Fibreglass insulation is made of glass combined with plastic polymers and is naturally fire resistant. It won't melt until temperatures exceed 1000 degrees Fahrenheit (540 Celsius) and won't easily burn or catch fire at low temperatures. Cellulose is another commonly used material and one of its important qualities is that it is made from recycled paper fiber. Therefore, if you are looking for “green” insulation, cellulose is the right one.
However, because it is made of paper, it will be combustible, even if it is heavily treated with fire retardant. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission considers it a fire hazard and the CPSC requires pulp manufacturers to warn users of that fact. So, if you're wondering if cellulose insulation is fireproof, the answer is an unfortunate and resounding “no”. Insulation in the attic can catch fire when exposed to something that is burning.
The main cause of attic fires is electrical malfunctions, such as overloaded circuits that can cause sparks in the insulation and therefore cause a fire. Cellulose insulation made of wood, paper, cork and cotton keeps burning when dry. Even when slightly damp, the material can burn, creating a condition in which the insulation can easily burst into flames. When cellulose insulation catches fire, it is sometimes difficult to completely extinguish it.
Fires that originate or spread to hidden spaces can cause great losses because not only can the fire burn for some time without being detected, but also firefighting efforts can be seriously hampered by limited accessibility to these spaces. As fire consumes oxygen in a hidden space, large quantities of superheated flammable gases develop. This oxygen-based fire will continue to burn until an event, such as opening a door or a hatch, introduces fresh air into the space. When oxygen enters this hidden space, the superheated gases ignite, causing a current of air or a smoke explosion.
Since the insulation is made of glass, fiberglass insulation is considered non-flammable and does not catch fire. While most building codes require cellulose insulation to comply with modified standards, codes generally require that a minimum gap be maintained between insulation and heat sources, such as stove pipes, to prevent the material from heating up. It is natural that rigid, fibrous or fiber insulation is classified as the main leading insulation style on the fire safety scale, given how incandescent fiberglass and wool material are. Like the two types of insulation mentioned above, concrete blocks have polystyrene and polyisocyanurate in the foam plates, which explains much of the thermal resistance that insulating forms of concrete are capable of withstanding.
When it comes to choosing insulation material, there are several factors to consider, such as the R value of the insulation, the climate in which you live and, of course, whether the insulation presents any safety hazards. Rigid foam insulation helps with heat by eliminating the limit on heat conduction in the frame and structure of the house. While the most popular materials used to make this type of insulation are fiberglass, mineral wool and cellulose, loose filler insulation can be created from small materials of a variety of different types of foam, fiber and other materials. While mineral-based insulating materials are non-combustible or have low combustible properties, the paper or sheet surrounding the insulating material may be flammable.
When properly installed, attic insulation will provide you with additional comfort by preventing warm air from escaping your home and cold air from entering from outside. A problem with using UF as household insulation is that, when the substance is poorly formulated, an excessive amount of formaldehyde gas can be released. But, like Hoover or Kleenex, both commercial brands, it has been associated in the public mind with one thing: the pink insulating material used on walls and to cover the attic of an ordinary house as insulation material. NAIMA is the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association that represents manufacturers who manufacture fiberglass and mineral wool insulators.
The best thing about loose-fill insulation is that small particles are so flexible and can be used to isolate small, oddly shaped areas. . .
