to cut and fit between the joists etc...
Plenty of alternatives but simple PPE should minimize any apparent health issues. Also if the existing insulation is ok and just "dirty" then lay the new stuff over it, in the opposite direction.
Plenty of alternatives but simple PPE should minimize any apparent health issues. Also if the existing insulation is ok and just "dirty" then lay the new stuff over it, in the opposite direction.
why do you use the word "safe?"
I use the product reated with Ecose which prevents it shedding dust and fibres.
I have also tried a white quilt made of plastic fibre, but it is more expensive.
Whatever I was using, I'd use a dustmask because old lofts are dirty and dusty, and may contain pollutants
I use the product reated with Ecose which prevents it shedding dust and fibres.
I have also tried a white quilt made of plastic fibre, but it is more expensive.
Whatever I was using, I'd use a dustmask because old lofts are dirty and dusty, and may contain pollutants
Sponsored Links
I am looking to use something other than glass wool mate,,,the glass fibres can cause cancer etc if inhaled deep into the lungs,,,just like asbestos fibres can,,,the reason asbestos can cause cancers is the body cant break it down,,,same as it cant break down glass,,,
D
Doggit
I've no experience of sheeps wool, but I can say that fibre glass is safe, just itchy. As Omega suggest, lay 170mm of rockwool on top of the fibre glass, and that'll be fine. Sheeps wool is about 4 times the price of rockwool, but I'm not sure how the U values compare. If you remove the fibre glass, then you've got to transport and get rid of it, then you've got the cost of replacing it as well, so it'll cost about 10 times as much to dispose and replace the fibreglass, as it will to just add rockwool on top of it.
Looking at the Ontario study, it found, for workers in a fibreglass factory, in the manufacturing plant, that "plant workers with long employment, at least 20 years, experienced a significant increase in SMR" (mortality) from lung cancer.
Office workers at the factory showed no increase.
Are you planning to spend 20 years or more in a glassfibre factory with 1960's H&S standards?
I have not seen a reputable study for effects of fibreglass on householders.
Have you?
AFAIK the best way to avoid lung cancer is to avoid cigarettes.
Office workers at the factory showed no increase.
Are you planning to spend 20 years or more in a glassfibre factory with 1960's H&S standards?
I have not seen a reputable study for effects of fibreglass on householders.
Have you?
AFAIK the best way to avoid lung cancer is to avoid cigarettes.
big companies like rockwool have the power to make studies go their way mate just like big pharma companies do,,, then some of their drugs ruin thousands of lives,,,anything that is inhaled into the lungs and gets stuck in there and cannot be broken down by the body can cause cancer in time,,,anyway I'm not here to argue with you over the validity of studies or corruption in big business,,,im just wanting advice on sheeps wool or similar,,,i always thought the glass wool was safe until lately ive been reading a lot about asbestos and how the lungs work and get rid of the crap we breath in and found out glass fibres can also be dangerous,,,so ive decided to stop using it on my projects and am looking for something 100 percent safe......
D
Deleted member 174758
AFAIK the larger end of the construction industry stopped using glass fibre years ago - instead we use earthwool, Rockwool or sheep wool. Sheep wool is often only used in relatively small areas where the client requires a level of sustainability, or where the self-extinguishing properties, etc are required. It has the advantage of not requiring masks to install (according to the COSHH sheets I've read) but it costs a lot of money. Mineral wool is a lot more affordable and whilst it triggers a more muted response that glass fibre installers are still advised to wear at least a P2 mask and a full over suit (disposable overalls with a hood) to avoid any possible risks, however low. I think that removing the glass fibre may cause more potential contamination than just leaving it and topping up with another, safer, insulation
D
Deleted member 174758
True. Some councils now classify it as a hazardous material
JobAndKnock brings up a good point about removing the old fibre glass. Doing this is going to cause far more disruption or risk to health also with loose fibres going everywhere compared to just over laying it with something else. If this is a single project and you think the fibre glass is not safe then treat it like asbestos and don't disturb it and you will have no problems. Either way you need full PPE to overlay it with something of your choice or full PPE to remove it with the added problem of sufficient bagging, taking through the property, transporting and disposal. And once its gone what about any environmental concerns or to the workers now handling it at the tip? Even if you do remove the old stuff what about all the stray fibres that are left behind, in the air, stuck to the rafters etc... or will you hoover them up? again possible risk then of blowing more fibres everywhere and contaminating an appliance that now needs some safe disposal along with its contents.
A lot of things are deemed safe until some evidence surfaces proving otherwise which might not be till many years later, which might be too late to those already exposed. Again PPE is a must.
A lot of things are deemed safe until some evidence surfaces proving otherwise which might not be till many years later, which might be too late to those already exposed. Again PPE is a must.
DIYnot Local
Staff member
If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.
Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.
Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local
Sponsored Links