Is Rock Wool & Rigid FiberGlass Safe??

  • Thread starter Thread starter scarboro78
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scarboro78

scarboro78

NYC HIP-HOP AMBASSADOR
Hey Guys,

I'm planning on making a few bass traps to put up in my bedroom studio BUT it just dawned on me.. Is it safe to sleep in a room full of this stuff which is for the most part exposed? Covered by no more than a thin sheet of cloth or whatever... I don't wanna end up with some sort of cancer in 15 years cus of it.. lol. I know it sounds stupid but I'm serious!

Thanks.
 
"Depending on the size and dimensions of the fibers measured in the workplace, you will find different biological effects on humans. Smaller fibers, generally less than 3.5 microns in length, can be inhaled and deposited in the lung where they can accumulate and cause fibrotic changes, while larger fibers cause skin irritation due to mechanical action. It is both the inhalation and dermal hazards that give fiberglass a greater hazard potential than nuisance dust and require appropriate protective equipment to minimize exposure. The purpose of this paper is to review the potential hazards of working with fiberglass, assess the risk and provide a recommended best practice."

Here a link to the article
http://www.personalprotection.dupont.com/protectiveapparel/news/fiberglass.html

I would say that fiberglass panels wrapped in a fabric that are not consitently being pulled apart will not have a sufficent amount of particles to do harm unless you already have a lung condition.

I lined OC703 with that sort of weed blocker from home depot before wrapping them in burlap.
 
You don't need anything as stout as weedblocker if you're covering the 703 in fabric. Try using 3M painters' plastic, the thin white stuff that comes on a roll. It will contain any fibers that shake loose, and it acts as a bit of a diffusor for high freqs.

You may wanna vacuum the stuff after you cut it to size. HEPA vacs are a good choice for this if you have one.
 
Folks,

Take the time to read the link to the posts at John Sayers site..........

Fiberglass is not a respritory health hazzard......... it's not a carcinogen - it can make you itch...........period.

Cover it with plastic if you wish - but if it's covered in cloth - you aren't in any danger........ unless you like to rub up against the cloth that is - then you could still itch............

Rod
 
Steveanthony, I didn't see anything in that thread that even mentions plastic - FYI, several of our members have used light plastic over rigid fiberglass or rockwool with good results; all it tends to do (besides controlling fibers) is to brighten up the room a bit. the lower frequencies and mids still absorb the same. And, since too much absorbent can tend to kill the high end of a room before enough lower frequency absorption is reached, it's all good... Steve
 
Adding a plastic layer isn't going to do wonders for the fire rating of the system. When I want to brighten my room, I hang a few framed posters on the wall.
 
Rod Gervais said:
Fiberglass is not a respritory health hazzard......... it's not a carcinogen - it can make you itch...........period.
Click to expand...

small fibers DO get in your lungs
 
Knightfly, true , it did not specifically mention plastic. I was going by this quote and figured it applied to plastic:

RICK FITZPATRICK said:
When you say "Canvas", do you mean like......REAL canvas :eek: If so, I had to be a bearer of bad news. But CANVAS is waterproof ......which translates into NO TRANSPARANCY!! :rolleyes: The weave is SEALED. That means, for broadband absorption, air molecules movement can NOT move through the absorbant material, which is required for it to work. Resistive absorbers do their job by FRICTION of air molecules within the "interstices" or fibers, to transduce the energy into heat. If the fabric is not open weave, then it is a reflective surface. Although, it will allow some low frequencys to enter simply because it is similar to a panel absorber. But then the absorbant material is acting like a dampener. At least thats my understanding. I'm sure it works to some extent, but if it is REAL canvas, you won't get the full benefit of the absorber.
My .02 only though. BTW, they LOOK great. Hope it isn't real canvas.
fitZ
Click to expand...
 
Rod Gervais said:
Folks,

Take the time to read the link to the posts at John Sayers site..........

Fiberglass is not a respritory health hazzard......... it's not a carcinogen - it can make you itch...........period.

Cover it with plastic if you wish - but if it's covered in cloth - you aren't in any danger........ unless you like to rub up against the cloth that is - then you could still itch............

Rod
Click to expand...
All I know is when I used to work with an electrician running wires in an attic with fiberglass batts I would cough for the rest of the day from inhaling that crap. It sure didn't make me feel good health hazard or not

Also, covering the fiberglass with the weedblock (which is very thin) was an idea I got from the John Sayer's site from Andrew Maclaster I believe. He did it with his clouds.
 
MemoGtr said:
small fibers DO get in your lungs
Click to expand...


Sure they do - and when the wind blows and raises up dust - it gets in your lungs too.............

I would imagine you had a point you were trying to make.........

Rod
 
Go out to Kettleman City in central CA. Asbestos mineral deposits galore. Steve McQueen got his mesothelioma from riding motorcycles in the CA deserts, inhaling asbestos dust.
 
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