Sister John Mary writes from Forbes, Minnesota: "We recently had your insulation installed. The residents of our senior care facility are complaining of a strong urine-like smell coming from the walls ever since it was installed. Can we expect this to go away?"

Answer: There are basically two types of odors that can come from fiberglass insulation.

The first is associated only with Kraft-faced building products and is more of a petroleum odor produced by the asphalt that coats the back of the paper. It is more pronounced in products that are fresh off the production line. This particular odor will generally dissipate within a few days. It is not harmful and once gone it shouldn't return. Ventilating the area where the odor is will help to speed the dissipation process.

The second odor is rare and typically referred to as a fishy smell or the description you used. Excess binder in the product that was not baked off or cured during the manufacturing process causes the odor. It will also dissipate over time. Depending on the amount of uncured binder, it may take some time to go away. Ventilating the area where the odor is will help to speed the dissipation process.