Adding fiberglass insulation to your attic is a great idea to improve energy efficiency but the process can be very uncomfortable due to the small glass fibers in the insulation. In addition to a long sleeved shirt, long pants, gloves, dust mask and eye goggles rub your hands and arms with baby powder or corn starch before working with fiberglass insulation. The powder keeps much of the fiberglass from sticking to your skin causing it to itch.
our insultion can be irritating due to the
glass fibers but we own manville fiberglass insulation
Just cover your skin with vaceline before doing the job. Good luck.
I will try the baby powder idea. The problem with isulation is when you are installing it, the place that it is being installed is usually A. Very hot B. very dirty C. very cramped or D. very hard to maneuver in which causes profuse sweat and or the rubbing off of powders.
just some experienced thoughts. Installing insulation on older homes is a hellish experience, no matter how you do it.
jim
I don’t know what will work but covering yourself in Vasaline is DANGEROUS. DO NOT DO IT. It won’t allow your skin to “breath” and sweat to cool your body correctly. It’s like painting your body in an enamel paint. Your core temp will rise and you may pose serious health risk.
Ben
the only thing i have found that somewhat stops about 60% of the itch is baby powder, forget long pants and long shirts unless your a reptile who thrives on insaine body temps, i find with long shirts you sweat more and end up rubbing it into your facial pours when wipping the sweat off your forhead, other than that i soak myself in a very hot bath when i get home around 47 regrees celcius, is stings like hell getting in but you feel so much better afterwards…
Here’s a good idea! Coat your arms with crazy glue, then apply a layer of box turtles to your skin, they will prevent any insulation from getting on your skin and clean up after you when you’re being a sloppy eater. It’s the perfect solution!
Try Elmer’s School Glue on the arms , hands , & face (except for not on the eyes or lips). When done working with insulation peel off skin of glue and it’ll keep the insulation from penetrating the skin. Just an idea that MAY work, though i’ve never tried it myself . H. H.
My problem is that not too long ago I bought a home with a crawl space and I’ve been searching and can’t find anything related to the possibility that why I’ve been itching in only my home and nowhere else( maybe for a little while after I leave) but I had a refresher done that my inspector advised me to do. They had to throw out all old fiberglass and bring all new in. I’m not even sure if it was done right as I have not been down there. Also I smell musty earthy smells mostly in my room. Is there anything I can do to find out if I have fiberglass floating thru my air still? I don’t believe they were careful when doing this. But not sure if that’s why I’m itching either. Thank you.
Get some panty hose and cut the feet part out then pull the panty hose over your arms works very v well and allows skin to breathe
Thanks for sharing your tip with the TodaysHomeowner.com community, Jeffory!
Take care. 🙂