j Hunt
I am fairly sure all the fibreglass I have bought recently has warned
that a dust mask should be warn when handling.
My experience is that I get some reaction if I have been throwing lots
of fibres into the air (e.g. installing it) but no problem once it has
settled down and I am not distirbing it. But your reaction sounds more
extream than mine.
Touched it?
Fiberlass will make your body itch.
The fibers are fairly irritant.
It is an effective insulation, but will be utterly harmless if you don't
go into the attic.
Beats tea leaves, I guess....
> It made me think that I am allergic to the material they used. I told
> them to remove it and put something else. Is there something else ?
> and how many people have this type of loft insulation = is it safe in
> the long run ?
Yes, if you don't make a habit of breathing the fibres.
> They originally said it is Rockwool - whatever that is - but then said
> no, it is fibreglass.
Most people installing this stuff get itchy skin. You're supposed
to wear a mask when you're installing it. Perhaps you went up
there when there was a lot of dust about.
> Does this material in time become "friendly", ie not causing itchiness
> and wheezing to the chest.
Once the dust settles....
> Why do they put this kind of material in the lost - is it really that
> effective for heat preservation in the winter ?
Becaus it's good long-lasting effective inert stuff.
> Had I known it would cause this reaction I would not have had the loft
> insulated.
> Has anyone a similar experience - different loft insulation installed ?
Rockwool is slightly less irritating. Just don't go up in the loft,
or if you do, and you're going to stir things up, wear a mask. You
can get rockwool/fibreglass in rolls in a continuous plastic bag,
which is nicer, but you need standard joist separation to fit it.
> Rockwool is slightly less irritating.
It is also a little duller and softer. Fiberglass is usually quite a
bright yellow. Both are irritants though. Fiber glass is awful. Throw
your clothes away when using that. And wash you hand before you go we
wees, not just after.
Make sure you have no draughts through from the loft. A cold bath will
wash the glass away. But you will have to wash your clothes three or
four times.
It depends on who told you it was rockwool/fibreglass whether the
people who laid it are at fault. For the general everyday use the terms
rockwool and fibreglass are interchangeable.
If someone not directly involved in the contract has used the term
loosely, all they have to do is deny they said it.
It should make a tremendous difference whichever they put down, come
next winter.
Hm, I've seen that ages ago - have only seen pink, recently.
> Fiber glass is awful.
Not nice, I'll grant. Are you a Yank?
Hi,
In the past it's been mentioned that spraying with a dilute PVA
solution will bind loose fibres on the surface.
cheers,
Pete.
>It made me think that I am allergic to the material they used.
I'd apply for a Nobel prize then, you have just discovered proteins
in fibreglass.
>I told them to remove it and put something else.
Can guess what they thought of that idea.
>Is there something else ?
Several substances, most can cause slight irritation (but none can
cause allergy).
>and how many people have this type of loft insulation
Well over half the countries houses at a guess.
> is it safe in the long run ?
It is perfectly safe in both the long and short run.
>Does this material in time become "friendly", ie not causing itchiness
>and wheezing to the chest.
It can cause skin irritation when disturbed or handled, the other
symptoms are mostly psychosomatic.
>Why do they put this kind of material in the lost - is it really that
>effective for heat preservation in the winter ?
Yes, that's why it is used.
--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/
PS
this article is quite worrying:
http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/fin/
Courtesy of Google:
www.firstinsulation.com/product_whitewool.php
Fred
And spraying with a dilute H2O solution will help the dust settle anyway.
Owain
> > is it safe in the long run ?
>
> It is perfectly safe in both the long and short run.
>
> >Does this material in time become "friendly", ie not causing itchiness
> >and wheezing to the chest.
>
> It can cause skin irritation when disturbed or handled, the other
> symptoms are mostly psychosomatic.
interesting....
This subject has somewhat concerned me for years, but only around the
times I've been installing it or working in an attic. (IMHE it never
properly settles - even a minor disturbance stirs it up again). Then I
forget about it... until you see the subject on uk.d-i-y....
My concern is the comparison with asbestos - I've known 2 people who
died of asbestosis. My (limited) understanding is that asbestosis (&
isn't there a similar lung-choking complaint that coal miners get?) is
that its primary cause is breathing asbestos dust into the lungs.
Presumably the dust (a) congests the airways but also lingers and
interacts over a long timespan with the cells lining the lungs to cause
mutation into cancerous cells. No allergic reaction there SFAIUI, but
horrible consequences.
Why doesn't this happen with fibreglass/rockwool? The first stage of
breathing in the dust & feeling choked off is the same. Why is it
certain that the next stage(s) don't follow, as in asbestosis?
Asbestosis may take decades to show up - why won't possible ill-effects
of fibreglass be the same?
Is the skin itchiness dues to fibre size or shape or both?
BTW what is the difference between fibreglass and rockwool? Aren't
these essentially the same thing -just different tradce names - made by
melting sand and spinning it, like sugar in a candyfloss machine?
--
geoff
<snip comments re. fibreglass>
> It can cause skin irritation when disturbed or handled, the other
> symptoms are mostly psychosomatic.
>
Whilst I generally have regard to your latterly infrequent posts,
this particular point I disagree with, on a personal front.
Unfortunately, my lungs have suffered over the years from copious
amounts of farm dust inhalation, followed by a reasonable amount of
industrial fume inhalation, all of which was preceded by bronchitis at
age 18. I have to say though that I have not yet reached age 50.
For the last twelve years or so my job has necessitated the
occasional couple of hours in various glassfibre insulated loft spaces.
If I don't have a mask handy, then usually within a few minutes I am
reduced to a helpless coughing wreck. the coughing often lasts to some
degree for an hour or two after the exposure. I have also noticed that
the earlier green, more abrasive glassfibre is much more dusty, and
causes more or stronger symptoms.
Rockwool seems not to be a problem...
--
Regards,
Will.
>joh...@hotmail.com wrote:
>> Millfold Group came today and laid Fibreglass insulation in my loft =
>> they said it was Rockwool but later retracted haveing said this. Anyway
>> the guys came and unrolled the stuff. I went up the ladder to have a
>> look and touched the insulation and not too long after I felt wheezy
>> and itching all over my body. My arms and hands were actually read and
>> feeling very itchy.
>
>Touched it?
>Fiberlass will make your body itch.
I think some people are more contact sensitive to it than others. I
can be up to my elbows in it all day with no issues (wearing a mask
etc).
I insulated my loft with the stuff years ago and you can see all the
fibres floating in the air as you move it (so handle it gently /
slowly).
Maybe my immunity may come from spending much of my yoof fiberglassing
(not the *same* stuff I know but also effects some people) real and
model boats.
Nowdays I try to wear gloves etc ..
All the best ..
T i m
I think you and me seem to have things in common
>
>Maybe my immunity may come from spending much of my yoof fiberglassing
>(not the *same* stuff I know but also effects some people) real and
>model boats.
>
>Nowdays I try to wear gloves etc ..
>
Yeah, but don't you hate them ?
--
geoff
--
geoff
>Dilute it enough and it just ends up being water
Homeopathic water surely?
By now all water is homeopathic as most of the homeopathic water goes down
the drain.
You should be able to homoeopathically treat any illness with water from the
tap by now.
>In article <ni1te19nclusmb1cg...@4ax.com>,
>pe...@wpp.ltd.uk says...
> For the last twelve years or so my job has necessitated the
>occasional couple of hours in various glassfibre insulated loft spaces.
>If I don't have a mask handy, then usually within a few minutes I am
>reduced to a helpless coughing wreck. the coughing often lasts to some
>degree for an hour or two after the exposure. I have also noticed that
>the earlier green, more abrasive glassfibre is much more dusty, and
>causes more or stronger symptoms.
Any particulate matter can cause irritation and coughing, fibreglass
in particular can also irritate the skin. What fibreglass cannot do
is cause an allergic reaction.
That would be less effective from an insulation point of view -
covering the joists (and eliminating the possibility of gaps between
joist and wadding) will keep the heat in better.
> the loft is unusable and nothing can be stored. - Probably the dust
> also got into the water tank.
> HELP PLEASE
>
>
Sit down and have a nice cup of tea. The dust from fibreglass is not
hazardous, just irritating to some people. Consider some of the
suggestions that have been made - I liked the one about spraying with
dilute PVA.
>THANKS EVERYONE. SO..... IS FIBREGLASS TOXIC ????? If it has
>affected me so badly how can I argue it is good to have in the house ?
>Also will I never be able to use the loft for storage so that the
>fibreglass remains undisturbed. ???
>I must ask them to remove the insulation material
>but what is the alternative ??? the company said the only other
>alternative they have is
>"Whitewool" - what is this - does anyone know ???
>
Knauf do an "itch free" fibrer glass. You can get it from B&Q as well
as insulation vendors (Encon etc). Its usefull because as well as itch
free it is also contained within its own sleeve.
>PS
>this article is quite worrying:
>http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/fin/
You get a lot of scaremongering on the internet!
> TO GET OVER MY PROBLEM - SHOULD I HAVE THE FIBRE GLASS INSULATION
> REMOVED FROM MY LOFT
It is only irritant if handled or mechanically disturbed. You may have
seen the installers wearing masks and overalls while they were working
with the stuff. Your "problem" was unfortunately an extreme reaction to
handling it unprotected - I don't like handling it either :-). Maybe the
installers should have shown you the manufacturers instructions, or
mentioned it's a bit itchy.
There is however no problem once its installed and the dust has settled.
If you are going to be in contact with it again (say, by going up to the
loft and storing things) either quit and send someone else, wear
disposable gloves or initally wash your hands/body with cold water to
disperse the fibres. Hot water first is bad news, your pores open up and
the irritant gets in. Not a recognized long term medical issue though.
I wouldn't bother ripping it all out now!!
By the way, you are coming across here as an screaming mad sectionable
person with all the UPPER CASE shouting in your posting title and
content? Are you? :-)
--
Adrian C
>>I think some people are more contact sensitive to it than others. I
>>can be up to my elbows in it all day with no issues (wearing a mask
>>etc).
>>
>>I insulated my loft with the stuff years ago and you can see all the
>>fibres floating in the air as you move it (so handle it gently /
>>slowly).
>
>I think you and me seem to have things in common
;-)
>
>>
>>Maybe my immunity may come from spending much of my yoof fiberglassing
>>(not the *same* stuff I know but also effects some people) real and
>>model boats.
>>
>>Nowdays I try to wear gloves etc ..
>>
>Yeah, but don't you hate them ?
Well, I actually wear one glove so I have one hand 'free' to get some
feel and the other for getting messy ;-)
>THANKS EVERYONE. SO..... IS FIBREGLASS TOXIC ?????
No.
>TO GET OVER MY PROBLEM - SHOULD I HAVE THE FIBRE GLASS INSULATION
>REMOVED FROM MY LOFT -
Depends upon whether you feel the large cost would be worth it.
>this I suppose is not an easy task and is itself hazardous.
It isn't hazardous at all but it isn't particularly easy and would
fill your house with fibreglass particles.
If you wanted to ensure few fibres escaped during the process then
you would have to commission work similar to that used for removal of
blown asbestos insulation and that would be very expensive (several
thousand pounds).
>the insulation people just covered the whole of the attice and all the
>joist. I thought they would have tucked the insulation material in between the
>joists.
Depends upon the depth laid, modern insulation standards call for
insulation depths greater than the joist depth so insulation rolls
are often laid between joists and a second layer added over that at
right angles to the first.
>Any particulate matter can cause irritation and coughing, fibreglass
>in particular can also irritate the skin. What fibreglass cannot do
>is cause an allergic reaction.
That probably depends on whether you are using the term allergy in a
strict and technical sense. If you are referring only to IgE mediated
hypersensitivity, then I think you are right - an allergy can only be
cause by a protein.
Aspirin, however, is not a protein, and people speak of being allergic
to aspirin.
Mr F.
>On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 11:02:35 +0100, Peter Parry <pe...@wpp.ltd.uk>
>wrote:
>>Any particulate matter can cause irritation and coughing, fibreglass
>>in particular can also irritate the skin. What fibreglass cannot do
>>is cause an allergic reaction.
>
>That probably depends on whether you are using the term allergy in a
>strict and technical sense. If you are referring only to IgE mediated
>hypersensitivity, then I think you are right - an allergy can only be
>cause by a protein.
As you say allergies can only be caused by a protein. Certain
medicines and radiocontrast dyes can induce sensitivity reactions and
in some cases an anaphylactoid reaction which is treated similarly to
an anaphylactic reaction.
Non protein sensitivities cannot however produce allergic
sensitisation and one cannot be allergic to fibreglass which is
essentially inert.
>Aspirin, however, is not a protein, and people speak of being allergic
>to aspirin.
Indeed, but it does not make it true. I know someone who claims to
be highly allergic to Asprin yet will eat Camembert Cheese by the
pound. In particular most sensitivities do not involve an allergic
reaction and specifically anaphylactic reaction.
The difference can be quite important, I once had to stop a well
meaning lady trying to inject an Epipen she carried for her own
peanut allergy into a young girl having a hysterical fit because she
had caught a whiff of floor polish which she was "allergic to" that
week.
>>Aspirin, however, is not a protein, and people speak of being allergic
>>to aspirin.
>
>Indeed, but it does not make it true. I know someone who claims to
>be highly allergic to Asprin yet will eat Camembert Cheese by the
>pound. In particular most sensitivities do not involve an allergic
>reaction and specifically anaphylactic reaction.
>
>The difference can be quite important, I once had to stop a well
>meaning lady trying to inject an Epipen she carried for her own
>peanut allergy into a young girl having a hysterical fit because she
>had caught a whiff of floor polish which she was "allergic to" that
>week.
I'm not sure you're right on this...but then again I'm not sure I'm
right either :-)
It would appear that hypersensitivity to penicillin is a type 1
hypersensitivity mediated by IgE. Penicillin is certainly not a
protein as the structure is far too simple:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penicillin
(Look at the picture)
This article discusses allergic responses to penicillin and states
that the response is mediated by IgE and can cause anaphylaxis:
http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/diseasemanagement/allergy/penallergy/penallergy1.htm
Mr F
I am grateful for all the advice give on this topic.
Jo+
> On 1 Aug 2005 13:40:53 -0700, joh...@hotmail.com wrote:
> >THANKS EVERYONE. SO..... IS FIBREGLASS TOXIC ?????
> No.
You should be feeling better by now. If you washed in hot water you
probably enhanced the itching. It are splinters wots adoin of it. Going
up there in high summer made the spicules stick to you. It cuts like
(wait for it. Wait for it!) Glass.
You won't have noticed it until ages after. Then you'd have been
scratching like you had fleas.
You are very unlikely to make that mistake again.
I forgot about the pink stuff. I suppose it all depends where you buy it
from.
If you ever have to go in the loft again just wear an old pair of undies
then bin them and have a cold shower or bath when you get down.
Once the dust settles, there will be almost no bad effects. If you
insist on going up there often, cover the attic with hardboard or
some-such.
--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG
Now, that is a serious observation
--
geoff
> Well, I actually wear one glove so I have one hand 'free' to get some
> feel and the other for getting messy ;-)
I find a box of 100 latex examination gloves from CPC are good for all
the times you want protection from "messy" while retaining some feel.
--
Cheers,
John.
/=================================================================\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\=================================================================/
Chris
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> THANKS EVERYONE. SO..... IS FIBREGLASS TOXIC ????? If it has
Not as such.
If you handle it you will get loads of tiny glass splinters in your
skin. You now know what that feels like.
If you move it about you will get loads of them airborne. Inhale them
and you get the same effect as you felt on your skin in your trachea and
lungs.
> affected me so badly how can I argue it is good to have in the house ?
Once it is down, you will no longer need to handle it.
The dust will settle out, and after than there should be no further
problem if you leave it undisturbed.
> Also will I never be able to use the loft for storage so that the
> fibreglass remains undisturbed. ???
Can't see why not. May be a bit tricky if you have covered up all the
ceiling joists so you can't see them.
> I must ask them to remove the insulation material
Leave it alone, and you will probably be fine. The adverse affects are
only a result of contact with the fibres. It is pretty inert, and also
offers good fire resistance. It does not hold moisture, or support
insect or mould growth. If you are worried then board over it. You will
loose a little of the thermal performance but not much. You will also
gain more useful storage space.
> this article is quite worrying:
> http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/fin/
Indeed, but I suspect should be taken with a good pinch of salt also.
Phrases like "Tons of filthy, rotting fibreglass insulation" are
emotive, and also make little sense (rot is not something it does in a
hurry). Calling it a "replacement for asbestos" is also a little wide of
the mark.
>T i m wrote:
>
>> Well, I actually wear one glove so I have one hand 'free' to get some
>> feel and the other for getting messy ;-)
>
>I find a box of 100 latex examination gloves from CPC are good for all
>the times you want protection from "messy" while retaining some feel.
I have a couple of boxes of them (blue / beige?) and I do to use them
these days when working on things that may not be good. The trouble is
they seem to catch on everything and soon end up in shreds ;-(
Also it seems quite a few chemicals cause them to disintegrate?
When fibreglassing those thin petrol station *type) gloves seem to
work ok?
> > this article is quite worrying:
> > http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/fin/
> Indeed, but I suspect should be taken with a good pinch of salt also.
It is also a great way to spend money getting things tested. I doubt the
trigger-happy USA would still have glass fibre installers if there was a
reasonable chance for someone there to sue them.*
Then I got a pop up in Firefox from the visit : (
Time to kill this troll folks.
*They still have a thriving tobacco industry though.
>On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 21:45:43 +0100, John Rumm
><see.my.s...@nowhere.null> wrote:
>
>>T i m wrote:
>>
>>> Well, I actually wear one glove so I have one hand 'free' to get some
>>> feel and the other for getting messy ;-)
>>
>>I find a box of 100 latex examination gloves from CPC are good for all
>>the times you want protection from "messy" while retaining some feel.
>
>I have a couple of boxes of them (blue / beige?) and I do to use them
>these days when working on things that may not be good. The trouble is
>they seem to catch on everything and soon end up in shreds ;-(
>
>Also it seems quite a few chemicals cause them to disintegrate?
And, to return full circle, some people are allergic to latex (and as an
ex-biologist I ought to know if natural rubber is a protein or not - I'd
guess it is).
--
On-line canal route planner: http://www.canalplan.org.uk
(Waterways World site of the month, April 2001)
>In message <N0GHe.81187$G8.7...@text.news.blueyonder.co.uk>,
>"dennis@home" <den...@killspam.kicks-ass.net> writes
>>By now all water is homeopathic as most of the homeopathic water goes down
>>the drain.
>>You should be able to homoeopathically treat any illness with water from the
>>tap by now.
>>
>
>Now, that is a serious observation
Isn't it! Is it original? - I'd like to quote it in future and know who
to credit.
Oh, I thought it was Hydrogen hydroxide. Equally nasty.
Perhaps chemistry's changed since I worked in a lab :-)
Mary
Search ebay for (disposable,tyvek) in business/office/industrial:
Item no 7538180280 - 25 clean room overalls for £65, new seller no feedback
Item no 7537382361 - £3.50 (£5.00 incl P&P)
Item no 7539458887 - £2 each incl P&P, 26 available
Item no 7539655625 - £4.49 incl P&P, 5 available
Item no 7539460120 - £1 each + postage, 200 available
(no connection with / experience of any of the sellers)
Owain
> I wonder if those "forensic" style
> overalls are available cheaply somewhere.
1.20 each (plus VAT) in a variety of sizes from CPC. Search for 'body
protector'.
(but we call them 'SOCO suits' !)
A good end to the week :o) I particularly liked "a major component of acid
rain".
Try sprayed on insulation. www.spray-insulation.co.uk
--
Chantel