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AN INSULATORS STORY
HI! My name is John. Can I let you in on a little secret? I’ve got the best job in the Carpenters Union!
I’m an Insulator.
I install fiberglass, rock wool and cellulose insulation in the walls and ceilings of new houses, offices, high-rise buildings, strip mall stores, and remodeled homes. I also install fire-stopping materials whenever buildings require them.
Most of the insulators work for either a residential insulation company or a commercial company.
An insulators day starts out early by arriving at the job site with adequate materials. After unloading the insulation into the premises the insulator dons his or her tool belt carrying a tacker with plenty of staples, a utility knife for cutting and a putty knife for stuffing insulation around doors and windows. Then the insulator goes to work tacking insulation throughout the house or building. Most houses can be done in a day.
An insulator wears long pants, a long sleeve shirt and a dust mask to minimize the irritation that sometimes goes along with working with fiberglass. That’s also why the insulator is usually the only one in the house or building when it is being insulated.
An insulators job requires the use of ladders, and sometimes scaffolding, all of which must be used properly.
A commercial insulators job differs from residential in a few areas. Commercial insulators return to the same jobsite for weeks or months at a time. The tools and materials are slightly different, as commercial applications tend to be more precise. So a tape measure, hammer, and various cutting knives will be needed. Commercial insulators coordinate their work wit hand around other trades.
Commercial insulators materials are brought to the site by semi truckloads.
Both commercial and residential insulators have become greatly involved in draft stopping and fire stopping.
This important aspect requires specialized training to insure fire and air filtration can be contained or eliminated.
I said earlier that this is the best job in the union.
Why?
First, I stay physically fit just by going to work everyday! An insulators job doesn’t require a lot of heavy lifting, but it does provide an excellent aerobic workout.
Second, I can work everyday! When it rains or snows or is too windy or cold, my other union carpenter brothers and sisters may not get to work, but not so for the insulator! We work inside. The house or building must have a roof on it and I am protected.
Thirdly, once I reach the job site, I am my own boss. I work alone or sometimes I have an apprentice to help me. But there’s no one looking over my shoulder. I know what I have to do, and I do it. At the end of the day I can see my accomplishments.
A Union insulator in our area receives a good hourly wage and benefits that are hard to beat anywhere. Not to mention two forms of retirement for when you decide you’ve had enough of the best job in the Carpenters Union!
John Voeller
Instructor
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