Cellulose Vs Fiberglass Blown Attic Insulation

Cellulose produces much less static than fiberglass.

Cellulose vs fiberglass blown attic insulation. 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. Another major weakness of fiberglass insulation which does nothing to stop air from passing through it. Another important benefit from dense packed cellulose is its ability to limit air movement which cuts down on heat loss through convection. You can find high r value insulation produced in both fiberglass and blown 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. The bottom line is that cellulose can burn but fiberglass will not support combustion. Making cellulose a better choice for homes in northern climates. It is made of shredded paper plus a fire retardant chemical known as a borate.

You can get to the same place with either material. 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. Or 7 inches of cellulose. The paper is broken down into cellular fibers that provide insulation.

More consistent pricing from cellulose manufacturers than fiberglass. Fiberglass batts however are less expensive costing on average 0 30 to 0 40 a square foot for 6 inches of insulation. At 3 5 per inch of material the r value of blown in cellulose is 23 better per inch than fiberglass batts. Installation costs for blown in insulation costs around 2 a square foot where installation costs for batts is around 1 a square foot.

This problem has been successfully solved by installing fiberglass batt insulation over the top of loose fill or blown insulation. Both fibreglass and cellulose are the two most inexpensive insulation products that you could use. With that said most homeowners agree that blown cellulose is slightly more efficient due to the face that it blocks more air than fiberglass. 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.

Cellulose resists blowing when installed fiberglass tends to blow around stick to the attic ceiling and drift. The trapped air molecules in the insulation are pulled up through the insulation into the colder attic air. Fibreglass is perhaps the most common product available in the market for insulation outpacing its close competitor cellulose by 50 1. 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.