Insulation, Radiant and Vapor Barriers - Vermiculite Insulation
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Tony Littlejohn
01-19-08, 04:17 AM
I have moved into an old French house. One of the rooms has plywood paneling on the wall with a 5cm (2") air gap followed by the outer stone wall. I want to fill the gap without dismantling the wall.
Would a loose fill of VERMICULITE do the job ?
Is vermiculite considered both safe and green?
Would a loose fill of VERMICULITE do the job ?
Is vermiculite considered both safe and green?
XSleeper
01-19-08, 11:33 AM
>>Would a loose fill of VERMICULITE do the job ?
yes, if space is available to pour the vermiculite down the wall. Depending on whose figures you go by, vermiculite has an r-value of roughly R-2 per inch. 2 inches of vermiculite would theoretically add R-4 to your walls. Blown cellulose would give you a better R-value per inch, but you would likely need a skilled professional to place the blown cellulose in such a difficult to reach wall cavity.
>>Is vermiculite considered both safe and green?
Vermiculite is a natural mineral that is mined and expanded by heat. Like all natural minerals, trace elements of other minerals may be found along with the vermiculite. Some are benign, others may be harmful if they occur in large concentrations. Asbestos has been the primary concern with Vermiculite, but asbestos is not present in ALL vermiculite. Vermiculite can be very dusty- any sort of dust is not good to breath, which is just common sense, so a respirator w / hepa filter would be advisable to wear when working with this or any other product that creates airborne dust particles.
As far as being "green" is concerned, that depends on your definition of green. It's a natural mineral. As such, it is not biodegradable. It is mined by a large industry that no doubt damages the environment, and large amounts of energy are used to mine, process, and expand this mineral into it's usable form. But what product isn't? So I'm not sure where you're going with that question.
yes, if space is available to pour the vermiculite down the wall. Depending on whose figures you go by, vermiculite has an r-value of roughly R-2 per inch. 2 inches of vermiculite would theoretically add R-4 to your walls. Blown cellulose would give you a better R-value per inch, but you would likely need a skilled professional to place the blown cellulose in such a difficult to reach wall cavity.
>>Is vermiculite considered both safe and green?
Vermiculite is a natural mineral that is mined and expanded by heat. Like all natural minerals, trace elements of other minerals may be found along with the vermiculite. Some are benign, others may be harmful if they occur in large concentrations. Asbestos has been the primary concern with Vermiculite, but asbestos is not present in ALL vermiculite. Vermiculite can be very dusty- any sort of dust is not good to breath, which is just common sense, so a respirator w / hepa filter would be advisable to wear when working with this or any other product that creates airborne dust particles.
As far as being "green" is concerned, that depends on your definition of green. It's a natural mineral. As such, it is not biodegradable. It is mined by a large industry that no doubt damages the environment, and large amounts of energy are used to mine, process, and expand this mineral into it's usable form. But what product isn't? So I'm not sure where you're going with that question.
KField
01-21-08, 07:06 PM
The block fill insulation could also be used. It is styrofoam balls. They are tiny and pour like water so they would go where they need to go. They are as green as any other styrofoam and that's not very green.
Ken
Ken
Concretemasonry
01-21-08, 08:03 PM
Styrofoam beads do not pour as easily as you would think or as you see.
They always have a static electricity charge (especially form the plastic bags) that they stick to surfaces, bridging and do not really flow very well. Because of this, it is difficult to get the density necessary for real insulation.
They always have a static electricity charge (especially form the plastic bags) that they stick to surfaces, bridging and do not really flow very well. Because of this, it is difficult to get the density necessary for real insulation.