Before I got into the home inspection business, home insulation was something that was just a part of a house.  It was installed when the home was built and that was it.  What it was made of didn’t really matter to me and the old adage of out of site, out of mind held true once again.  I have to say that as I have spent most of the past 35 years in warmer climates, it just never seemed that important.  After I started crawling around in it doing inspections I became much more aware of the materials that it was made of.  Fiberglass being the most common and the most itchy as well as some concerns about exposure to the small glass fibers.  FIberglass batts can contain adhesives that are made up of formadehyde.  The production of fiberglass is also very energy intensive.  Cellulose also very common but some of the products out there may contain harmful chemicals used to make it fire retardant.  On a couple of rare occasions I’ve even seen an insulation know as Vermiculite.  Vermiculite in some cases may be contaminated with asbestos.   Read More