#80I N S U L AT I O N

F AC TS

www.naima.org

Fiber glass, rock wool and

slag wool insulation

products qualify for use in

the Weatherization Assistance

Program. While there areseveral types of insulationstypically used for theweatherization market none hasthe many advantages of loose-fillfiber glass or rock wool and slagwool insulation.Fiber glass, rockwool and slag wool loose-fillinsulation have proven to be asmart choice for the homeowner and insulation contractor.

THE ADVANTAGES

Recycled ContentFiber glass, rock wool and slagwool insulation can meet thefederal government’s recycledcontent requirements.1

Today’s fiber glass insulation

products contain upwards of40% recycled glass and aremade from sand, a highlyrenewable resource. Slagwool insulation containsapproximately 70-75%recycled blast furnace slag.Manufacturers of cellulose,a common insulatingmaterial,may claim theirproduct is 100% recycled, butat least 20% (by weight) of thefinal product is fire-retardantchemicals.

R-valueBlown-in fiber glass, rock wooland slag wool insulationproducts can achieve up to anR-15 in a 2x4 cavity and anR-23 in a 2x6 cavity – morethan any other traditionalloose-fill insulation on themarket today.

Fiber Glass and Rock Wool andSlag Wool Loose-Fill InsulationFor Weatherization Assistance Programs

Loose-fill fiber glass, rock wool and slag wool insulation can be blown withmost types of pneumatic machines and provide the R-value needed to meetthe building codes. Once installed they work for the life of the building withnegligible settling and no maintenance.

CoverageLoose-fill fiber glass, rock wooland slag wool insulationproducts can be blown withmost types of pneumaticmachines and provide theequivalent R-value with lessmaterial than cellulose.

Air InfiltrationResearch has shown that airinfiltration is dependent on theoverall sealing package, andnot the insulation typeinstalled in the wall cavity.2,3,4

Recent testing indicates thatloose fill fiber glass insulationperforms as well, if not better,than other loose fill insulationsunder identical conditions.5

Light WeightSome loose fill insulations areheavier than others and theirinstalled weight may not besafe for the application. Loose-fill fiber glass can be installedto an R-70 over ½ inch ceilingdrywall with 24 inch on-centerframing.6 Based on U.S.Gypsum weight limitrecommendations for backloaded standard drywall andthe installed density ofshredded newspaperinsulations,cellulose insulationmay cause ceiling drywall tosag at high R-values wheninstalled over ½ inch ceilingdrywall with framing spaced24 inches on centers.7

SettlingFiber glass, rock wool and slagwool insulation productsexhibit virtually no signs ofsettling or R-value loss overtime.8 On the other hand,another traditionally usedloose-fill insulation,cellulose,settles up to 20%9 and requires

compensation for settlingduring installation.10

Sound ControlFiber glass, rock wool and slagwool insulation reduce soundtransmission in wall, ceiling,and floor assemblies byapproximately 4 to 6 STCpoints.11 Insulation thicknesshas a more significant effect onSTC ratings than does density.According to the Institute forResearch on Construction,wallsystems containing sprayed-onand blown-in cellulose fiberdemonstrated greater variationin performance than thosewith other types of insulation.These variations wereattributed to differences ininstallation (which is difficultto control) rather than todifferences in the acousticalproperties of the materials.12

Moisture AbsorptionUnder normal conditions, allinsulation is exposed tohumidity in the air. Fiber glass,rock wool and slag woolinsulation products will notwick up and hold water, thusthey resist permanent loss ofR-value.This also lessens thechances of mold growth,mildew or rotting issues.

CorrosivenessFiber glass, rock wool and slagwool insulation productscontain no chemicals that cancorrode pipes and wires andstructural metal components.13

When chemical fire retardantsare used, such as those foundin cellulose insulation,corrosion can occur. 14

Fire PerformanceFiber glass, rock wool and slagwool insulation products arenaturally noncombustible sincethey are made primarily fromsand, recycled glass, rock wooland blast furnace slag.15

Cellulose insulation is made ofpulverized newspaper that ishighly combustible.

Cellulose insulation isregulated as a fire hazard bythe Consumer Product SafetyCommission (CPSC).16

Product Testing forHealth SafetyFiber glass, rock wool and slagwool insulation products arethe most thoroughly testedbuilding materials in use today.The great amount of medicalscientific evidence compiledover more than 70 years byindustry,government, andindependent researchorganizations supports theconclusion that theseinsulation products are safe touse when manufacturers’recommended work practicesare followed.

Other loose-fill insulationstypically used for weatherizationprograms have limited healthand safety testing.

RecyclableFiber glass, rock wool andslag wool insulation can berecycled and reused.

For information on additional fiber glass, rock wool and slag wool insulation products forresidential & commercial building contact:

AislantesMinerales, S.A. de C.V.Descartes #104Neuva Anzures11590 D.F., México52-55-1036-0640www.rolan.com

Amerrock Products LP440 Jackrabbit RoadP.O. Box CNolanville, TX 76559800-762-9665www.amerrock.com

CertainTeed Corp.P.O. Box 860Valley Forge, PA 19482800-233-8990www.certainteed.com

FiberTEK Insulations, LLC925 South 4400 WestSalt Lake City, UT 84104801-973-9423www.fibertekinsulation.com

Fibrex Insulations Inc.561 Scott RoadSarnia, OntarioCanada N7T 7L4800-265-7514www.fibrexinsulations.com

Industrial InsulationGroup, LLC2100 Line StreetBrunswick, GA 31520912-264-6372www.iig-llc.com

Isolatek International41 Furnace StreetStanhope, NJ 07874973-347-1200www.isolatek.com

Johns ManvilleP.O. Box 5108Denver, CO 8021700-654-3103www.jm.com

Knauf InsulationOne Knauf DriveShelbyville, IN 46176800-825-4434www.knaufinsulation.us

Owens CorningOne Owens Corning ParkwayToledo, OH 43659800-GET-PINKwww.owenscorning.com

Rock Wool Manufacturing Co.203 7th Street, N.E.Leeds, AL 35094205-699-6121www.deltainsulation.com

Roxul Inc.551 Harrop DriveMilton, OntarioCanada L9T 3H3800-265-6878www.roxul.com

Thermafiber, Inc.3711 Mill StreetWabash, IN 46992888-834-2371www.thermafiber.com

USG Interiors, Inc.550 West Adams StreetChicago, IL 60661312-436-4000www.usg.com

Fiber glass, rock wool and slag woolare made from a combination ofnatural and recycled ingredientssuch as basaltic rock, blast furnaceslag, recycled glass cullet and sand.The natural ingredients, sand androck, are readily available. The useof blast furnace slag and glass culletare recycled materials that aretransformed into a product thatsaves energy and reduces pollution.

References:1 5.3 PROCUREMENT OF BUILDING

INSULATION PRODUCTS ANDMATERIALS CONTAININGRECOVERED MATERIALS: Section6002 of the Solid Waste DisposalAct, as amended by the ResourceConservation and Recovery Act of1976 (RCRA), states that if aprocuring agency using Federalfunds purchases certain designateditems, such items must becomposed of the highestpercentage of recovered materialspractical. On February 17, 1989,the EPA promulgated the Final Rulecontaining the guidelines for theprocurement of building insulationproducts. Policy guidance wasissued by the DOE on February 16,1990, providing further clarificationon this issue.

2 Field Demonstration of

Alternative Wall Insulation

Products, prepared for the U.S.Environmental Protection Agencyby NAHB Research Center, Inc.,November 1997.

3 G.K. Yuill, Ph.D, A Field Study of

the Effect of Insulation Types on

the Air Tightness of Houses,

Pennsylvania State UniversityDepartment of ArchitecturalEngineering, 1996.

4 William Conroy, Division MarketingSupervisor, Research andDevelopment Project, “MapleAcres,” Union Electric, St. Louis,MO, 1995.

5 NAHB Research Center, Inc,NAIMA, Air Infiltration of Wood

Frame Walls, May 2009.

6 NAIMA, Comparing Fiber Glass

and Cellulose Insulation, Pub. No.BI475, August 2009.

7 USG, Gypsum ConstructionHandbook, 2000 CentennialEdition, pp. 75, 353, 381; USG,Gypsum Construction Handbook,

1992 Edition, pp. 28, 102.

8 NAHB Research Center, Inc.,NAIMA Loose-Fill Settling Study,

Study of the Thickness Settling of

Dry-Applied Attic Open Blow

Mineral Fiber Loose-Fill

Insulations in Site-Built Test

Home Attics, Fourth Year Report,

August 2008.

9 Bengt Svennerstedt, “Field Data onSettling in Loose-Fill ThermalInsulation,” Insulation Materials,

Testing and Application (ASTM:Philadelphia, PA, 1990), pp. 231,236.

10 16 C.F.R. 460.12(b)(2).

11 http://www.stcratings.com/

12 A.C.C. Warnock and J.D. Girt,Control of Sound Transmission

through Gypsum Board Walls,

Institute for Research inConstruction/National ResearchCouncil of Canada, January 1997.

13 K. Sheppard, R. Weil, and A.Desjarlais, “Corrosiveness ofResidential Thermal InsulationMaterials Under Simulated ServiceConditions,” Insulation Materials,

Testing and Applications, D.L.McElroy and J.F. Kimpflen, eds.(Philadelphia, PA: ASTM, 1990),pp. 634-654.

14 Sarfraz A. Siddiaqui, A Handbook onCellulose Insulation (Malabar,Florida: Robert E. Krieger, 1989),p. 76: K. Sheppard, R. Weil, and A.Desjarlais, “Corrosiveness ofResidential Thermal InsulationMaterials Under Simulated ServiceConditions,” Insulation Materials,

Testing and Applications, D.L.McElroy and J.F. Kimpflen, eds.(Philadelphia, PA: ASTM, 1990),pp. 634-654.

15 Richard T. Bynum, Jr., InsulationHandbook (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001), p.131.

16 16 C.F.R. Part 1209 and Part 1404.

PUB. NO. NAIMA043 6/10Printed on Recycled Paper

About NAIMA

NAIMA is the association for NorthAmerican manufacturers of fiberglass, rock wool and slag woolinsulation products. Its role is topromote energy efficiency andenvironmental preservation throughthe use of fiber glass, rock wool andslag wool insulation, and toencourage the safe production anduse of these materials.

For more information, contact:

NAIMA44 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 310Alexandria, VA 22314Phone: 703-684-0084Fax: 703-684-0427www.naima.orgwww.SimplyInsulate.com