Is Installing Insulation Dangerous?

You’re thinking about installing some insulation in your home, but you want to be safe while you install it. Do you need to invest in some protective gear? Are there risks to installing insulation? Is there an insulation product that is safer than the others to install? These are all important questions to ask before purchasing and installing insulation.

South Central Services has insulated hundreds of homes. We install spray foam, blown-in cellulose, and batt insulation. As professional contractors, safety is one of our main priorities. We know about the potential hazards of installing insulation and what steps to take to prevent any issues.

By the end of this article, you will know:

• What spray foam, cellulose, and fiberglass are made out of
• What happens if you install these insulations without protective equipment
• Which types of protective equipment you would need to install these insulations

Don't have time to read right now? Check out everything you need to know at a glance.

The Hazards Of Installing Fiberglass Insulation

Fiberglass insulation comes in various forms and is most commonly cotton candy pink. Whether you purchase batts, blankets, or bags of loose-fill insulation, fiberglass is always made of fine glass fibers. You can buy fiberglass at any home improvement store.

Fiberglass is a popular insulation material due to its low cost. But can fiberglass be hazardous to install?

If you’ve ever broken glass, you know how dangerous glass shards can be. Pulling a glass splinter out of your skin is unpleasant at best. The delicate glass fibers of this insulation are significantly smaller than the shards of a broken glass. If you touch fiberglass insulation with bare skin, you will likely experience a contact dermatitis reaction.

You may see promotional materials for fiberglass insulation where the models do not wear gloves. You may also hear from people who have installed fiberglass before that gloves are unnecessary. If there is any chance you could suffer contact dermatitis from the glass fibers, you will want to wear gloves.

There are other places you would never want shards of glass, such as your eyes and lungs. When installing fiberglass, you should wear eye protection and a mask.

Covering any exposed skin and protecting your eyes and lungs will protect you from any dangers of fiberglass insulation. It is better to be safe than itchy or in the emergency room.

The Hazards Of Installing Cellulose Insulation

Cellulose insulation is made of recycled paper material like newspapers. Cellulose is often installed as a blown-in insulation but can also be densely packed into wall and ceiling cavities.

Cellulose is more commonly installed by professional contractors with access to expensive equipment. However, homeowners can rent blower machines at home improvement stores and purchase bags of loose-fill cellulose. Are there any hazards related to cellulose insulation?

Recycled paper does not have the same dangers as recycled glass. Cellulose looks soft and fluffy like fiberglass, but touching cellulose will not cause contact dermatitis. If you touch cellulose without gloves, your hand will only be dusty. If you do not like the sensation of dirt or dust on your skin, you will want to wear gloves and cover exposed skin.

The dust of cellulose can still be hazardous for your eyes and lungs. If you are near cellulose being installed and do not wear a mask, you will inhale dust and irritate your lungs. Breathing cellulose dust would only become a genuine concern if you installed cellulose insulation for a living.

However, even one full day of running a rented machine in your attic could lead to coughing and discomfort. Wear eye protection and a mask at a minimum when installing cellulose.

The Hazards Of Installing Spray Foam Insulation

Spray foam insulation is not available in home improvement stores like fiberglass and cellulose. You may purchase the ingredients to create spray foam in a DIY kit, but you cannot buy pre-made spray foam. Spray foam insulation should be installed by professional contractors due to the hazards related to its manufacturing process.

If you purchase a DIY kit to install spray foam insulation yourself, you must buy personal protective equipment (PPE) separately. Contact the manufacturer to clarify what PPE you will also need to purchase.

DIY spray foam kits do not include the necessary PPE. To protect yourself from the dangers of the manufacturing process, you must invest in the PPE recommended by the kit manufacturer.

Professional contractors follow numerous steps to ensure their installers are safe during spray foam manufacturing. Spray foam insulation is created by combining two liquid chemicals. The technical steps to make effective spray foam insulation are more complex. However, when these chemicals combine, they off-gas toxic fumes. It is an expected byproduct of the chemical reaction but is still unsafe to inhale.

Our installers wear gloves, disposable coveralls, and respirators. The disposable coveralls help to protect their clothes, which would otherwise be coated in layers of overspray. The respirator provides a steady supply of clean air to breathe while also covering their eyes, nose, and mouth.

The Bottom Line About Safely Installing Insulation Products

Every insulation product is different and requires different personal protective equipment. You must select your safety equipment based on the insulation product you install. While the dangers of insulation are most hazardous for people who work with these materials every day, you should still keep yourself safe if you decide to do a DIY insulation project.

You do not have to install insulation yourself, even if it is DIY-friendly. There is no shame in hiring a professional. If you’re considering insulation because of high energy bills or an uncomfortable house, reach out to a professional contractor. As long as you are spending money on making your home more energy efficient, you may as well invest in the best insulation available.

Now that you know if you want to try installing insulation yourself, your next step is to:

• Compare spray foam and fiberglass insulation
• Discover the difference between fiberglass batts and blown-in fiberglass
• Compare professional spray foam to what you can spray yourself