Cellulose Vs Fiberglass Blown Attic Insulation

Making cellulose a better choice for homes in northern climates.

Cellulose vs fiberglass blown attic insulation.

Another major weakness of fiberglass insulation which does nothing to stop air from passing through it. Fibreglass is perhaps the most common product available in the market for insulation outpacing its close competitor cellulose by 50 1. 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. The trapped air molecules in the insulation are pulled up through the insulation into the colder attic air.

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

Or 7 inches of cellulose. At 3 5 per inch of material the r value of blown in cellulose is 23 better per inch than fiberglass batts. With that said most homeowners agree that blown cellulose is slightly more efficient due to the face that it blocks more air than fiberglass. Both fibreglass and cellulose are the two most inexpensive insulation products that you could use.

Installation costs for blown in insulation costs around 2 a square foot where installation costs for batts is around 1 a square foot. You can get to the same place with either material. Fiberglass batts however are less expensive costing on average 0 30 to 0 40 a square foot for 6 inches of insulation. This problem has been successfully solved by installing fiberglass batt insulation over the top of loose fill or blown insulation.

According to research done at the oak ridge national lab fiberglass loses up to 50 of its r value in very cold conditions. The bottom line is that cellulose can burn but fiberglass will not support combustion. Fiberglass insulation contains billions of tiny glass fibers which contain trapped bubbles of air. The paper is broken down into cellular fibers that provide insulation.

The higher the r value the more efficient it is. 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 insulation includes cellulose cells that have natural insulating power. You can find high r value insulation produced in both fiberglass and blown cellulose.

It is made of shredded paper plus a fire retardant chemical known as a borate.