Cellulose Vs Fiberglass Blown In Insulation Attic

According to research done at the oak ridge national lab fiberglass loses up to 50 of its r value in very cold conditions.

Cellulose vs fiberglass blown in insulation attic. Cellulose insulation includes cellulose cells that have natural insulating power. Or 7 inches of cellulose. Fiberglass batts however are less expensive costing on average 0 30 to 0 40 a square foot for 6 inches of insulation. The paper is broken down into cellular fibers that provide insulation.

You can find high r value insulation produced in both fiberglass and blown cellulose. Loose fill fiberglass has an r value of r 2 2 to 2 7 per inch. 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. The higher the r value the higher the performance with heat the insulation has.

Loose fill or blown cellulose insulation is manufactured primarily from recycled newspapers a very benign product so it poses virtually no ongoing health risk. 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. With that said most homeowners agree that blown cellulose is slightly more efficient due to the face that it blocks more air than fiberglass. Cellulose has an r value of r 3 2 to 3 8 per inch.

Both fibreglass and cellulose are the two most inexpensive insulation products that you could use. Making cellulose a better choice for homes in northern climates. You can get to the same place with either material. When should you use blown in attic insulation for your home.

What this basically means is the ability the insulation has to resist heat flow. More consistent pricing from cellulose manufacturers than fiberglass. Cellulose resists blowing when installed fiberglass tends to blow around stick to the attic ceiling and drift. Fiberglass insulation contains billions of tiny glass fibers which contain trapped bubbles of air.

The higher the r value the more efficient it is. 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. Another major weakness of fiberglass insulation which does nothing to stop air from passing through it. It is made of shredded paper plus a fire retardant chemical known as a borate.

Cellulose produces much less static than fiberglass. Fibreglass is perhaps the most common product available in the market for insulation outpacing its close competitor cellulose by 50 1. Cellulose is easier to keep out of bird blocks and air conditioner condensate pans.