Blown Attic Insulation Fiberglass Vs Cellulose

More consistent pricing from cellulose manufacturers than fiberglass.

Blown attic insulation fiberglass vs cellulose.

Making cellulose a better choice for homes in northern climates. 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. Unless you opt for spray foam then the insulation choices normally come down to cellulose and fibreglass. 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.

Installation costs for blown in insulation costs around 2 a square foot where installation costs for batts is around 1 a square foot. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these insulation materials. According to research done at the oak ridge national lab fiberglass loses up to 50 of its r value in very cold conditions. Batt insulation take time to read this column.

Cellulose is easier to keep out of bird blocks and air conditioner condensate pans. 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. Cellulose produces much less static than fiberglass. Cellulose resists blowing when installed fiberglass tends to blow around stick to the attic ceiling and drift.

Batt insulation is available at home centers and lumberyards. With that said most homeowners agree that blown cellulose is slightly more efficient due to the face that it blocks more air than fiberglass. Attic insulation is accomplished with either fiberglass blankets batt or blown in insulation. Before choosing blown vs.

The two main least expensive and most commonly used residential insulation materials is cellulose and fibreglass. By nature the cells inside the cellulose insulation have their own insulating power. The higher the r value the more efficient it is. Loose fill or blown cellulose insulation is manufactured primarily from recycled newspapers a very benign product so it poses virtually no ongoing health risk.

In contrast to fiberglass insulation cellulose insulation does not trap air in between it s fibers to control heat. At 3 5 per inch of material the r value of blown in cellulose is 23 better per inch than fiberglass batts. Or 7 inches of cellulose. Which means cellulose insulation can be compressed into a space and offer additional r value.

Fiberglass batts however are less expensive costing on average 0 30 to 0 40 a square foot for 6 inches of insulation. 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. You can find high r value insulation produced in both fiberglass and blown cellulose. How are they similar and how are they different from blown fiberglass vs.