Fiberglass hazards in buildings:

This article series provides information about how to identify fiberglass insulation in buildings and fiberglass hazards and fiberglass insulation contamination issues in residential and light-commercial buildings.

The fiberglass research literature is replete with studies indicating that there are no health hazards associated with airborne fiberglass particles, and with other studies reaching quite the opposite conclusion.

We recommend that readers examine carefully the methodology used in such studies, the expertise of the researchers, and the sources financing of such work.

Q&A on Fiberglass Insulation Hazards set 1

Frequently-asked questions & answers about exposure to fiberglass or fiberglass dust & fragments in buildings: the sources, causes, health concerns, & remedies.

These questions and answers about the hazards of exposure to fiberglass or fiberglass dust in and around buildings were posted originally

at FIBERGLASS HAZARDS - topic home. Be sure to review that article.

Replace our fiberglass ductwork to prevent cancer?

We have been advised to replace our current fiberglass duct work with galvanized steel due to the risk of cancer. We were told that systems over ten years old release fiber glass particles into the air which is a cancer risk.

Replacement of our current system which was installed in 2003 will be very costly. Is this truly a health risk? On 2015-09-27 by Reid Austin

Advice by Mod: Really?

Reid,

We have researched this topic at length and cite well qualified health and environmental experts and research articles

at FIBERGLASS HAZARDS 

so to be well informed and to read about large vs. small fiberglass fragments please check out that article series.

Bottom line: there can certainly be skin and respiratory irritation from exposure to fiberglass insulation and dust, and the risk of that is increased if your HVAC ductwork is lined with exposed fiberglass that has been damaged, for example by an inept mechanical cleaning effort.

So if your ductwork is damaged, yes I'd agree about replacing it, and yes I like metal ductwork with external insulation as that type of duct can be more-easily cleaned when needed.

But if your ductwork is undamaged and reasonably clean, replacing it solely out of a cancer fear is not justified in my opinon and based on research that we have followed.

Husband's Fall from attic createed a big fiberglass mess to clean up: is that dangerous?

My husband fell through the attic yesterday and bunch of fiber glass fell through.

We had a masks and googles on to put it all into bags, and have vacuumed multiple times and wiped surfaces down. We changed all the air filters and I’m currently washing our couch cushions.

But I keep finding small pieces on the counter, stairs, near the front door, etc.

Is this hazardous to my children’s health? Is there more I need to do other than basic vacuuming and wiping things down?

Thank you! On 2022-12-20 by Rachel

Reply by InspectApedia (Editor) -

@Rachel,

Damp wiping and HEPA vacuuming would be sufficient cleaning after that fiberglass spill, but the cleaning needs to be sufficiently extensive that you're not leaving a significant reservoir of loose fiberglass dust throughout the home -

that may mean cleaning items on shelves, shelving, moving out the Christmas tree, and running your air handler while changing out the air filter a time or two.

We have no data that would permit even an opinion about the risk to health of building occupants from left-over fiberglass but in general if there is no acute exposure the risk is probably not measurable.

Fiberglass company research argues that large particles that are normally found are not a significant health hazard. I'm not sure that's the whole story, but the carcinogenic risk worry seems to have been pretty much put to bed as you can read on our home page for this topic

FIBERGLASS HAZARDS - topic home - (you're on the FAQs page).

When you think that cleaning is complete, an aggressive indoor air sampling (stir up the air in the room during testing) and some checks of the asbestos level in settled dust can tell you if there is in fact significant fiberglass left in the environment.

Concern for work environment fiberglass related health issues

Hello everyone i had recently started a new job in a warehouse doing HVAC sales. I drive fork lift and inside sales as well as deliveries. Duct board 2" and 1" are sold and also used with our machine when customers need to cut it. This place has no ventilation whatsoever.

I am a woman and I came into a warehouse that was a disaster so I have organized day after day.

However not only did I just get over the most miserable time with whatever is all over me but I'm currently going through it again horribly now.

Nobody at work believes me cuz they dont have this irritation and surely not this bad.

I have scars from picking chunks of glass out of my whole body. Particularly my mouth is most painful and these shards hurt to get out but almost completely kept me from opening my mouth due to different directions of it being in the corner of it.

Please tell me what this is its not plain fibreglass and if i have it this bad in my mouth im sure my lungs are exposed. And comments, help, or cases would be greatly appreciated. Thanks God Bless On 2022-11-24 by Hadden77

Answer by InspectApedia (Editor) - start with your doctor, follow her advice

@Hadden77,

No we certainly believe that you're suffering and I'm sorry to hear it. I'm sure you understand that no one can identify what the material is in your workplace from a text message alone.

But in my opinion the place you should start is with your doctor. If your doctor feels that you're Health complaints are work environment related that's certainly something to pursue.

It may also be helpful to become familiar with both

FIBERGLASS HAZARDS - topic home

and

MORGELLONS SYNDROME

Keep me posted and we will take it from there.

 

Dealing with fiberglass contamination brought on by a memory foam mattress

Hi there. I am currently dealing with fiberglass contamination brought on by a memory foam mattress that I’ve been using for the last 2 years (I didn’t know at first but over time it became apparent after seeing shards every where)

Anyways, I have a question regarding my property. I know most things like clothes, upholstery, have to go. But what about books and electronics? I care more about my collection of books. How does one clean those out? Am I better off just throwing everything away?

I apologize for the questions. Any advice at this point will be extremely helpful (even if it is bad news lol) On 2022-09-03 by Danny

Adice by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - fiberglass contamination brought on by a memory foam mattress

@Danny,

Indeed some of our readers report persistent skin irritation and have tossed out clothing and other soft goods after what appears to be fiberglass contamination.

In my OPINION tossing away everything in a home because of memory foam mattress fiberglass contamintion is likely to be an expensive and unnecessary over-kill.

Laundering, dry cleaning, damp wiping, HEPA vacuuming can usually remove most fiberglass fragments from clothing, soft goods, and the building interior, and it's absolutely the case that those steps can remove nearly all fiberglass fragments from hard surfaced materials such as books, tables, electronics.

It is not necessary nor justified to attempt to bring the particle level of any contaminant indoors down to zero per square meter.

Some particles, including fiberglass fragments, are normal and are virtually always present in normal indoor house dust (that's dominated by fabric fibers and skin cells).

After normal cleaning, the level of fiberglass that remains is not normally a health concern.

Please read our more-detailed advice found

at FIBERGLASS SHEDDING from MATTRESSES 

Is new fiberglass building insulation causing health issues for my son?

We just got some fiberglass batt insulation installed and my son has been sneezing with runny nose ever since.

Is there a way we can check the particles in the air who would we hire to do this or is that an home testing kit?

We also had to take out blown in insulation from our sensitivities. It’s becoming a costly battle for us! On 2022-05-03 by Natanya Cohen

Diagnostic advice by Inspectapedia Com Moderator -

@Natanya Cohen,

I sympathize with you and the IAQ problem you describe.

But I'm a bit concerned about having taken and the prospect of taking even more very expensive steps to modify your home before having a clear understanding of the problem.

Here are a few initial diagnostic questions that might let me offer better advice:

What "blown-in" insulation was removed?

How was it determined that that insulation was a problem?

What was the problem exactly?

Is it possible that removing that insulation sent unusual amounts of insulation dust into the home?

Has your doctor confirmed that for your family's health complaints, insulation exposure is the top likely cause and focus?

You can do air testing - any environmental test consultant can collect samples and have them analyzed by a lab to identify the dominant or most-frequent particles. Usually the most-common particles in indoor dust are fabric fibers and skin cells.

Since the accuracy of air tests be very poor (results vary by 4 orders of magnitude depending on small changes in test conditions), I often like to look qualitatively at settled dust samples as well.

But I'm reluctant to start ordering specific tests that may be sticking arrows of supposition all over the target, none coming near the heart of the matter.

For example:

How old is the home?

What are its building materials?

What is its leak history?

Is there a possible problem with more-common allergens like dust mites, pollen, or mold?

How to clean a couch with fiberglass dust contamination after repairing a kitchen counter

I redid the counter in our RV with epoxy and had to Bondo a couple spots. I didn't think to cover the couch and it seems the dust from sanding is all over the house. I have deep cleaned the entire RV from top to bottom twice but it seems to be embedded in the couch.

I used a shop vac to vacuum it with the exhaust pointed put the window. That didn't seem to help. I am covered in little sores and my whole body is itchy and red.

What can I do to get it out of the couch? We just bought this couch 2 years ago and I would hate to think throwing it away is the only solution. On 2022-02-08 by Dawna

Answer by Inspectapedia Com Moderator -

@Dawna,

If you damp wipe and HEPA vacuum indoor surfaces there would be no significant level of remaining dust from your project.

But you might be hypersensitive to something in your environment.

You should start by reviewing your symptoms and concerned with your doctor. Find a doc whom you trust and listen to her advice.

About a couch and dust contamination, I've done extensive testing of dust and contaminants in thick materials like couches.

While I do not have one iota of data about your specific home or its couch, a general picture of the situation is this:

1. surface dust that settles onto a couch from nearby building work like sanding can be mostly-removed by vacuuming with a HEPA vacuum, most-effectively if the vacuuming is performed promptly after the dust settles onto the furniture. You can improve the vacuuming efficacy by

thoroughness: vacuum all sides of removable cushions and vacuum the exposed surfaces of the couch including areas available when cushions are lifted off.

patting or thumping the couch and cushion surfaces while vacuuming; this loosens more surface dust and helps the vacuum cleaner.

2. Couches or similar thick-upholstered furniture that are contaminated by insect infestation deep inside the cushions or by mold growth if the furniture has been wet can not be effectively-cleaned.

No vacuum cleaner can draw out particles that are inches-deep into upholstered furniture, nor can steam cleaning reach all the way through such thick materials. Those items, if contaminated, are usually disposed-of.

Is there asbestos in this fiberglass-reinforced drywall?

Can you please tell me if this drywall has asbestos?

Hello I'm writing again but this time about fiberglass insulation. As I mentioned to you in the other post about the fiberboard removal my husband is making our carport into an extra room and this past weekend they had to pull down some siding on the outside of the house and underneath

They also removed some yellow fiberglass insulation Fiberglass brand name John's Manville I'm a little concerned about that namebrand because i was reading that some John's mansville insulation had asbestos. I have been trying to find pictures of the John's mansville insulation that contained the asbestos.

I'm also concerned about about the fiberglass dust because I'm sure there was alot when they were tearing it off the wall. My question is if there is fiberglass dust how long does that stay airborne? What is the proper cleanup after removal of fiberglass insulation?

I have been running an air purifier in my living room which is next to the carport just in case some got in my living room but I have been avoiding the work area to not disturb anything. They removed everything and cleaned up the carport area with a broom which I'm sure kicked up more dust.

We left the windows in the carport open to air it out but what other steps should we take to be sure there is no lingering fiberglass in the carport before they continue with installing the drywall? On 2021-08-21 by Erin

Advice by inspectapedia.com.moderator - Fiberglass isn't asbestos; Is there asbestos in John Mansville fiberglass insulation?

@Erin,

our home page for this topic, FIBERGLASS INSULATION IDENTIFICATION & PROPERTIES

inspectapedia.com/insulation/Fiberglass_Insulation_Identification.php

found by using the "Search the InspectApedia website" line for "asbestos in fiberglass insulation"

finds in that article this topic

FIBERGLASS INSULATION ASBESTOS CONTENT?

You will also find in that topic home page links to our article series on analysis of fiberglass hazards.

Unless there is some unusual condition, for the case you describe it sounds to me as if ordinary construction dust clean up is going to be appropriate.

When the job is completely finished, if you want to be very meticulous you can also damp wipe and HEPA vacuum the surfaces

by Erin - what is this board material?

Can you tell me what type material this is? On 2021-08-21 by Erin

Answer by inspectapedia.com.moderator - foil lined gypsum board

@Erin,

Gypsum board, or "drywall", apparently with remains of a foil-type lining or layer;

Was this an interior gypsum board surface or part of a building exterior wall sheathing?

What are the country and city of location and the building age?

Supersensitivity to the microscopic particles of fibre glass

Help I'm at my wits end does anyone else suffer from supersensitivity to the microscopic particles of fibre glass so much so that it never stops.

I know it must be rare as I ve scoured the Internet and found no-one, its not the small fibres that irritate everyone it's the sub micron particles that are left in the air that can't really be got rid of that go everywhere

Clothes soft furnishings walls carpets etc, my loft was opened and chimney drew dust down I had to have builders in, I'm a tenant so I had no choice. I've had to move house twice because of this. It's just continuous itching and irritation day and night, no sleep I've just bought a tyvek suit to get some respite. Ps it's definitely the fibre glass particles as when I'm out of the house it stops. I've had this problem for years but no one understands or takes me seriously.

When I move again I just have to pray the landlord doesn't want to access the loft. I'm not holding out much hope that il get an answer but I keep trying on different sites and places thanks Robbie On 2021-03-18

by (mod)

@Anonymous, our most-complete guidance on this fiberglass particle concern is organized at

FIBERGLASS HAZARDS - topic home - https://inspectapedia.com/Fiberglass/Fiberglass_Hazards.php

And you might consider that other small particle or even chemical irritants could be at work.

You'll also want to discuss this problem with your doctor and ask her about Morgellons' Syndrome to see if that helps.

What to do with my stuff that were exposed to insulation?

I am looking for some expert advice on what to do with my stuff that were exposed to insulation. A couple weeks ago the ceiling on my kid's room at our old apartment fell off.

Everything in my kids room got dusted with old looking insulation and everything itched.

I have a fan that I had just bought, and I tried dusting it off but still see dust in the motor, and I was wondering, should I just buy a new one?

Also, is it safe to.keep all their plush toys, they were in the closet but was still exposed to the damage for about a week.

I am concerned that, in the long run, if I keep something and don't clean it well enough my kids health could be harmed with this.

Any advice is very appreciated. Thank you. On 2020-09-06 by Mayra

Suggestions by (mod) -

Mayra

Thank you for the photo of the insulation mess caused by a ceiling collapse. Do we know what caused the ceiling to fall-in ? That may tell us the level of risk that the same event may happen elsewhere in the home.

I can't quite make out in your photo whether the insulation is cellulose (paper based) or mineral wool (mineral fibre insulation) - perhaps you can also post a sharper close-up photo with a bit better lighting.

To clean up that mess you'd want the bulk of the insulation removed, followed by damp wiping and HEPA vacuuming.

You might get a bit more dust out of your fan if you can take it outside and blow the motor clean with compressed air - some gas stations or garages can do that for you.

Bedding and soft goods get washed or dry-cleaned;

Hard surfaced items get wiped and vacuumed. Wall to wall carpeting cannot be adequately-cleaned and would be removed and replaced (along with padding and with a cleaning step before new carpet is installed).

When cleanup is completed give the home a few days for airborne dust to settle, then have a dust sample checked by any forensic lab who can identify the dominant particles. If insulation is still the dominant dust particle then a second pass and cleaning would be helpful.

 

Do air purifiers with HEPA filters remove the smaller harmful fiberglass particles?

Do air purifiers with HEPA filters remove the smaller harmful fiberglass particles? On 2019-10-31 by Earl

Reply by (mod) - yes but ... they won't remove the problem source

Earl:

Generally yes - and no. A HEPA filter will remove small particles down in the 1 micron range but ONLY for air that passes through the filter. So the filter and purifier will reduce but not eliminate airborne particles.

NO "air purifier" can remove the source of a problem particle. So if a particle source remains, those particles will continue to enter the building air.

So an "air purifier", if run in a small enclosed space that itself doesn't contain the source of problem particles, will indeed reduce the level of such particles within that space.

But it would be a fundamental error to think that such a device corrects a building indoor air quality problem at the source. As a not entirely silly example, if you stand in the kitchen and wave a vacuum cleaner wand in the air you will have no success at removing the dust bunnies under the living room couch.

Thank you for asking; don't hesitate to ask further questions.

 

What to do with this Johns Manville Fiberglass Insulation in my basement?

In this unfinished portion of basement, there is the Johns Manville fiberglass bats attached between ceiling joists. As pics show, they are not attached as well as they could be. What would you recommend, if anything, with this insulation? Thanks again. On 2019-07-20 by Anonymous

Reply:

Re the Johns Manville fiberglass insulation batts in your basement ceiling

The insulation looks loose and falling; if it is clean and dry, thus not mold-suspect, you can leave it in place, stapling up a permeable barrier such as housewrap to prevent shedding asbestos dust into the area below. Don't use plastic as you don't want the moisture barrier on the wrong side (down) of the joists.

Reader followup:

When you say “shedding asbestos dust” below, did you mean shedding fiberglass dust?

Moderator reply

Sorry Yes I meant FIberglass Dust.

 

Question: Does chopped fiberglass produce more hazardous dust than batts?

Steve said

Thanks for your help. I have another fiberglass insulation question. I have what appears to be chopped fiberglass insulation in attic space above our den.

There is plywood covering the entire floor in that attic space, except few inches along one side where floor meets wall in between floor joists.

Split level house and this attic space is accessible from the garage. I had to do some work up there recently and had to briefly handle the fiberglass in a few of the joists. It was only briefly handled and then put back.

After reading that fiberglass insulation can sometimes release small particles in air that can be dangerous I was curious if this type is insulation (chopped) is more likely to produce dangerous dust.

Should I bring a hepa vac up there to vacuum area or do anything else? Thank you

Reply: it's the condition of the insulation or its disturbance that may create problem dust

Steve

In my experience it's mechanical damage to fiberglass insulation, such as being walked-on or being shredded by a duct cleaning machine, that is most likely to cause airborne transport of small fiberglass particles into building air.

I agree that if you see a dust issue that HEPA vacuuming is a more effective cleanup method than ordinary vacuum cleaners.

 

How do I find the source of small airborne particles?

I have small particles air born falling. It can be seen with a led light.this is in my apartment. What causes this. On 2017-12-11 by Joann

by (mod) -

Joann

I'd like to help but with just the information in your note I cannot hazard an intelligent guess at what is causing the airborne particles you are seeing.

It might help to know that there are always particles in the air. In most lighting conditions we don't see them, but when using a flashlight or other light beams, even sometimes sunlight through a window opening they become apparent.

They were always there and they may be perfectly normal typical indoor dust such as fabric fibres.

The photograph above shows what I mean: I simply turned on a flashlight in a dimly-lit room.

What you can do is collect representative dust samples for analysis by a forensic laboratory; the lab should tell you what are the dominant or most-frequent particles in the dust as well as whether or not they found unusual or particularly hazardous substances.

 

Worried about dangerous convection over fiberglass insulation

To clean a spill, I removed the metal cover that lays in the bottom of my convection oven.. Discovered raw exposed fiberglass insulation.. I know this is cause for alarm.. Please help with some direction.. Thanks On 2017-09-19 by kim

Moderator replied: oven door or similar appliance fiberglass is normally enclosed and harmless

Kim

Fiberglass as well as other mineral-fibre insulation products are widely used inside the walls or doors of ovens and are not a hazard to you.

In normal use you will not be able to detect fiberglass fragment contamination from that source.

During cleaning you want to avoid damaging the insulation, or if it were found in very poor condition or soaked with something messy that required replacement, then you will want to speak with the manufacturer of your specific appliance to purchase replacement insulation that's the right material, thickness, density, and dimension.

 

 

On 2023-03-04 by InspectApedia Publisher - easy and inexpensive to mail dust samples to any environmental lab located anywhere

@Pamela,

Regarding your note that

I could not find anyone that will run an analysis of settled dust in my area.

Settled dust is not degradable - that is, it does not have an expiration time, so it is easy and inexpensive to mail dust samples to any environmental lab located anywhere. There are plenty of environmental test labs who provide testing nationally.

Our page top EXPERTS DIRECTORY
provides this link

ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORS & TESTING SERVICES

But of course the samples that you have collected have to have been collected properly or the lab may not be able to make use of them.

An example of a very inexpensive dust sampling method using clear adhesive tape and freezer-type ziplok bags is at

DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE

Regarding your remark about being dissatisfied with information you could not find at InspectApedia, we are of course sorry if you didn't find information you need or want here. We have researched and published quite a bit on this topic.

If you have a specific question we'll be glad to essay an answer or to point you to a resource.

About your comments on fiberglass and its hazard - or not-hazard classification, I think you may have misunderstood what you've read here.

Fiberglass particles are well-established as a skin irritant and might be a respiratory irritant. Usually those are comparatively large fibers, easily detected in dust samples and on surfaces. (And usually, easily cleaned if necessary.)

Previous researchers worried that fiberglass might also be a carcinogen. There has been an enormous amount of research on that topic, with various conclusions, of which the dominant and current main stream opinion is that fiberglass is not carcinogenic.

I [DF] was worried that very small fiberglass particles, down in the 1u range might be more-harmful and that the effect of such particles (that do NOT occur at high levels in all fiberglass dust samples but do in some) might have been under-estimated because of the difficulty of even detecting such particles without using exactly the right procedure (such as using a slide mountant with the right refractive index).

But further research has been done on that topic by experts as well, and their conclusion, as you can read in various references and research citations provided in this article series, has been that those are also not likely to be as significant a health risk as we may have thought.

About cleaning up fiberglass dust: it is not necessary nor appropriate to try to remove 100% of fiberglass particles from a building or vehicle. It is normal for us to find some fiberglass fibers in every indoor dust sample as that material is so ubiquitous in buildings. However if dust samples show that fiberglass particles are the dominant particle in a sample or are present in high levels as a percent of building dust, then yes, additional cleaning by damp wiping and HEPA vacuuming may be in order.

Watch out: very high level of worry about fiberglass might cost you in both money and health more than is merited. For example read about MORGELLONS SYNDROME https://inspectapedia.com/sickhouse/Morgellons_Syndrome.php

Finally, about the medical concerns you raise, it is essential that you find a doctor whom you trust and listen to her advice.

Best wishes, and thank you again for contacting us.

###

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In order to absolutely assure our readers that we write and report without bias, we do not sell any products or services, nor do we have any business or financial relationships with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

We very much welcome critique, questions, or content suggestions for our web articles. Website content contributors, even if it's just a small correction, are cited, quoted, and linked-to from the appropriate additional web pages and articles - which benefits us both.

Working together and exchanging information makes us better informed than any individual can be working alone.

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On 2023-03-04 by Pamela

@InspectApedia Publisher, update: march 3, 2023- I could not find anyone that will run an analysis of settled dust in my area. I’ve called the local university and a butt load of other places. Nothing. Ive saved plenty of samples in case I do ever find one. I’d read that this site does them. Is that not a thing anymore? Doesn’t matter.

Reading through various posts and threads on different topics regarding fiberglass particles I’ve noticed the answers back to the questions are pretty much all the same: fiberglass is harmless. It’s now been 6 months of my nightmare with fiberglass dust/particlulate. I have done all the things mentioned to clean this up plus more since I left the house in November.

Thoroughly cleaned with hepa, wipe down, getting rid of things only to find it all over every single day & going to great lengths to get rid of this stuff to keep my son safe. I now have permanent damage to my eyes, sinuses, other places I won’t mention and for some reason peripheral neuropathy. I used a mask & goggles.

It’s destroyed my car, my mothers car, all her furniture, (of course all of my furniture) flooring (somehow this stuff sticks like glue) replaced clothing 5 times and am out of money, 3-4 ER visits and killed the family dog. This stuff takes you down where you’re already weak. I could not afford pro cleaners to come in.

My mother just was in the ER yesterday on my birthday. And after all this it just won’t go away. I don’t have any idea what else I can do. I’m sitting here typing this with clubbed fingers and fiberglass imbedded in my clothes. No matter what I do or how many times I replace items it never gets better.

I’ve just accepted it now that it’s just going to be in our lives forever. Most every reply to posts I’ve seen on here by people that are either over reacting or actually going through it are basically invalidated or dismissed as being nonsense. Don’t run a site to help people if you’re irritated by helping. I was hopeful when I first came across this website. You might have statistical knowledge based on what the government gives but that’s not always the 100% truth to every single incident. Not everyone is overreacting.

On 2023-01-19 by InspectApedia Publisher

@Pamela,

Sure, most environmental testing labs can analyze dust sample.

If you do that let me know the result.

What action will that guide?

On 2023-01-19 by Pamela

I have a few samples of dust from fiberglass insulation. Is there a way to send them in to be analyzed? A lot from clothes from the dryer vent.

On 2023-01-18 by InspectApedia Publisher - the more "stuff" you can clean, the less dust you'll import

@ Jose P.,

Sure, so when moving, the more "stuff" you can clean the less dust you'll import. Clothes or soft goods get laundered / dry-cleaned. Hard surfaces that have any notable dust can be damp-wiped. Other stuff can be HEPA - vaccumed. That's a pretty inexpensive procedure that you can do as a DIY project in the course of moving.

On 2023-01-18 by Jose P.

@InspectApedia Publisher,

We have a 20 month old and didn't want to take any risks. The air quality protocol couldn't guarantee fiberglass removal, we were putting the house up for sale anyways and all the bedding was for a queen. We needed a King size bed either way so decided to opt for replacement.

Unfortunately the apartment we rented had open insulation in the air handler as well and glass fibers were found in the air column. Luckily we had yet to purchase many goods, I prefer not to risk cross-contaminating the next apartment or house. Moving forward I will always check the air handler prior to signing a lease or purchasing a home.

On 2023-01-17 by InspectApedia Publisher

@Jose P.,

I'm sorry to read that you found such extreme measures necessary.

I agree that odor absorption can be hard to get rid-of, depending on the chemistry of the odor and its source.

But that's not so much the case with fiberglass dust. With the source removed, damp wiping and HEPA vacuuming ought to bring most sorts of annoying indoor dust to very low levels.

On 2023-01-17 by Jose P.

@Pamela A,

My family and I had an AC contractor attach the Air Handler panel with exposed fiberglass. I did and air quality test with Adaptive Environmental, I don't know if they operate in your state. In short we tossed everything and started fresh, even then our next apartment the same thing. My plans moving forward are again to toss all porous content but the next apartment I will perform the test prior.

Good luck but I recommend all porous objects (cloth, paper, spongy etc.) to discard and start fresh. All hard surfaces clean them outside prior to entering the new apartment.

Better to be done with it once and for all..

On 2023-01-15 by Pamela A - extreme issues with fiberglass dust and particles in home

Re-posting from private email

5 months ago my 5 year old and I moved into an apartment. When we moved in, I noticed a very heavy chemical odor, sometimes what people call that new smell. We’d just moved out of bad situation with toxic mold and had been without a home for a while and I was exhausted so I put it behind my mind. I also noticed a thick amount of what looked like dust hanging around the ceiling and vents but assuming it was dust and needed cleaning.

After a couple weeks I noticed after I’d do laundry, particularly drying anything, whatever I’d put in there to dry would come out covered in a thick bluish-grey “lint”. And anything I’d dry would become ruined by this fuzz, or the new item would come out if the dryer looking like it was 10 years old.

This continued on and I started noticing things would be covered in fuzz and dust very quickly after dusting. I couldn’t keep up with the amount of dust I was seeing. I’d lint roll our bedding and pillows every night because we both were reacting to whatever this was.

This lint thing drive me nuts because our clothes would be so full of dust and fibers you could just flick your pants or bump up against something and thick plumes of dust would come out. Even our towels. Id have to send my son to school like this because for the life of me, i could not get whatever was going on under control.

I also could not get whatever is coming out of the carpet out. It’s a heavy grey what I thought was just dust but had no idea how it was getting there, and these white “hairs”. I thought okay, someone had a dog in here and im allergic to dogs so this is why we’re both sick. They seemingly would never stop coming out of the carpet. I had the carpets cleaned but it was still being found in the canister after vacuuming. I have pictures.

I assumed it was my dryer vent clogged and asked my landlord to come look at it to figure it out and he never did. So this went on and I tried figuring it out myself by cleaning what I could in the dryer vent but it got worse. Up until a couple months ago a

My son has missed essentially his entire year of kindergarten being sick from this with upper respiratory infections, ear infections, sinus infections and eye issues and is still suffering. Not including everything I was going through but I’m also immune compromised from an auto immune disease I take immune suppressant medication for and just told myself I was having allergies to something else.

It got worse though. I started noticing if I left my coat or anything, we’d be covered in this white powdery substance that was also shiny in light. I have pictures of this too. There was so much if it. Also mixed in is what looks like white, silvery shards of shiny particles.

These particles are a mixture of powder that’s white, shiny powder, shiny sharp flecks or shards, shiny fibers, white fibers and white shiny flecks of what looks and feels like fiberglass. It hurts to touch, it hurts if it gets into your skin, especially after if it’s a large shard. There is so much of this it’s hard to put into describing because it’s literally everywhere. I did some research and what it looks like and feels like is fiberglass insulation.

It’s also all over every surface. When my landlord came over after 4 months to clean the dryer vent I told him the stuff I’m finding is fiberglass insulation. I can’t remember how we got in the subject but he told me the vent for the dryers heat shares the same duct as the regular hvac heat.

It seemed like this problem got worse after it got cold when we started using more heat. The landlord found a little “lint” in the duct and told me that it looks just like the insulation they used up in the attic, which is where the hvac runs through. The venting comes from above.

Just typing this has got me overwhelmed. I can’t be 100# that this is fiberglass insulation until I get it tested. I can only say that based on what it looks like, feels like and description of problems I believe it is fiberglass insulation particles. An insane amount of it. My words can’t describe the sheer amount of this stuff.

It’s been blown into all of our clothing and bedding, towels every time we dried something. And it’s also coming out of the vents. What I thought were white dog hairs I now suspect are fiberglass strands. How they are in the carpet, I don’t know. Is it coming from the carpet and ductwork including the dryer vent? Or is the ventilation system sucking this up and blowing it out?

I don’t know and I don’t think I’ll ever get an answer. The landlord doesn’t want to invest too much. I do really need to find out how I can identify this and identify the amount of this. I had not been able to get any answers or help.

I’ve called the health department, the health department’s environmental services, coding, hvac coding, the occupational health department at our local university, the hvac people, etc and no one can help me. I can’t afford to do a air sample test because it’s at least $600.

I did order a fiberglass home text and a formaldehyde home test because the odor got worse over time and I was reacting to what felt like a fume with dizziness, confusion, couldn’t breathe, eye irritation, and when I’d step out side I’d get better. My mother also would get so sick to her stomach being there for a few minutes. Im not sure if it’s formaldehyde but i do believe we were sick from whatever it is there odor wise as well. It is STRONG.

My son had nosebleeds, headaches, sore throat and definite behavioral changes. I chalked up to stress from our move but I’m putting more things together and it makes sense from what I’m reading. This issue with the fibers alone is just mind blowing. We left the apartment and we’ve contaminated two other houses with this stuff almost killing the family dog.

It’s so bad so severe the new house were in is covered in this. It’s in the bed, millions of particles imbedded in our new clothes, shoes, socks and underwear. Since being there I’d started getting urinary tract and kidney infections with severe urinary and kidney pain that’s not cleared in 3 months because of the fibers imbedded and in my underwear.

I didn’t know what this was. I have small cuts all over my hand and a itchy rash on my arms but none of that even compares to the amount of this you can see in the light, especially if it’s something dark. It’s all over my car, in the seat, vevnts even the outside of the car. I cannot out run this stuff no matter what I’ve done so I’ve given up.

I’m beyond frustrated and exhausted from trying to contain and clean this, Re purchasing everything then it be ruined again with these fibers. There is so much of it. I actually hope I’m losing my mind in a way because it would mean all this isn’t real.

We’re still covered and imbedded with this stuff even after leaving because I brought clothing from there with us and mixed it with our new clothes in a state of utter despair and exhaustion. So now it’s everywhere at the new house now but at least we’re not breathing it from the ventilation system.

Overall, I’d really appreciate if someone could help me find out ways to have this tested and the amounts tested for documentation purposes. I am temporarily disabled from illnesses related to autoimmune and toxic mold and am a single parent so my funding is limited.

But if anyone knows the right places to call I’d appreciate it so much! I have a limited amount of time before everything has to be out of the apartment and want to make sure I can get any evidence I might need before not having any access. I don’t think I’ll be able to get into the attic to see what type of insulation is up there. I only know some of it is blown in. But that doesn’t rule out what could be behind the walls or anything else.

On 2023-01-12 by InspectApedia Publisher - clean up fiberglass bits in driveway

@Anonymous by private email,

why not just use a HEPA Vac - if you wet the fiberglass you may find that it will be even harder to remove from a driveway or yard surface.

To protect yourself 100% from exposure to any dust (though in my opinion that is significant overkill), you'd need to vacate the property, hire a mold or asbestos remediation company, and have pre- and post- inspections and tests, none of which is in my view likely to be necessary. (This is a general opinion as we know nothing about your property.)

More reasonable would be to wear a HEPA-rated respirator to protect yourself from breathing in unwanted dust. Additional normal protective measures like goggles, gloves, Tyvek oversuit, are more options that are easily obtained.

On 2023-01-12 by Anonymous by private email

I have a question for you. Neighbours have had their cavity wall insulation removed and this has resulted in a large quantity of loose fluffy bits of fibreglass strewn all over the driveway. The driveway is a kind of tarmac so the fibreglass tends to get stuck.

I am thinking using a wet vac. First wet the whole area with water and then vacuum up. Do you know if this would work? I dont know how effective it would be. The surface is quite rough so you cannot apply much pressure against it. Dry vacuuming would probably work best but it would also emit a small amount of dust through the exhaust.

I need a way to clean this all up in a way which does not expose me in any way to any dust hence i thought wetting it would be the best way.
- Dec 7, 2022

On 2022-07-05 by InspectApedia-911 (mod)

@deanna still,

I doubt that your homeowners insurance will pay for harm to your body that you think came from fiberglass or from a dead animal.

On 2022-07-05 by deanna still

is it possible tht your home owner insurnce could pay aa portion if these liitle fiberglass or residual from dead animal harmed my body
my d=eamil is deannastill96@gmail.com
we hd an enviromental reporesentttive come and
gather samples with some machines to federal express them to
corpoate offices

On 2022-01-24 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator

@Mamie Lawson,

You can find environmental consultants who know how to inspect for and if appropriate, test for indoor air contaminants including fibrerglass, at the page top EXPERTS DIRECTORY

On 2022-01-24 by Mamie Lawson

Provide names of labs and contact information for levels of fiberglass insulation in a home suspected of severe contamination. Email lovedgreg1@gmail.com

On 2021-04-15 by Anon - glass fibers from a foam mattress ?

Hello! I sent an email to you all about help with our problem with glass fibers from a [Zinus] memory foam mattress that we have been living with all over our home for a year and a half ...

Anonymous by private email 2021/04/15

- This discussion has moved to FIBERGLASS SHEDDING from MATTRESSES

On 2021-04-23 - by (mod) -

@Hannah, try adding an image using the "Add Image" button

On 2021-04-23 by Hannah

Hello, this is where the pipe leak was found in apartment, they've left this hole open for over 2 days now, it has a musty after shower smell-does this look normal, and if not is this hazardous. Thank you

On 2015-09-01 - by (mod) -

That's a question for your daughters doctor.

In my experience dust can aggravate or trigger an asthma attack but from your etext we cannot guess what level of dust you contributed.

On 2015-09-01 by Holz311

I have been exposed to fiberglass particles at work. I am not in construction, but somehow there are fiberglass particles in my office space. My daughter had to be hospitalized for a severe asthma attack. Could the fibers from my clothes trigger her asthma?

On 2015-07-26 by randy

For years fiberglass insulation has been used to seal the damper when installing pellet stoves with no issues. Now, a customer has been told by the chimney sweep that it emits toxic fumes when heated. I say nonsense! What say you?.....thanks

On 2015-07-10 - by (mod) -

Sounds unusual. It may be sufficient to HEPA vacuum and damp wipe the interior.

On 2015-07-10 by Larry

I had some people who had been working on insulation enter my house while still wearing their work clothes.

This went on for awhile until the job was done. Now I've noticed, literally in every room, there is shiny long fibres on everything. In my clothes, bedding, on counters, on basically every surface you can find at least some. My computer even sucked a bunch in. How dangerous is this and what should I do? Thanks

On 2015-07-06 - by (mod) -

Don I read 3 things to address

1 seal the attic hatch

2 find why air is flowing backwards down into the home instead of up and out through roof vents

3 HEOA vacuum up the dust

On 2015-07-05 by Don Berg

My attic was not sealed prior to a roofing Co. Installation requirement of Title 24 and now have fiberglass down into the house. Particles of fiberglass are coming from assess to attic and all over the cooking stove / house and bath
/ air vents.

On 2015-06-28 by flori

I ripped off a small piece of fiberglaaa from behind my ac cover. Am I in danger

On 2013-03-22 - by (mod) -

Mike

Maybe because
- they're right
or
- they're giving advice that's safe and profitable for them, spending more of your money

In any event, if HVAC ducts are properly installed, undamaged, are not themselves lined with fiberglass, and thus are not leaky, they wouldn't be expected to move fiberglass or other attic insulation into the home.

But if there are leaky return ducts in an attic it is conceivable that attic dust and insulation might be drawn into the duct system.

A final case, less likely but not impossible, could be a negative pressurization problem.

If supply and return are not properly balanced it is possible (though uncommon) for an HVAC system to create negative air pressure in some of the occupied space of the building. If occupied space is at lower pressure than an attic space, it is possible for dust and particles from the attic or roof space to be drawn into the living area.

An example of this that I've encountered was use of a whole house vent fan mounted in a top floor ceiling, blowing into an attic that lacked adequate exit venting.

The result was a pressurized attic that blew air back down into the living space through various openings.

On 2013-03-21 by mikenoblet@whidbey.com

Rod,
Why is it that NO ONE in the HVAC world has EVER heard of forced air heating systems causing attic insulation to be drawn into the home? I ask the question since every HVAC person I have asked has not a clue. Some want to hit us up for duct cleaning @$700 a wack. Another wanted to fruad us for close to $10 K to replace the plastic warm air ducts with metal ones.

We have canned lights that appear to not be sealed. The result is battle ship grey dust in copious amounts closest to the furnance returns and the least at the opposite side of the house.

We tried filters on the cold air return which collected dust but did not lower it in the home.

We have an electrostic air filter which does not touch the dust. We experimented by replacing the electrostic filters with pleated paper ones - to zero improvement.

Any suggestions are welcome

Mike Noblet - Whidbey Island WA

On 2013-03-11 - by (mod) -

Rod yours is a question for an attorney. If she or he takes the case on a fee-contingent basis then it probably has merit.

On 2013-03-11 by Rod

My parents home has fiberglass pollution from HVAC fiberglass lining inside the ducts. They must be replaced. How can I get insurance or the company who installed them pay for replacement ducts since the pollution is killing them?

On 2013-01-11 by Gerald

I had my ac unit replaced and they installed new ducts. most of the ducts blew pieces of the blown-in insulation as soon as the unit was turned on the first time. a couple of the ducts have sporatically coughed up pieces of insulation since installation. Is there a health risk associated with this?

On 2013-01-02 by Nicole owens

I work in a fiberglass fabrication plant. I deal with styrene from resin and other noxious fumes as well as fiberglass dust. Can this be harmful to myself and my fetus?

Question: Clarify the size of fiberglass fragments and fibers

Great site - thank you so much. I'm confused about this statement:

"Fiberglass insulation fibers, intact, un-damaged tend to be quite large in length, similar to human hair, though we find diameters varying widely down to close to 1um in some cases; however crushed, walked-on, or mechanically-damaged fiberglass insulation can produce particles down to a few microns in size or perhaps even smaller."

If undamaged is 1um, are you saying that damaged is larger (a few microns)? - AG 07/23/2012

This Q&A were posted originally

at AIRBORNE PARTICLE SIZE DEFINITIONS & TYPES

Reply: Fiberglass particle size vs health hazards

AG thank you for pointing out my confusing statement, I will rewrite it for clarity.

What I meant to say is that

1. damaged fiberglass insulation can produce high levels of very small particles in the 1u range, (measured across the particle's longest axis) maybe even smaller,
2. normal, intact fiberglass insulation consists of much larger particles of great length, even though the diameters of some of those long, thus very large in length, may be thin in fiber diameter.
3. Undamaged fiberglass fragment or fibre size = long lengths of varying diameters, low risk of deep inhalation
4. Damaged fiberglass fragment or fibre size = includes many short small particles down at 1u range

See FIBERGLASS HAZARDS - home

On 2017-08-31 1 by Orener

I have been having a lot of problems with itching for a while now. At first I thought it was something biting me but after checking my sofa I saw no signs of bugs or found no signs of bites.

Then I thought it might be something that my leather sofa and/or carpet was treated with that might cause the itch. They were newly purchased during this summer 2017. I also noticed that I would have needle like sensation along with the itching.

So I decided to use the light on my phone and hold it close to my skin and that's when I notice fine shinning particles on my arm so fiber glass came to mind. My air condition went out this summer as well.

Maintenance came out to repair it. I hate sitting in my livingroom. Itching is worst there which made me think it was my sofa/carpet until I saw the particles on my skin. Also my vent are up high in livingroom but is in the floor in bedroom.

So out of everything that I have mentioned can you give me advice of what it could be and what I can do about it?

by (mod) - discuss itching with your doctor first

Orener, you want to first discuss the itching with your doctor.

If there is an indoor fiberglass particle problem it might be proven with solid data by having a lab examine a sample of settled dust from the living area. You'd also want an expert to check that no dope ruined the duct work interior by chopping up a fiberglass duct liner during a cleaning effort.

 

On 2017-07-03 by Pamela solorio

I live in an older house i rent we had plumbing problems they cut big squares out and a whole in the floor huge there is insulation old small bunches of it all over hallway and bedroom floor what should i do to clean it up or should i have hazmat

On 2017-07-04 0 by (mod) - minimize dust during cleanup

Pamela,

With the understanding that we cannot assess the conditions in your home based just on a text message, it sounds as if it would be reasonable to clean up in a way that makes as little extra Airborne dust as possible.

That means gentle sweeping and then damp wiping of Dusty surfaces. It is not likely that it would be appropriate to try to call Hazmat experts to clean up some residential fiberglass left on a floor.

 

We solved the problem by removing all of the fiberglass from in our walls and from our attic.

Our house is over 150 years old. The attic had blown in loose fiberglass insulation under the attic floor even though there were finished heated rooms in the attic, the attic roof/ceiling is uninsulated. I never saw the point of putting insulation in an interior space.

On windy days we had little bits of fiberglass coming out of the electrical outlets and light switches. My wife figured this out by taping over some outlet and then seeing tiny glass fibers stuck to the tape after a few days.

We solved this problem by removing all of the fiberglass from in our walls and from our attic. The amount of dust in our house has gone way down and we all feel much better. It was a large and expensive job to remove the siding from the outside of the house just to be able to remove the 40 year old fiberglass. Even the constant rash on our dogs went away.

The 150 year old walls of our house do not have any insulation, only the walls of the newer additions to our house were insulated, this includes the kitchen, two bathrooms and one bedroom. For these walls we removed the fiberglass insulation from the outside to avoid making a mess inside. We re-insulated with rigid styrofoam. The original walls of the house are still uninsulated.

It was the insulated parts of our house that were making us sick. Our youngest daughter who slept in the only bedroom that was insulated with fiberglass would often have coughing fits in the middle of the night, that stopped when we moved her to an uninsulated bedroom.

Now with all of the fiberglass gone we all feel much better and some ongoing health problems have gone away. On 2017-06-14 by Stephen

Comments by (mod) - probably not necessary

Thank you for the interesting observations Stephen.

Is unfortunate that you had to go to such Extreme Measures as removing building insulation - a procedure that in fact increases the risk of creating lots of dust that needs to be controlled and or cleaned up.

I don't think I would be satisfied with simply removing insulation. I assume that you re insulated your home, perhaps with blown in foam - generally very effective at reducing air leaks.

I would have wanted to find the source of such unusual air leaks and to fix that, as unusual windblown leaks into buildings risk other damage to the structure, such as windblown rain entering wall or roof cavities. It's also the case that the under roof or attic venting could be improperly installed.

 

Fiber complaints in South Australia

I can't make head nor tail of where fibre is coming into my room. I have covered an air vent and left it there for about 3 weeks with very little fibre on the paper at all. However on my low bedroom cupboards I can swipe my hand after 3-4 days and I collect what looks like thickish fluff, different from the usual household dust.

Are there carpets that continually shed their fibres. I find that when I am home after a couple of hours my voice starts to become croaky and hoarse. I would love someone to give me some advice as it worries me that my health is compromised.

I am out a lot and only experience this when I am home. The house was built in 1984 and unfortunately I don't know how old the carpets are but they are good condition. I have also had them steam cleaned twice over the past 12 months and I vacuum every week.

There always seems to be a large amount of fibre from the carpet when I vacuum. If anyone can give me some advice about where to take the fibre to have it tested, I would be most grateful.

I have tried to ring the South Australian Environmental Pollution phone number without success. Any advice to my email ajcresswell58@hotmail.com would be great. On 2017-06-09 by Andrea -

by (mod) - carpet dust advice

Andrea,

You can collect a dust sample or tape sample of settled dust (search InspectApedia for SETTLED DUST SAMPLE PROCEDURE) to send to any forensic lab - large or small - who can do a particle characterization to tell you the properties of the dominant fibre present. What lab you use might depend on your country.

Often simply knowing the fiber type and colour mix will lead to its probable source in the building.

For South Australia, Intertek has multiple locations - see http://www.intertek.com/contact/asiapacific/australia/#sa and give them a call to discuss what you want.

Much of their work is industrial, so you will want to be clear that you want a simple dust characterization to identify the dominant particles by type, colour, and other properties that might then point to sources in your building.

I'm guessing you're going to end up pointing to your carpeting, whose fibres are in fact not only vacuumed up but perhaps also stirred up by your vacuum cleaner.

 

On 2017-04-23 by Maddi

At my moms house there is a huge hole over the WHOLE SHOWER and all you see is fiberglass mold and cardboard material.....

when I take a hot shower I swear I start smelling the mold, I'm not sure how long it's been this way but it seems not new. There are children there who take bathes right under it. Also my mom and her husband have a continued cough but not the little ones.

I expressed my concerns but my mom said that the yellow type(which is what is being exposed) she says is not "the harmful type" so she brushes it off. But it looks ripped up and holes so I would assume particles are falling.?? Plz let me know something to shower her...

there landlord is also the maintenance man, he doesn't seem to have any rush on fixing it since I've been around, can he get In trouble .?

On 2017-04-23 5 by (mod) - fibreglass from hole in ceiling over shower

Maddi

A big hole in the ceiling over a shower is asking for trouble as surely a lot of moisture is being improperly vented into the roof space and into any insulation there, inviting mold growth in that space. If you smell mold there's probably some present.

Left alone that could increase to be a costly problem (moisture damage, mold contamination, ice and frost in winter, etc) as well as a potential health concern for building occupants. I wouldn't panic about the fiberglass itself.

 

 

 

On 2017-04-04 by Ken

Perhaps this is too subjective, but how much fiberglass dust exposure is dangerous? Referring more to quantity. I had a contamination issue and after moving homes and cleaning out my stuff, as well as throwing a number of things out, I've got a fairly clean environment.

But I'm now noticing more than ever how many things are made from fiberglass and contribute to dust in my home. From fake grass on miniature models, to seemingly fibers in certain packing tapes, to my aunt visiting who works building canoes.

I find that after the big exposure/contamination issue I had, I'm a lot more hypersensitive of dust, particularly fiberglass in my environment. So much that family has recommended I talk with "someone" about it. It's made me quite overly paranoid about things I was naive about before. Look forward to your thoughts.

Warning by (mod) - how much fiberglass dust exposure is dangerous?

From what I know, the way you pose the question "how much fiberglass dust exposure is dangerous" is perfectly reasonable but will not adequately get at the potential hazards. Large fiberglass particles are much less likely to be a respiratory hazard than very small particles.

So one would need to know more about the specific dust in a specific environment. In addition one wants to take care when reading or ordering fiberglass dust studies or tests.

From my own forensic lab experience I must emphasize that unless the lab technician is not looking for the very small fragments that would be of concern, their presence may not be detected and thus not reported.

A more practical approach is to study the activity in the area of interest. For example, grinding or sawing fiberglass materials is more-likely to produce small fiberglass fragments than simply installing fresh fiberglass insulation batts or handling fiberglass fabrics.

When one's overall objective is good health, it's important to keep all safety and health topics in perspective: someone who smokes, doesn't wear a seat belt when in a car, or who frequently dashes up and down poorly-constructed stairs without hand or guard railings is far more likely to suffer a near-term injury from one of those than from dust.

 

On 2017-03-27 by Charles Feathers

How to seal fibers of owens corning 705 acoustic room treatment panels from coming loose in the room. I'm encasing the 2'X4'X4" panels in 1X4 wood frames. The frames and insulation is then covered with speaker cloth

. I could spray the panels with 3M spray adhesive on all sides unless this will affect the acoustic absorption properties. Or I could mix dry powered wall paper adhesive and coat all surfaces.

I meant 2'X4'X2" panels in the comment below.

by (mod) - low fibre release from intact fiberglass panels

If the fiberglass is not being mechanically disturbed and you have already covered it I would expect that the panels you describe would not release detectable levels of fiberglass into the space.

That is to say more extreme measures should not be needed.

 

On 2017-03-19 by phyllis

there are pink fiberglass feather like tufts coming from my air ducts in my home. also plastic fragments. they are on the carpet and in the vents. Is this dangerous?

On 2017-03-19 by (mod) - damaged fiberglass lined duct or damaged air filter

This sounds, Phyllis, as if either fiberglass (or fiberglass-lined) duct material has been damaged OR an air filter has been damaged.

The dangers are two:

1. breathing in a lot of irritating dust, more so if fiberglass has been macerated

2. a filter getting drawn into the blower fan in the air handler, causing a fire.

 

On 2017-03-16 by Anne

Thanks for offering your expertise. My large, unfinished basement has exposed insulation batts on the ceiling, and there's a walkout to the backyard door so we pass through the basement a lot, and there is a moderate amount of air movement down there from opening/shutting the doors, playing drums, etc.

Should we stop using this space for general living purposes unless the insulation is covered? If so, is there an inexpensive method that meets fire/building codes that we could use to enclose the ceiling insulation and regain the use of that space?

by (mod) - stop using fibreglass insulated space?

Anne,

I am doubtful that there is any significant extra release of fiberglass fragments into the air caused just by people walking below a ceiling where it's exposed.

But if you want to avoid disturbing the material at all, and for peace of mind, it's pretty easy and inexpensive to put up a particle barrier.

Rather than stopping use of a space, it would be quick and easy to just staple up some housewrap on the underside of the ceiling joists.

Housewrap is not a moisture barrier, it's a water barrier, that is, it breathes, but it'd not permit passage of measurable levels of fiberglass from a ceiling.

See HOUSEWRAP PRODUCT CHOICES at https://inspectapedia.com/BestPractices/Housewrap_Choices.php found by searching Inspectapedia.com for "housewrap"

Daniel

 

On 2017-02-15 by Katie - hvac (heater) has been making us sick

I live in an apartment, the hvac (heater) has been making us sick for more than a month, After dusting my house daily then turning on heat I realized it was coming from the vents,

today I checked inside the furnace closet which is outside on the balcony and there is pink batting insulation stuffed into the dust holes that go up into the ceiling, it doesn't look like it is sealed or contained and the ductwork is also not sealed in some areas,

is this even up to code to have that kiND of insulation right next to the furnace, there were particles flying all around when I opened the door and now I think this is what might be making us sick from it getting sucked into the duct work?

I meant around the duct work in the large hole that goes into the ceiling, not dust holes lol

by (mod) -

Katie:
Insulation around the outside of ductwork would not be likely to be a source of indoor insulation particles in your air unless the loose insulation is close to a return air inlet or a hole in the return ducting;

but damaged insulation inside of an air handler or ductwork would more-likely be a source of indoor fiberglass insulation fragments in air and dust. It sounds as if a more-expert inspection of the air handler and ductwork are in order.

 

On 2016-11-22 by Jerry_dus@yahoo.com

I have a question which I think I already know the obvious answer to but want someone to confirm. I had a professional plumber/heating company install a couple additional cold air returns to my furnace.

When the furnace ran it sounded like it was starving for air. The technician ran two returns to two different rooms in the basement which backed against the furnace itself. This made it relatively easy just bringing a duct off of the furnace's cold air and ran it through the wall to a bedroom. the other one he ran a duct off of the cold air return to an interior closet wall and used the studs and finished wall to create the air cavity.

the problem is that the walls are insulated with insulation (I suspect fiberglass. He removed the insulation from the duct coming through the wall (couple of feet from the ceiling) to the wall vent (placed almost at floor level); however,

when I put my head in the floor vent and look up I can see insulation remaining above the duct hole in the wall (as well there is insulation in the remainder of the wall). Is this acceptable or common?

Does this pose a major health concern? When I brought it to his attention via email including pictures he will not acknowledge, reply or communicate with me at all. If you could reply to this and even send me an email (jerry_dus@yahoo.com) with thoughts, it would be appreciated

On 2016-11-22 by (mod) - fiberglass after duct installation

Jerry

Sorry but I don't have a clear picture of the situation. If you mean that the workmanship of your duct installer was not the neatest and he left an opening where you can see insulation in a wall or ceiling cavity, that's a cosmetic repair that makes sense.

If you mean that loose or damaged fiberglass building insulation is being drawn into the HVAC system ductwork and thus blown around onto occupants and in the occupied space, that ought to be corrected.

On 2016-11-22 2 by jerry_dus@yahoo.com

Sorry, I meant the latter.

Cosmetically the work is fine. To clarify, there is still insulation in-between the studs (between the ceiling and duct hole). There is no actual duct running down the wall between the studs. He simply used the studs as a pathway for the cold air to travel from the floor vent to the hole cut through the wall which connects a short duct from the hole to the furnace.

The insulation is above that hole in-between it and the ceiling.

There is nothing preventing the insulation fibers from being sucked into the duct hole thus being circulated throughout the house. Just am not sure if this is acceptable or common practise?

On 2016-11-23 by (mod) - using building ceilings or walls for hvac air return path

Use of building wall ceiling or floor cavities has a return air path is a common and very old practice. However you certainly don't want loose or conventional fiberglass insulation in that Passage. Having insulation in their passage will make it impossible to clean, and risks blowing fiberglass into the occupied space

 

On 2016-10-27 Marianne

Hi there. I have an interesting situation.

I am a speech pathologist providing in home speech therapy to a medically homebound student. While I was in their home their solar water heating system malfunctioned causing a flood which caused their ceiling to collapse on me.

The ceiling had both fiberglass and encapsulated asbestos insulation which fell on me along with the drywall. I was covered in the stuff...

my clothes, hair skin, therapy bag etc. I of course went home in my vehicle. Now, I am experiencing coughing, shortness of breath and irritation every time I ride in my vehicle. What needs to be done to get rid of re-exposure danger in my car

I am planning on taking a long trip this weekend and wonder what I can have done to make my vehicle safe again. I am concerned not only about the upholstery and hard surfaces but the danger of re-exposure from the air system. Thank you for any help/advise you can give.

On 2016-10-27 by (mod) - cleaning off fiberglass from body & clothes

Marianne:

Assuming you've by now bathed and thoroughly laundered your clothing, what remains is to have your car interior thoroughly cleaned using HEPA-vacuuming. HEPA vacuuming will avoid simply sending small asbestos or fiberglass particles airborne to settle back into the car interior.

Perhaps running the car's air system while HEPA Vacuuming at vents and changing the air filter in the air system (if there is one) will get the dust level down to a trivial level.

 

On 2016-10-24 by Laurie

We had a 6611 raw count reading of Fiberglass Fibers and a 6600 reading in count/cm2. This is on the floors of our office in the building. Should this be of concern to us

On 2016-10-24 by (mod) - questionable significance of low "raw count" mold or other airborne particle numbers

It depends. A "raw count" or for that matter any "count" of mold is fundamentally unreliable as a building mold scan without a thorough visual inspection, case history taking, and other evaluations, particularly if the count seems "low".

Search InspectApedia.com for AIRBORNE MOLD COUNT NUMBER GUIDE to read details.

If the person you paid and who presented themselves as a "mold test expert" cannot even tell you what the count means for your specific building and situation, I would request a complete refund of whatever fee was paid as such work is unconscionable.

 

On 2016-06-20 by Larry (no email) -

COMMENT:When attic insulation/fiberglass falls on carpet from a hole in ceiling, would it be best to have carpet cleaned or have carpet removed?

On 2016-06-20 by (mod) - attic insulation/fiberglass falls on carpet from a hole in ceiling,

Following a simple fall of some insulation from above there is no justification for disposing of carpeting (onto which some fiberglass insulation has fallen).

Simply vacuum it up; use a HEPA-rated vacuum cleaner to minimize sending small particles airborne.

 

On 2016-06-17 by Linda Truskett

I have a new build going on (large 2 story house) and unfortunately I did not know that the insulation used everywhere in the walls and ceilings is Earthwool (fibreglass). It is too late to do anything about its installation now,

however I am extremely worried about the airborne fibres that are absolutely EVERYWHERE through the the house. Gyprock is nearing completion.

Can you guide me to the best solution for contamination cleanup? Whether I should hire HEPA vacs and do it myself or call in the professionals? And if so who are they exactly? Thanks for any advice. Signed: severely
worried new home owner. Linda

On 2016-06-17 by (mod) - Fibreglass is a perfectly good insulation material

Fibreglass is a perfectly good insulation material and one of the most widely used in many countries. Installation dust during construction is normally not a problem in the finished structure but certainly if you're dust sensitive you can damp wipe and HEPA vac all surfaces, particularly floors and tops of horizontal trim before bringing in your furnishings.

 

On 2016-05-11 by Anonymous

where I work is a flat roof (steel- I believe) fiberglass insulation with a slight slant, New Building, about 5 months ago the roof started to leak,

if we pushed up on plastic the rainwater would come out in buckets (like a water fall) the man that installed it says there is no mold, but the thing is

employees are coughing, hacking, itching where there is exposed skin, runny nose, eyes watering, sore throats, smells bad inside, also we sell food items (sealed) clothing items,

just wondering if this is a health issue or not, corporation is going along with man who installed the roof, but they never came in to check it out yet, township did fine corporation for leaking roof, the roofing man did come in and fix the leaks ?

and removed a couple of small sections of soaked insulations but that's it so far, what are your thoughts or suggestions, as employees we are not sure what to do at this point. Thank You--Michelle

On 2016-05-11 by (mod) - mold or fiberglass hazards from steel roof at work - unsafe food?

Anon:

It is possible for mold to contaminate fiberglass insulation without any obvious visual clue - search InspectApedia.com for MOLD in FIBERGLASS INSULATION to read details. "The man" who said "there is no mold" because he couldn't see any is not perhaps fully informed. Good practice is to remove and replace building insulation that has been wet.

Keep in mind that the complaints you cite could be from other causes such as fiberglass fragments, other dust fragments, or other indoor air quality issues.

Selling food clothing from that environment sounds a bit risky to me as do risks to the workers that you describe. You may need an independent or OSHA-recommended consultant on site to reduce risks for workers, management, and customers all three.

...

...

Continue reading at FIBERGLASS HAZARDS - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see FIBERGLASS HAZARD FAQs-2 - other fibreglass dust & fragment hazard Q&A

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• DIRECTORY of MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS
• DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE
• FIBERGLASS HAZARDS - home
  • AIR FILTERS, FIBERGLASS PARTICLES
  • DUST ANALYSIS for FIBERGLASS
  • FIBERGLASS ASBESTOS COMBINATIONS
  • FIBERGLASS DETECTION in BUILDING AIR & DUST
  • FIBERGLASS ENVIRO-SCARE
  • FIBERGLASS FRAGMENT HAZARDS in AIR or DUST
  • FIBERGLASS HAZARD RESEARCH
  • FIBERGLASS INSULATION EXPOSURE LIMITS
  • FIBERGLASS PARTICLE CONTAMINATION TEST
  • FIBERGLASS REINFORCED PLASTICS
  • FIBERGLASS SHEDDING from MATTRESSES
  • FORMALDEHYDE in FIBERGLASS INSULATION
• FIBERGLASS HVAC DUCTS
• FIBERGLASS INSULATION EXPOSURE LIMITS
• FIBERGLASS INSULATION IDENTIFICATION & PROPERTIES
• FIBERGLASS SHEDDING from MATTRESSES
• MORGELLONS SYNDROME

 

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FIBERGLASS HAZARD FAQs at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to FIBERGLASS HAZARDS

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