Attic Insulation Blown In Cellulose Vs Fiberglass

Blown fiberglass on the other hand is made up of very fine strands of glass and these tiny fibers are a carcinogen that can easily be inhaled into your lungs.

Attic insulation blown in cellulose vs fiberglass.

When using cellulose blown in dry insulation it requires a machine to achieve its purpose and a training session from wherever you rent the blower from. The three most common types of blown in insulation are loose fill fiberglass cellulose and rock wool each with its own pros and cons. At 3 5 per inch of material the r value of blown in cellulose is 23 better per inch than fiberglass batts. Cellulose forms a dense continuous mat of insulation in your attic.

This keeps the air from moving within the insulation and from penetrations between the air conditioned space and the attic. You can find high r value insulation produced in both fiberglass and blown cellulose. Cellulose has 38 better air infiltration than fiberglass. Fiberglass insulation is the easiest insulation product on the market to install and if installed correctly the most effective product on the market for home attic insulation.

It is made of shredded paper plus a fire retardant chemical known as a borate. According to research done at the oak ridge national lab fiberglass loses up to 50 of its r value in very cold conditions. The higher the r value the more efficient it is. Attic insulation is accomplished with either fiberglass blankets batt or blown in insulation.

Making cellulose a better choice for homes in northern climates. Blown in insulation requires a professional. The two main least expensive and most commonly used residential insulation materials is cellulose and fibreglass. Or 7 inches of cellulose.

Cellulose insulation includes cellulose cells that have natural insulating power. Cellulose is more difficult to cheat than fiberglass. You can get to the same place with either material. Loose fill or blown cellulose insulation is manufactured primarily from recycled newspapers a very benign product so it poses virtually no ongoing health risk.

The paper is broken down into cellular fibers that provide insulation. Unless you opt for spray foam then the insulation choices normally come down to cellulose and fibreglass. Before choosing blown vs. Batt insulation take time to read this column.

Batt insulation is available at home centers and lumberyards. Fiberglass insulation contains billions of tiny glass fibers which contain trapped bubbles of air.