Building insulation materials is used depends on a wide variety of factors. Some insulation materials have health risks, some so significant the materials are no longer allowed to be used but remain in use in some older buildings such as asbestos fibers and urea. Factors affecting the type and amount of insulation to use in a building include: Considerations regarding building and climate: Often a combination of materials is used to achieve an optimum solution and there are products which combine different types of insulation into a single form. Spray foam is a type of insulation that is sprayed in place through a
Cellulose insulation warming potential higher than that of carbon dioxide, cellulose does not produce significant gaseous emissions. Toxicity of the raw materials of insulation types is typically highest during manufacture or installation. Neither is a significant issue with cellulose. OSHA states that cellulose is a dust nuisance, requiring a dust mask during installation. The embodied energy of cellulose insulation is the lowest of the popular insulation types. It requires 20 to 40 times as much energy to produce furnace-made insulation materials compared to cellulose. Cellulose is made by electrically powered machines while mineral insulation is made in fuel powered furnaces, reducing this