GBlist: Foamular

John Bower (healthy@bloomington.in.us)
Thu, 13 Feb 1997 09:20:36 +0000

I've given a sample of various kinds of rigid foam insulation to a
number of chemically sensitive people and, more often than not, they
seem to tolerate them. I have no doubt that they all outgas something,
but they must do so very, very slowly. Insulation must always be covered
up, and while it isn't always behind an airtight barrier, it is never
(or shouldn't be) directly exposed to the living space, so I don't see
it as being a big problem as far as IAQ is concerned. It certainly
outgasses less for sensitive people than the resin on pink or yellow
fiberglass batts. I know that isn't a very scientific evaluation, but I
feel sensitive people can be a very good barometer for evaluating
materials.

John Bower
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