My last mag. had descriptions of old insulations. Here in Iowa I see alot of rust colored, what I thought was fiberglass, loose packed, usually in attics. Can anyone confirm my suspiscions?
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I live in Iowa also. not sure I've seen rust colored. Maybe I've seen pink that was old, discolored and stained. a lot of the old vermiculite and a little of the wool
have any pictures?
I've seen this stuff alot. It is most definitely rust colored. It is not faced in any way, looks placed in and it's loose (albeit tightly packed). Only in attics, never in walls. It's not roll or blown in like newer forms of fiberglass (if in fact that's what it is). Other than cellulose or batts it is the most common attic insulation I've seen in old houses around here.
By the way, I've seen the vermiculite once. Was replacing light fixtures with fans and installing ceiling boxes, What a mess! Like building a house under sand instead of on it. :]
It's very likely that you have "rock wool". It has the look and texture of coarse fiberglass (only darker colored), and is made from either basalt/limestone or blast furnace slag.
I'll take your word for it, thanks. I always thought rock wool was blown (balled) fiberglass. It's tougher when you rule out something you were origially mistaken about :]
I've seen (what I presumed was) rock wool in several forms -- batts, loose fill, formed pieces for pipe insulation, etc.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
I've never seen this stuff in any other form. Slag would explain the rust color. The material is very fibrous and "tears" apart fairly easy, easier than fiberglass. I do a lot of restoration and see it mainly in pre-war (WW2) applications. I guess I was concerned it might be asbestos in a form I'd hadn't suspected. Tried to take a pic, but all you can make out is the color. At times I've found it to be very irritating to the skin and other times, no reaction. I'm still a little puzzled though. No one seems to know for sure.
what part of Iowa?Don't remember any rust colored rock wool, except from the environment. but then I again i'm getting old and my memory goes in and out
Barry E-Remodeler
You know... I think I know what rock wool is, and this ain't it. Des Moines.
Do remember that "rock wool" covers a wide range of materials. Some is literally made from rock, some from blast furnace slag. I'm guessing the blast furnace slag would tend to be reddish.I've seen it very fine -- almost as fine as fiberglass -- and very coarse and stiff, where it crumbles to dust if you compress it at all.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
I'm still holding the bag on this one. It's so common here that I can't imagine no one has seen it before.
Well, while you're holding the bag, drag it over to the oldest lumberyard in the area and ask the oldest guy behind the lumber desk what it is. Or drag it over to your BI's office and do the same.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Box/impulse stores have taken over around here. All of the old yards are gone. A couple big yards have held their own, but no old guys. A shame really. BI is a good idea or the one old hardware store left. Thanks
We must live in a different Des Moines. :)how about Gilcrest/Jewett? I know some salesmen that were there when I started 40 yrs ago Rick Thompson one of the owners has been there well over 40 yrsBiesser Lumber. Pat Mashek has a lot of knowledgeMillard LumberMoehl MillworkConsumer Lumber over on Hickman...those guys sold the lumber for Noah's ArkLeachman Lumber over on HubbellJust say no to big boxes
Barry E-Remodeler
You're right Barry. Although there is a lack of old guys that know.
Thanks everyone for the help.
Makes me feel like taking it all out now and telling customers how well it burns. Can't be the best insulation either.
Take care all and stay true.
that's because the old people are gone...and left people like me to be the old guy. ;)
Barry E-Remodeler
By the way, this stuff isn't "reddish" Think K car rust colored :]
Red corn cobs?
No, we use those in the out house when we run out of catalogs
This looks like your description.
http://www.glassonweb.com/news/index/9886/
Ok, I've never attached a pic here. It looks like this. Don't see them...
Looks like rock wool to me. What does the dog think?
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
It ain't food. Great nose for what ain't food.
I've never seen anything like that, but I've heard of horsehair insulation.
You made me think (it hurts). I burned it (it does burn), smells like wood. Might be wood. The color is always consistant. May be a dye.
Smells like wood?
The shades of night were falling fast,
As through an Alpine village passed
A youth, who bore, 'mid snow and ice,
A banner with the strange device,
Excelsior!
It's not horsehair or rock wool then. The next step would be to inspect it under a microscope. See if there is a cellular structure.I suspect wood shavings is what you have.
Send me some in a zipper seal freezer baggie. I'm curious and will let all know what it is. Probably cellouse (wood), or, where are you? Iowa? still cellulose (corn husks?).
We have a microscopy lab. Bart Gallagher
Enviroscience Consultants, Inc.
2150 Smithtown Avenue Ste 3
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
(631) 580-3191
Edited 10/14/2009 11:16 pm ET by Southbay
I'm curious too.
Well, like YEAH!!
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
Yeah, if it burns it's not rock wool. It does resemble shredded wood.
As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz