All About Fiberglass: What is Fiberglass Insulation, and What Does it Do?
Insulation services may seem like a simple business, but we at Spartan Insulation feel that there’s an art to creating and installing the perfect insulation. In the olden days (and infrequently still, today), peoples such as the Norse and Babylonians even insulated their roofs with grass, which would soak up rainwater to keep the roof below bone dry.
Today, we have many more avenues of insulation to pursue when choosing how to keep our homes warm (or cool!). One of our most advanced insulators today is known to be fiberglass, which has the advantages of being cheap, versatile, and effective. But what is it about fiberglass that makes it such a good insulator? In today’s blog post, we’ll be discussing how fiberglass functions and how it can help you keep your home comfortable.
The Basics: How Fiberglass Functions
Though you might not expect it, the insulating power from fiberglass doesn’t come from the glasswool, itself, but from the air pockets woven inside. Contrast to what intuition might tell you, air is one of the best insulators science has ever found. Because air is gaseous, it has a significantly spread-out molecular structure, which makes it difficult for heat to spread from molecule to molecule.
For this reason, the pockets of air in the fiberglass must slowly heat or cool before altering the temperatures in nearby pockets. Therefore, fiberglass takes significantly longer to alter its temperature, making it an ideal insulator.
FAQ: How is Fiberglass Made?
At its most basic, fiberglass insulation is made by melting glass and spinning it into fibers, which are then woven together to make the cotton-like material you’re familiar with.
FAQ: Why is Fiberglass Insulation Pink?
While much of fiberglass insulation you see is pink, there’s actually nothing inherent to fiberglass that gives it such a distinct color. In truth, fiberglass insulation is actually a yellowish-orange color when it’s created. However, as a marketing tactic, the fiberglass manufacturer Owens Corning dyed their fiberglass pink to make it stand out from their competitors. The move was so popular with consumers, that Owens Corning trademarked their design, PINK, which still leads the market today.
Are you interested in getting fiberglass insulation installed in your home? If so, we encourage you to contact us today. At Spartan Insulation, we take pride in the art of insulation. When you call us, we aim to share that art with you.
