More than 20 years ago, Johns Manville became the first residential fiberglass building insulation manufacturer to stop using a formaldehyde-based binder in its residential fiberglass building insulation. Why is that such a big deal?
JM was way ahead of the curve in removing formaldehyde from our building insulation. In 2002 JM stopped using formaldehyde-based binder in residential fiberglass batts and rolls, but it wasn’t until 2015 when every fiberglass insulation company in the United States and Canada had finally phased out formaldehyde in its lightweight residential fiberglass building insulation products.
What is formaldehyde?
Formaldehyde is a potentially harmful chemical compound used in many adhesives for plywood, particle board and other building materials including – until recently – building insulation. The organic compound in its pure form is a pungent, colorless gas.
It does not accumulate in the environment because it’s broken down within a few hours by sunlight or bacteria in soil and water. Humans can metabolize it – in fact, cellular processes to convert sugars to energy create low levels of formaldehyde – converting it to formic acid which can be further broken down into carbon dioxide. While occasional low levels of exposure aren’t a significant risk, chronic exposures, especially in enclosed spaces, may increase this risk.
JM’s transition to Formaldehyde-Free™ fiberglass
More than two decades ago, JM began offering niche formaldehyde-free insulation batts for healthcare applications, and then began investigating binder options for other products.
In March 2002, Johns Manville stopped using formaldehyde-based binder in our residential lightweight fiberglass, turning instead to an acrylic binder for its building insulation. JM’s Formaldehyde-Free™ Building Insulation eliminated any concerns about formaldehyde while preserving its superior thermal and acoustical properties.
Later that year, JM began also manufacturing its Formaldehyde-Free insulation in Canada, and by August, had converted all its building insulation manufacturing facilities to the formaldehyde-free binder.
Our entire line of Formaldehyde-free residential building insulation products is GREENGUARD Gold certified. Choose from a long list of formaldehyde-free products: Attic Protector® blow-in, Cavity-SHIELD™ Fiberglass, Climate Pro® blow-in, ComfortTherm®, FSK-25 Batts, Kraft faced fiberglass, Panel Deck FSK-25, Spider® Plus blow-in and unfaced fiberglass. Get more info on all our Formaldehyde-free™ insulation here.
