{"id":425,"date":"2016-08-23T18:45:36","date_gmt":"2016-08-23T18:45:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/naima.website.member365.com\/?page_id=425"},"modified":"2017-07-27T14:32:53","modified_gmt":"2017-07-27T14:32:53","slug":"residential-health-safety","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.naimacanada.ca\/residential-health-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Residential Health & Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Section” fullwidth=”on” specialty=”off”][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label=”Fullwidth Header” saved_tabs=”all” title=”Health and Safety for Residential Builders” background_color=”#003366″ text_orientation=”left” header_fullscreen=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” header_scroll_down=”off” image_orientation=”center” background_layout=”dark” content_orientation=”center” custom_button_one=”off” button_one_letter_spacing=”0″ button_one_use_icon=”default” button_one_icon_placement=”right” button_one_on_hover=”on” button_one_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ custom_button_two=”off” button_two_letter_spacing=”0″ button_two_use_icon=”default” button_two_icon_placement=”right” button_two_on_hover=”on” button_two_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ \/][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n

Considering Safety<\/h4>\n

When considering a home, health and safety of building materials are a home buyer priority\u2014and insulation is no different. In terms of health and safety properties, not all types of insulation are equal. Below are some key factors to consider when evaluating insulation safety and health implications.<\/p>\n

Note that these factors are for informational purposes only. Please contact the insulation manufacturer for definitive information.<\/p>\n

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FIRE SAFETY<\/h3>\n

Fire resistance is, naturally, a primary consideration for insulation in a home. As such, one factor evaluating insulation safety is its resistance to fire.<\/p>\n

Mineral Fiber (Fiberglass, Rock Wool, and Slag Wool) Insulation<\/h4>\n

Materials are noncombustible, and remain so for the life of the product. They require no additional fire-retardant chemical treatments, and in fact, some unfaced mineral fiber products\u00a0are accepted as fire stopping and a fire block material.<\/p>\n

Cellulose Insulation<\/h4>\n

Products are largely made of newspaper, which is highly combustible. Needs to be heavily treated with fire-retardant chemicals prior to installation.<\/p>\n

Spray Foam Insulation<\/h4>\n

Spray foam and combustible foamed plastic insulations must be protected by adequate thermal barriers and can not be left exposed to the living environment.<\/p>\n

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INDOOR AIR QUALITY<\/h3>\n

Optimal indoor air quality (IAQ) is key to achieving safe, healthy, relaxing living environments. In most cases, comfort is the biggest consideration when evaluating air quality, but with growing prevalence of asthma and allergies, good IAQ is seen as increasingly critical to health and general well-being.<\/p>\n

Ensuring good air quality is no simple task. IAQ can be impacted by many factors in a building, meaning there\u2019s no simple fix if your air quality isn\u2019t what it should be. However, the issue can be broken down into 3 essential approaches:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Controlling indoor pollutants, including those caused by moisture<\/li>\n
  2. Being mindful of products brought into the home<\/li>\n
  3. Controlling outdoor pollutants<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    For more details on improving indoor air quality, download Building Science 101<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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    HEALTH IMPACTS<\/h3>\n

    Not all insulation materials have undergone the same level of testing and scrutiny when it comes to health and safety.<\/p>\n

    Mineral Fiber Insulation<\/h4>\n

    The International Agency of Research on Cancer (IARC) has stated that fiberglass and mineral wool thermal and acoustic insulations are not considered classifiable as to carcinogenicity.<\/p>\n

    Cellulose Insulation<\/h4>\n

    Questions about the health and safety aspects of cellulose insulation persist in the building industry, because very little medical or scientific testing of the products has been conducted. There\u2019s still a need for full toxicological testing<\/a> of dust from cellulose building insulation and dust from pure cellulose fibers. Safety conclusions can\u2019t really be drawn until extensive testing is completed.<\/p>\n

    Spray Foam<\/h4>\n

    The safety of spray foam insulation is still being evaluated. If you\u2019re worried about the impact of chemicals on your home and family, you\u2019ll want to learn more about the chemical components of spray foam. According to the California Department of Toxic Substance Control, one of the main ingredients in spray foam, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, could post a number of health risks, including lung damage and asthma.<\/p>\n

    Different spray foam manufacturers publish different guidelines for length of evacuation times during installation and curing. Note that there are no established evacuation timelines from any government agency.<\/p>\n

    [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n

    MOULD<\/h3>\n

    Mould can grow in any environment where there\u2019s moisture and food for mould spores, so many organic materials can be food for mould. Even though some products claim to be mould-resistant, it can grow on ANY surface under moist conditions if organic material exists to support the spores. Some considerations when insulating to avoid mould are:<\/p>\n