Anyone know why fiberglass insulation is pink? (1 Viewer)

[Bob McLaughlin]

Stupid question, I know. But I couldn't find the answer anywhere on the internet. Is pink just the natural color of fiberglass? I figured that was more of a yellowish white. So why is fiberglass insulation pink??

 

[Jay H]

I don't think ALL fiberglass insulation is pink.. Owens Corning makes the pink kind and they use the Pink Panther as their "mascot", but I think you can get yellow and white fiberglass insulation....

Jay

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

The insulation in my house is definately yellowish-white. Raw fiberglass that you may use in boat construction etc. is white. IIUC the pink color is a trademark of Owens Corning.

EDIT

www.owenscorning.com/copyright.html

 

[Chris Lockwood]

It's so practical jokers can pass it off as cotton candy.

 

[Jay H]

I think actual raw fiberglass is somewhat translucent whitish/off whitish.. I have seen how fiberglass kayaks are made using a mold and glass/resin and I vaguely remember seeing the fiberglass being laid before it gets fired and stuff being somewhat off-whitish. Certainly not the pearly whites you see boats and kayaks made in. For kayaks, you can actually get yellow hulls, which will make the kayak more visible when it's flipped.

Jay

 

[Bob McLaughlin]

I guess this leads to the question...why did Owens Corning pick PINK? Maybe they had a lot of red dye on their hands they needed to get rid of...

 

[Jay H]

because BROWN was taken?

I don't know why Pink. Perhaps cause it makes it easier to see in dark basements or it was simply distinctive so from a marketing standpoint, the association of pink and fiberglass and Owens Corning would be made...

Jay

 

[Jeff Gatie]

That's an easy one. Owens-Corning made it pink to match their mascot:

 

[Julian Reville]

I prefer this Pink Panther:

http://www.lpga.com/content/photos/P...1.1resized.jpg

 

[PhillJones]

Well it clearly worked since the OP thinks that fibreglass just IS pink. I'm sure he's not alone in that. They've managed to implant the image of fibreglass being pink into so many peoples minds that people start to think it's the colour it should be and won't buy anything else. That's some clever marketting.

 

[Seth=L]

"I prefer this Pink Panther:"

woohoo. hot momma!

 

[MarkHastings]

Because plaid fiberglass is much harder to produce.

I'm here all week!

 

[Jay H]

Well, which predates which, did Owens Corning decide to use the Pink Panther as a spokesperson after they decided to color their fiberglass pink or did they color their fiberglass pink after they decided on Pink Panther?

And since when do panthers make good insulation anyway?

Jay

 

[Mark Giles]

Speaking of cotton candy...

what happens if someone eats some fiberglass? like lets say it was just a handfull. how serious can the damage get? And is immediate medical attention always required?

"Stupid question, I know."

 

[Chris Lockwood]

> what happens if someone eats some fiberglass?

Stay tuned to Jackass, & you'll probably find out.

 

[MarkHastings]

Usually they don't....but the pink ones do.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

IIRC Owens-Corning insulation has been dyed pink for decades, and they only started to use the "Pink Panther" mascot circa 1980.

 

[Bryan X]

Since August 15, 1980 to be exact.

 

[DaveF]

That could be bad news. It's glass. Very small shards of glass. It could seriously cut you up and even become lodged in the soft tissue as it passes through your digestive tract.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

But at least your ass would stay warm.