Fiberglass insulation products & brands: identification questions & answers.

This article series illustrates and describes common fiberglass insulation materials used in buildings and in building HVAC systems.

FAQs on How to Identify Fiberglass Insulation

These questions & answers about how to identify the brand or manufacturer of fiberglass building insulation were posted originally at FIBERGLASS INSULATION IDENTIFICATION & PROPERTIES - be sure to see that photographic guide.

On 2023-12-05 by InspectApedia Publisher

@Lloyd,

Depending on your wall or ceiling design you can use a vapor barrier material like polyethylene or if the area needs to breathe you can staple up some housewrap.

I like to do that, for example, if I have a basement workshop that has fiberglass insulation in the ceiling with no finished sealing installed.

On 2023-12-05 by Lloyd

@InspectApedia Publisher,
OK thanks. I'll read that. I just want to pull a panel back and look where the wood is, so I can maybe sure it up. The walls move when it gets windy.

On 2023-12-05 by InspectApedia Publisher - good practice to avoid exposure to any large volumes of fine dust particles

@Lloyd,

You can read details in this article series as we have researched the question of fiberglass hazards quite extensively.

Some of the early research suggested that there might be serious health effects from breathing small particles but that large particles are principally a skin irritant. Later research mostly asserts that there was no meaningful respiratory health hazard detected.

Of course you want to read these research articles with a little caution to make sure you notice who's doing their research and what is their independence from the industry.

In general it's a good practice to avoid exposure to any large volumes of fine dust particles.

But the edge of a bit of fiberglass showing in a caravan wall or fiberglass lying undisturbed in an attic or other building area or cavity is not likely to produce a detectable, measurable, nor meaningful health hazard.

Thank you for the discussion.

On 2023-12-05 by Lloyd

Is it really harmless if not disturbing it much?.. I thought it sent up little shards of glass that you can breath in?.. I've had a phobia of Fiberglass since seeing that kid on Grange Hill shove a load of it down another kids back lol..

On 2023-12-05 by InspectApedia Publisher - fiberglass insulation in English caravan

@Lloyd,

That's fiberglass insulation.

It's harmless unless you're chopping or grinding it up to make a dusty mess.

On 2023-12-05 by Lloyd

Hi,
I'm in England, live in a old static caravan. Can you identify what insulation this is please?.. I don't want to go poking about with it if it's fiberglass or asbestos. It's making me itch just looking at it.

On 2023-06-22 by InspectApedia DF (mod)

@Anonymous,

Continuing…

Also, mineral wool insulation may be white, gray, black or even pink

If we find examples of pink insulation containing asbestos, we will add it here.

Generally asbestos is gray or white in color but keep in mind that asbestos was mixed with thousands of other substances and used in thousands of products, some of which might have been rose or pink in color. So while the asbestos itself isn't "pink", it might be mixed with something that gives that color.

Thanks for a helpful question that is a great example of why a yes-or-no answer to some questions is simply not reliable.

On 2023-06-22 by Anonymous

@InspectApedia DF, thanks! And you've never come across a pink asbestos?

On 2023-06-22 by InspectApedia DF (mod)

@Anonymous,

Yes. There is pink styrofoam insulation. See more at

INSULATION IDENTIFICATION PHOTOS
https://inspectapedia.com/insulation/Insulation-Identification-Guide.php

On 2023-06-22 by Anonymous

Have you ever come across pink insulation that's not fiberglass in the US?

On 2023-02-17 by InspectApedia Editor - black marks in insulation could also be staining from air bypass leaks

@Don,

Some insulation uses a craft paper facing that is adhered to the fiberglass using a bituminous or tar compound that of course would be black.

But from one photo alone we can't say just what the black is. The straight edge of black seen in this photo however does seem to indicate more of a possibility of it being related to the manufacture and construction of the insulation rather than mold growth.

If there is a history of water leaks and damage, it's very possible that insulation could show evidence of mold which isn't always black. But again, that can't be determined from this photo.

Continuing, black marks in insulation could also be staining from air bypass leaks moving through the material.

The stain pattern, which we can't make out here, is often a key diagnostic.

On 2023-02-17 by Don

Does this also appear to be fiberglass? Is the blackness mold? Thank you so much for your help!

On 2023-02-17 by InspectApedia Editor - fiberglass is not an asbestos product

@Don,

Yes, it does appear to be fiberglass and fiberglass is not an asbestos product.

On 2023-02-17 by Don

Is this likely fiberglass? Whatever it might be, it appears to be a batt. Is that correct? From its appearance and form, is there any chance that it contains asbestos?

On 2021-01-16 by danjoefriedman (mod)

Fiberglass is not an asbestos product

On 2021-01-16 by Edward

Does this contain asbestos?

 

On 2018-12-14 by (mod) - Does this fiberglass insulation contain Asbestos? - No.

Robert: We look forward to hearing the results but frankly I would not normally have bothered to test fiberglass insulation for asbestos.

On 2018-12-14 by Robert - Does this building insulation contain Asbestos? - No.

Thanks for the details! Test kit just showed up, will report back on the results

On 2018-08-19 by (mod) - Does this stuff in this image contain Asbestos? - No.

James:

No.

Fiberglass insulation is not an asbestos product nor would you normally expect it to contain asbestos from some extraneous source.

On 2018-08-19 by James

Upon remodeling this 1930 home we pulled the ceiling tile and found this Owen Corning fiberglass building insulation.

Does this contain Asbestos?

Remodeling a home built in 1930. There was an addition added sometime after, very hard to tell when.

When pulling the ceiling tile you can see the Owen Corning Building Fiberglass Insulation.

I am confused because when you search the web about Owen Corning and fiberglass it almost seems like everything has Asbestos.

Does this stuff in this image contain Asbestos?

On 2018-04-19 by dougwilsonjrcc

I found yellow batt insulation by Owen corning, and have only seen stuff about their pink kind. Does this have asbestos in it?

On 2018-01-21 by (mod) - looks like On 2018-01-21 by mark - Identify old building insulation, probably Mineral Wool or Rock Wool or Slag Wool

Mark from your photos (below) I see what looks like a mineral fiber insulation, probably rock wool.

On 2018-01-21 by mark - Identify old building insulation, probably Mineral Wool or Rock Wool or Slag Wool

hi can anyone tell me what kind of insulation this is, it's grey colour threw out and its paper backed. do you know who made this in grey? would it ever contain asbestos. I dint think it should but just want to check

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On 2018-01-04 by Karen

Trying to identify white bat insulation (looks like fiberglass) which is enlosed by pink plastic

On 2017-06-02 by (mod) -

Kathi,

Try the page top or bottom CONTACT link to send me photos of the insulation - I want to see its color - and then of the printing and logo you described and I'll research and reply to you asap.

D

On 2017-06-02 by Kathi

I'm trying to find out who is maker of fiberglass insulation. All the batting says is 'fiberglass insulation ' and has a black M shaped flame with smaller flame over it. The fiberglass color is yellow. We are needing to replace small area and would like to match since it will be seen.
Thank you,
Kathi

On 2017-03-17 by (mod) - AC duct insulation wrapped in black paper

Dave I'd like to see photos - use the page top or bottom CONTACT link.

Daniel

On 2017-03-17 by Dave

I found ac duct work in the attic of a house built in 1959. The insulating material was tightly wrapped in a black paper and under it look like spun glass.

It did not look like fiberglass of today. Could this be an older version of fiberglass insulation or possibly asbestos.

I'm trying to determine. Noe of the people I showed pictures to could identify it. Help.

On 2016-01-16 14:55:13.752096 by (mod) -

I'm not sure, Nick. Use the page bottom CONTACT link to send some pictures and we will be able to comment further.

It sounds like a cellulose or paper based insulating board or greyboard.

On 2016-01-16 by Nick - identify old board insulation used in Canada

After some digging, the facility was constructed in 1977

I should also note that the board is breakable by hand. Simply applying pressure using both hands will cause it to break and crumble a little

On 2016-01-15 by Nick

I'm worried about 2 products, not sure if they could be asbestos.

The place was built in the 70s in Canada and there is a loose-ish completely white insulation inside of a blue jacket that is covering a deaerator and the second product I'm worried about appears to be an insulation board of some sort that is also inside of the blue jacketing.

The board is grey inside with a slightly darker outside, it appears to be fiberous on the inside. I'm fairly certain the white insulation is likely Fiberglass, but I have no idea about the board. I've been cutting it out and it just recently came up in my mind.

Do they have Fiberglass boards that meet this description? Thoughts? Thanks

Question:

(Jan 23, 2015) ron said:
I want to use fiberglass batts in the beam space between my basement and first floor with the paper backing on the upper floor side. Is this advisable?

Reply:

Sounds reasonable and pretty common Ron. Keep the vapor barrier on the warm side. If you need to staple up something to not breathe fiberglass dust (that is if you're not going to drywall the ceiling) try housewrap.

Question: can fiberglass insulation go bad

(Mar 15, 2015) A.J. Rayner said:
can fiberglass insulation go bad

Reply:

AJ

Fiberglass is basically glass - spun into fibers, bound with a resin and sometimes backed on one side with foil or paper. It's rather inert.

What "goes bad" is more what happens if the insulation is

- damaged by foot traffic - say in an attic

- contaminated by rodents

- wet by leaks and then contaminated by mold

See FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD

IN those cases I'd replace it.

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Continue reading at FIBERGLASS INSULATION IDENTIFICATION & PROPERTIES or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• AIR & HEAT LEAKS
• FIBERGLASS DUCT, RIGID CONSTRUCTION
• FIBERGLASS ENVIRO-SCARE
• FIBERGLASS HAZARDS
• FIBERGLASS HVAC DUCTS
• FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD
• FIBERGLASS PARTICLE CONTAMINATION TEST
• FORMALDEHYDE GAS SOURCES in BUILDINGS
• FORMALDEHYDE GAS SOURCES & HAZARDS RESEARCH
• MINERAL WOOL - ROCK WOOL INSULATION

Suggested citation for this web page

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

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING INSULATION

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