Testing The Burn Ability Of Insulation In Wall

The majority of spray foam using your house would have a fireproofing additive and would have trouble Catching Fire but in this example is if you have a type without the additive such as the great stuff. A vapor barrier is very important in a wall so just the rockwool batt insulation it's more commonly used for an attic floor not a wall. Fiberglass proved to be pretty safe in the test but if you're worried they make fiberglass with a aluminum radiant / vapor barrier. They do make fire retardant spray foam but it's usually for commercial application but I don't see why you couldn't pay that company to put it in your house but you're going to pay. They make fire retardant paint especially for spray foam which I personally can't see it working very well since the heat of the fire will cause the foam to melt behind it leading to the collapse of the paint exposing it to Fire and on the other hand it's most likely the firewood start behind the Paint as a slow smolder first in the wall

[ForTheBirbs]

I worked for 25 years in an Australian federal govt fire research laboratory. We did extensive testing of different insulation materials some years ago. Your tests basically matched up. Congratulations on this video. Great information and well presented.

[djspx]

Rockwool is actually a molten rock byproduct, not fiberglass. Essentially rock fibers which is why it doesn't burn.

[inastew]

We have sheep's wool insulation (not rockwool ) in our roof. It has proved more effective than fiberglass. Because it is loose it can give complete coverage, unlike fiberglass that fits between the joists and can have thin gaps and fiberglass is also hard to install in tight corners at the edge of the roof. It will not burn, it sort of melts but only in intense heat and your house would be toast by that stage anyway. It can't sustain a fire in itself.
The only processing sheep wool needs is to be sheared from the sheep, cleaned and treated to repel vermin. Currently the low price of wool means that many farmers now shear the sheep only for their welfare and leave the wool in the paddocks. Hence wool insulation would give a source of income for farmers and the cheapest, usually unusable, parts of the fleece can be used. ( in New Zealand )
Like many things in this world that are natural, cheap and sustainable they can not get a hold in the market because the big manufacturing companies have the resources to undercut and mislead through advertising that such products can't get into the market.

[andrewmangini]

Rockwool is used as a fire stop in commercial construction. It is actually rated for it.

[frankthatuknow]

Safety Inspector and Safety Instructor I wish people here in Florida made as much sense as this man here

[PingMe]

Adam Savage quoting an expert he worked with: "The difference between science and screwing around is the act of writing it down." You are a science man.

[pawsnclaws]

I hope you realize by making this video you probably saved many lives. We owe you a deep hearted thanks

[cmdub]

My house is insulated with fiberglass and that's what saved our bathroom this past summer. Our house caught fire and aside from spots where the insulation was chewed through by rats, nothing was damaged that wasn't attached to the plastic plumbing pipes. Thankfully it didn't cost much to replace.

[richardmattocks]

Post 10…. Giving us the content we didn’t know we wanted but when we see it, we know we NEEDED it!

Brilliant!

[juicenozzle]

the spray foam hiding an inferno was legitimately terrifying

[terrygoyan]

As a contractor, I'm surprised there are not more fire codes concerning the type and usage of different insulations. I really feel for fire fighters entering buildings using foam insulation! So scary....

[gypsetsalon]

Sorry to correct but I’m a builder in the northeast and we use R30 Rockwool insulation in any vaulted ceiling we build. It has to be 2x10 so there’s a space for ventilation. I prefer not to build that way I make double roofs instead. Rockwool is overall the best rodent pest resistant fire retardant water resistant also. A great combo is 2” of spray foam for air sealing then Rockwool. Great video

[eliotness]

In Swedish construction we use rockwool as the standard. If you use it for walls its extremely important you make perfect cuts with milimeter precision to not have any leakage that will cause condensation. Rockwool is fantastic material! but the rockwool mat you have in the video is for attics, you could use it on ventilation pipes aswell but usually the mats for ventilation comes with metal nets so you can put them easier on the pipes and keep the size on it. sorry for terrible explanation my native is swedish :D

[paulguimond]

Fire Department arrives on scene: "What the heck is going on here?" Post 10: "It's my science project".

[secofFame]

I'm glad you posted this test! I just canceled my foam installation project in the attic...just bought rockwool instead.

[lanaskywow]

3:04 I wish this was talked about more, a lot of people would be more cautious if they knew. Thanks for the video!

[ml]

As a Firefighter and fan of shows like This Old House, this is very enlightening.

[andhen]

I work as house builder and rockwool is the only insolation that is approved to use in my country because of its great fire resistance. Its also very easy to work with.

[barryb]

I am a licensed Architect and that is why you have building codes. Paper or foiled back insulation is required to be protected by sheetrock or other sheathing as well as the other spray foam insulations or boards. Only the mineral wool or noards that are fire rated for exposure can be left exposed.
I see it all the time where contractors leave paper backed or spray foam insulation exposed in a basement or attic and I tell them they have to cover it.
You thought the fiberglass would do better than the mineral wool?
I specify mineral wool as sound insulation and it makes an ordinary wall a one hour fire rated fire stop.
It not only wont burn, it also keeps the other stuff in tbe wall from getting hot enough to combust.
My formula on a 5.5 inch wood stud wall is 3 inches of closed cell spray foam- 2" gives you a vapor barrier, and 2.5" of mineral wool so you dont have to shave the stuff to put in your electrinal boxes. This wall wont burn...

[johnh]

As you spoke of "Spray foam Insulation", I thought back a few decades ago to a type of insulation called "Urea formaldehyde foam insulation" it was dangerous . It was such a terrible fire trap . It would go up just like your burned out test frame work, or even worse . It's something else to stay away from when insulating .