How to Identify, Use, Purchase Perlite

Perlite & Perlite Building Insulation Images, Properties, Uses
Photo guide to identification of perlite & perlite insulation materials
Properties of different perlite insulation products
Perlite as a non-fibrous, non-asbestos green building material
Perlite MSDS, example from Schundler Company - separate document
Questions & Answers about perlite & perlite insulation, additives, or filtering materials
References

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Perlite & perlite insulation: this article illustrates and describes perlite materials used for perlite insulation, sound insulation, soil mix, and other applications. Perlite photographs in this article are by the author or were provided courtesy of Redco and their website about perlite insulation. Description of Non-asbestos perlite materials sometimes mistaken for asbestos in buildings. This article series assists building buyers, owners or inspectors who need to identify non-asbestos-containing insulation materials as well as asbestos-containing materials (or probable-asbestos) in buildings by simple visual inspection.

Perlite & Perlite Building Insulation Images, Properties, Uses

See INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT and IDENTIFICATION of ASBESTOS in buildings for details about foam and other building insulation types; see FIBERGLASS HAZARDS for a discussion of mold problems in fiberglass insulation.

Perlite, including perlite building Insulation is a non-fibrous non-asbestos-containing material which has an R-value of about 2.7 per inch and would not be expected to contain asbestos.

Perlite is a type of rock (a form of volcanic glass) which is mined, crushed, heated and thus expanded (4 to 20 x original volume) to form an inorganic insulating material. (Also see VERMICULITE INSULATION.)

Photographs of Perlite Insulation in Various Uses

Perlite in planting soil mix (C) Daniel Friedman

Water trapped in the rock causes it to expand. Perlite insulating material is produced in granular forms from coarse to a fine powder which weighs about two pounds per cubic foot. Photo at above left courtesy of Redco .

Perlite is used for the insulation of low-temperature application equipment such as cryogenic (-100 degC or -150 degF) and super-cold storage tanks and test chambers.

Perlite insulation is also used in food processing applications (up to 4 degC or 40 degF - about the minimum food refrigeration temperature).

Our photo ( above left) sows what coarse perlite looks like when added to a planting soil mix.

Expanded perlite (from our potting soil sample) is easily examined under the stereo microscope (photo at below-left) to show the mechanical properties of the material.

Perlite under the stereo microscope (C) Daniel Friedman

Perlite building insulation is produced in a granular or even a powder form, but by some manufacturers it is formed into an insulating board (by combining perlite with gypsum, for example for use under building roofs).

Perlite insulation materials are resistant to mold, rot, and rodents. Perlite also resists moisture uptake, making it useful for use in areas exposed to water or dampness such as in floor leveling compounds and under-floor insulation where it may also be used for noise control (as a sound-deadening material, possibly between building floors).

Perlite as an under-floor insulation and as an acoustical insulator is described by the Schundler Company.

Perlite insulation density and weight

Perlite from soil mix, cleaned (C) Daniel Friedman

Perlite insulating products are produced in a range of densities (weight per cubic foot) from two pounds per cubic foot to fifteen pounds per foot.

Expanded perlite (from our potting soil sample) has been washed in alcohol and photographed again in the stereo microscope (at left).

Perlite has a typical density of 3-4 pounds per cubic foot in building insulation products, and is described by various industry sources as inexpensive and dimensionally stable (doesn't shrink) and non-combustible.

Perlite as a non-fibrous, non-asbestos green building material

Perlite at 600x in alcohol (C) Daniel Friedman

That perlite is a non-fibrous material is quite apparent in our forensic lab photo at 600x. The sample was prepared in alcohol and washed to remove most potting soil fragments from the source product we used for this examination.

Some writers name perlite insulation products as a "green building material", probably because it is a natural, mined resource (not considering the energy costs of mining and production), and more, because perlite is used as a concrete additive to make insulating and light-weight concrete, or as an insulating material to fill the cores of masonry block constructed walls.

Perlite insulation may also be used to insulate masonry wall cavities (between brick courses in a structural brick wall) or in a building interior to fill the cavity between a masonry exterior wall and the interior finish-wall furring strips and drywall.

More information about perlite insulation is available from Redco II, a perlite insulation manufacturer in North Hollywood, an industry source for this insulating material. Redco II sells perlite for horticultural purposes (those white particles you see in some brands of potting soil), for industrial and construction applications such as an additive in the formation of concrete, and for general industrial uses including as a filtering medium.

Perlite MSDS, example from Schundler Company [3]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Perlite Insulation: properties, uses, applications

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Questions & answers or comments about perlite & perlite insulation, additives, or filtering materials.

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Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

[1] Perlite Institute is an industry association formed in 1949 to promote the use of perlite insulation materials and to conduct research about perlite. The Perlite institute offers a 2002 article confirming that Perlite does not contain asbestos. A separate study supported by the Perlite institute (also published in 2002) concludes that perlite is a safe product, citing studies establishing that it is not a significant respiratory hazard to workers (Cooper 1975-76, Weill, Tulane Univ., 1994, and other studies). The institute also cites that for some workers exposure to perlite (presumably perlite dust) can result in temporary physical irritation, discomfort, impaired visibility, and enhancement of accident potential.
[2] Redco II, North Hollywood CA 818-759-2255 maintains Perlite.Net an information website about perlite insulation.
[3] Schundler Company, Edison, NJ 732-287-2244 provides information about the application-use of both perlite and vermiculite insulation products.
[4] Asbestos: How to find and recognize asbestos in buildings - visual inspection methods, list of common asbestos-containing materials
[5] Asbestos HVAC Ducts and Flues field identification photos and guide
[6] Fiberglass: Indoor Air Quality Investigations: Health Concerns About Airborne Fiberglass: Fiberglass in Indoor Air from HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
[7] Enviro-Scare: Electric Power Lines, Electromagnetic Fields, Cancer Risk, & "Enviro-Scare" - The Normal Curve Cycle of Public Fear of Environmental Issues
[8] Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the 9/11/01 attack: the lower floors of this building contained spray-on fire-proofing asbestos materials.
[9] Asbestos Information Links: Asbestos Detection, Testing, Recognition, Hazards, Field Photos, and Information Sources, including health-related links such as legal services and information about mesothelioma and other cancers.
[10] Asbestos Identification, Walter C.McCrone, McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL.1987 ISBN 0-904962-11-3. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories.
[11] Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
[12] Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone
Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 (out of print).
Asbestos Identification and Testing References

Asbestos Identification, Walter C.McCrone, McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL.1987 ISBN 0-904962-11-3. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories.
Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone

ASHRAE resource on dew point and wall condensation - see the ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook, available in many libraries. The following three ASHRAE Handbooks are also available at the InspectAPedia bookstore in the third page of our Insulate-Ventilate section:
- 2005 ASHRAE Handbook : Fundamentals : Inch-Pound Edition (2005 ASHRAE HANDBOOK : Fundamentals : I-P Edition) (Hardcover), Thomas H. Kuehn (Contributor), R. J. Couvillion (Contributor), John W. Coleman (Contributor), Narasipur Suryanarayana (Contributor), Zahid Ayub (Contributor), Robert Parsons (Author), ISBN-10: 1931862702 or ISBN-13: 978-1931862707
- 2004 ASHRAE Handbook : Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning: Systems and Equipment : Inch-Pound Edition (2004 ASHRAE Handbook : HVAC Systems and Equipment : I-P Edition) (Hardcover)
  by American Society of Heating, ISBN-10: 1931862478 or ISBN-13: 978-1931862479
  "2004 ASHRAE Handbook - HVAC Systems and Equipment The 2004 ASHRAE HandbookHVAC Systems and Equipment discusses various common systems and the equipment (components or assemblies) that comprise them, and describes features and differences. This information helps system designers and operators in selecting and using equipment. Major sections include Air-Conditioning and Heating Systems (chapters on system analysis and selection, air distribution, in-room terminal systems, centralized and decentralized systems, heat pumps, panel heating and cooling, cogeneration and engine-driven systems, heat recovery, steam and hydronic systems, district systems, small forced-air systems, infrared radiant heating, and water heating); Air-Handling Equipment (chapters on duct construction, air distribution, fans, coils, evaporative air-coolers, humidifiers, mechanical and desiccant dehumidification, air cleaners, industrial gas cleaning and air pollution control); Heating Equipment (chapters on automatic fuel-burning equipment, boilers, furnaces, in-space heaters, chimneys and flue vent systems, unit heaters, makeup air units, radiators, and solar equipment); General Components (chapters on compressors, condensers, cooling towers, liquid coolers, liquid-chilling systems, centrifugal pumps, motors and drives, pipes and fittings, valves, heat exchangers, and energy recovery equipment); and Unitary Equipment (chapters on air conditioners and heat pumps, room air conditioners and packaged terminal equipment, and a new chapter on mechanical dehumidifiers and heat pipes)."
- 1996 Ashrae Handbook Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning Systems and Equipment: Inch-Pound Edition (Hardcover), ISBN-10: 1883413346 or ISBN-13: 978-1883413347 ,
  "The 1996 HVAC Systems and Equipment Handbook is the result of ASHRAE's continuing effort to update, expand and reorganize the Handbook Series. Over a third of the book has been revised and augmented with new chapters on hydronic heating and cooling systems design; fans; unit ventilator; unit heaters; and makeup air units. Extensive changes have been added to chapters on panel heating and cooling; cogeneration systems and engine and turbine drives; applied heat pump and heat recovery systems; humidifiers; desiccant dehumidification and pressure drying equipment, air-heating coils; chimney, gas vent, fireplace systems; cooling towers; centrifugal pumps; and air-to-air energy recovery. Separate I-P and SI editions."
- Principles of Heating, Ventilating, And Air Conditioning: A textbook with Design Data Based on 2005 AShrae Handbook - Fundamentals (Hardcover), Harry J., Jr. Sauer (Author), Ronald H. Howell, ISBN-10: 1931862923 or ISBN-13: 978-1931862929
- 1993 ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals (Hardcover), ISBN-10: 0910110964 or ISBN-13: 978-091011096
Building Research Council, BRC, nee Small Homes Council, SHC, School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, brc.arch.uiuc.edu. "The Small Homes Council (our original name) was organized in 1944 during the war at the request of the President of the University of Illinois to consider the role of the university in meeting the demand for housing in the United States. Soldiers would be coming home after the war and would be needing good low-cost housing. ... In 1993, the Council became part of the School of Architecture, and since then has been known as the School of Architecture-Building Research Council. ... The Council's researchers answered many critical questions that would affect the quality of the nation's housing stock.
- How could homes be designed and built more efficiently?
- What kinds of construction and production techniques worked well and which did not?
- How did people use different kinds of spaces in their homes?
- What roles did community planning, zoning, and interior design play in how neighborhoods worked
Energy Savers: Whole House Systems Approach to Energy Efficient Home Design [copy on file as /interiors/Whole_House_Energy_Efficiency_DOE.pdf ] - U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Whole-House Supply Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Whole-House_Supply_Vent.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11880?print
"Energy Savers: Whole-House Exhaust Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Whole-House_Exhaust.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11870
"Energy Savers: Ventilation [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Ventilation.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Natural Ventilation [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Natural_Ventilation.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Energy Recovery Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Energy_Recovery_Venting.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11900
"Energy Savers: Detecting Air Leaks [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Detect_Air_Leaks.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
"Energy Savers: Air Sealing [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Air_Sealing_1.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
Fiberglass: Indoor Air Quality Investigations: Health Concerns About Airborne Fiberglass: Fiberglass in Indoor Air from HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
Humidity: What indoor humidity should we maintain in order to avoid a mold problem?
Ice Dam Leaks in building attics and roof cavities, how to inspect for evidence of leaks, identify causes, and correct bad attic ventilation, improper roof venting, and these causes of attic mold or roof structure damage
"Insulation: Adding Insulation to an Existing Home," U.S. Department of Energy - tips on how to do your own check for the presence of absence of insulation in a home
Insulation: Selecting Insulation for New Home Construction, U.S. Department of Energy - "Your state and local building codes probably include minimum insulation requirements, but to build an energy-efficient home, you may need or want to exceed them. For maximum energy efficiency, you should also consider the interaction between the insulation and other building components. This is called the whole-house systems design approach."
The National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST (nee National Bureau of Standards NBS) is a US government agency - see www.nist.gov
- "A Parametric Study of Wall Moisture Contents Using a Revised Variable Indoor Relative Humidity Version of the "Moist" Transient Heat and Moisture Transfer Model [copy on file as/interiors/MOIST_Model_NIST_b95074.pdf ] - ", George Tsongas, Doug Burch, Carolyn Roos, Malcom Cunningham; this paper describes software and the prediction of wall moisture contents. - PDF Document from NIS
Nogging: See this photo of exposed bricks on a building exterior on a building exterior in Canada. [Thanks to Carson Dunlop, Toronto - see References below].
Pergo AB, division of Perstorp AB, is a Swedish manufacturer or modern laminate flooring products. Information about the U.S. company can be found at http://www.pergo.com where we obtained historical data used in our discussion of the age of flooring materials in buildings.
Piquet Wall Construction: See this photo of piquet wall construction - involving timber-framed wall construction with long top girts, diagonal timber bracing, and small diameter logs placed vertically along with concrete chinking to fill in the wall plane.
Plank House Construction: weblog from plankhouse.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/plank-house-construction/ and where plank houses were built by native Americans, see
Large 1:6 Scale Plank House Construction / P8094228, Photographer: Mike Meuser
06/12/2007 documented at yurokplankhouse.com where scale model Museum quality Yurok Plank Houses are being sold to raise money for the Blue Creek - Ah Pah Traditional Yurok Village project.
Re-Bath, tub lining products is a bath tub relining manufacturer and distributor located in Tempe, Arizona - see rebath.com
Rubblestone Wall Filler: See this Lartigue House using exterior-exposed rubblestone filler between vertical timbers of a post and beam-framed Canadian building.
"Weather-Resistive Barriers [copy on file as /interiors/Weather_Resistant_Barriers_DOE.pdf ] - ", how to select and install housewrap and other types of weather resistive barriers, U.S. DOE
Weaver: Beaver Board and Upson Board: Beaver Board and Upson Board: History and Conservation of Early Wallboard, Shelby Weaver, APT Bulletin, Vol. 28, No. 2/3 (1997), pp. 71-78, Association for Preservation Technology International (APT), available online at JSTOR.

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The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.

Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.


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