The insulation of homes has made enormous progress. It provides comfort and allows significant energy savings. But it has been widely said that it has contributed to the increase in allergic diseases. However, if the whole house is perfectly insulated, well, no, this does not in principle pose any particular concern for health. On one condition, however… To avoid confinement, preserve the quality of theair and limit the accumulation of pollutants, this insulation must imperatively be compensated by a good ventilation system. And also, imperatively, by airing all the rooms, every day and in all seasons! On the other hand, the insulation can pose a problem when it is not perfect, precisely, and that air manages, in places, to slip in. Because the insulation of housing is designed as a whole. If the house is insulated “at one end and not the other”, with insulated windows only in certain rooms, or with well-insulated windows but walls not insulated at all, “this can favor the appearance of what ‘We call thermal bridges: air infiltration occurs in poorly insulated areas, and the temperature difference between the incoming air and the indoor air creates condensation,’ explains Dr Squinazi. Hence the risk of mold development, known to increase the frequency of respiratory diseases, asthma and allergic rhinitis.
What is the best insulator?
Mineral wool from rock, glass, slag, or even vegetable wool such as hemp, for example, to insulate the roof and the attic… “There is no better insulator than another from the point of view the health of the occupants of a house. Even the cheapest, glass wool, does not cause any problems in this regard. The insulation is in fact integrated and well encapsulated in the sealed walls: in these structures, they are not in contact with the ambient air and do not release toxic elements for the inhabitants”, emphasizes Dr Suzanne Déoux, risk expert health in the built environment. In both cases, however, care must be taken to ensure that they are in good condition: “if water infiltration, even a small one, occurs, this can lead to degradation of the insulation. And whatever it is, then it can become a place for mold growth,” warns Dr. Squinazi.
