Blown Attic Insulation Fiberglass Vs Cellulose

By nature the cells inside the cellulose insulation have their own insulating power.

Blown attic insulation fiberglass vs cellulose. 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. Which means cellulose insulation can be compressed into a space and offer additional r value. According to research done at the oak ridge national lab fiberglass loses up to 50 of its r value in very cold conditions. 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.

More consistent pricing from cellulose manufacturers than fiberglass. How are they similar and how are they different from blown fiberglass vs. Attic insulation is accomplished with either fiberglass blankets batt or blown in insulation. At 3 5 per inch of material the r value of blown in cellulose is 23 better per inch than fiberglass batts.

Cellulose is easier to keep out of bird blocks and air conditioner condensate pans. Cellulose produces much less static than fiberglass. Fiberglass batts however are less expensive costing on average 0 30 to 0 40 a square foot for 6 inches of insulation. 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.

So what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these insulation materials. Assuming your current attic insulation is made from fiberglass and has a value of r 13 you d have to add roughly 10 inches of additional fiberglass to hit r 38. Making cellulose a better choice for homes in northern climates. With that said most homeowners agree that blown cellulose is slightly more efficient due to the face that it blocks more air than fiberglass.

You can find high r value insulation produced in both fiberglass and blown cellulose. The two main least expensive and most commonly used residential insulation materials is cellulose and fibreglass. Blown in insulation requires a professional. In contrast to fiberglass insulation cellulose insulation does not trap air in between it s fibers to control heat.

Or 7 inches of cellulose. Loose fill or blown cellulose insulation is manufactured primarily from recycled newspapers a very benign product so it poses virtually no ongoing health risk. You can get to the same place with either material. Batt insulation is available at home centers and lumberyards.

Batt insulation take time to read this column. The higher the r value the more efficient it is. Before choosing blown vs. Installation costs for blown in insulation costs around 2 a square foot where installation costs for batts is around 1 a square foot.