Cellulose Or Fiberglass Blown In Insulation Attic

Advantages and disadvantages of fiberglass.

Cellulose or fiberglass blown in insulation attic. For attics cellulose insulation is blown in parallel to the joists. This is the most common type of blown in. Blown in insulation may be used in attics with ample room for an installer. Installation costs for blown in insulation costs around 2 a square foot where installation costs for batts is around 1 a square foot.

According to research done at the oak ridge national lab fiberglass loses up to 50 of its r value in very cold conditions. 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. However that service does add to the cost of restoration. For eco minded homeowners cellulose is often the insulation of choice because it s made from finely shredded recycled cardboard or newspaper.

Often fiberglass batts are used in areas with limited access. 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. At 3 5 per inch of material the r value of blown in cellulose is 23 better per inch than fiberglass batts.

The situation was made much worse by the attic s blown in cellulose insulation. When comparing blown in insulation both fiberglass and cellulose are nearly identical in price both costing around 0 70 to 0 80 per square foot for 6 inches of insulation. 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. Wet blown cellulose is also subject to similar contamination too.

Typically attics with a pitch of 3 12 or greater will provide enough room for an installer to crawl through the trusses. Or 7 inches of cellulose. Dry blown cellulose will characteristically settle and sag in place reducing its r value. Making cellulose a better choice for homes in northern climates.

Fiberglass batts however are less expensive costing on average 0 30 to 0 40 a square foot for 6 inches of insulation. Attic blown cellulose is typically the preferred choice of insulation for attics. In this case we worked with the insurance company and took care of packing out belongings in the attic. Blown in cellulose and fiberglass are excellent products for new construction.

The installation process for dry cellulose insulation looks like this. Once the material becomes wet it s very difficult to clean up.