Blown Attic Insulation Fiberglass Vs Cellulose

Sometimes loose fill insulation is referred to as blown in insulation because an installer literally blows it into your home with a special machine.

Blown attic insulation fiberglass vs cellulose.

Rather than trying to meticulously lay fiberglass insulation over the attic homeowners and builders can simply blow cellulose insulation throughout the attic. Cellulose retains more of its r value through a wider range of temperatures compared to fiberglass. Blown in cellulose homeowner benefits. Loose fill or blown cellulose insulation is manufactured primarily from recycled newspapers a very benign product so it poses virtually no ongoing health risk.

Unless you opt for spray foam then the insulation choices normally come down to cellulose and fibreglass. Dirty fiberglass batts have a significantly reduced r value. The two main least expensive and most commonly used residential insulation materials is cellulose and fibreglass. Blown cellulose is typically the preferred choice of insulation for attics.

Both fiberglass and cellulose insulation can be installed to completely fill the space inside of wall floor or ceiling cavity. Properly installed they will both remain in place for the life of the home. Cellulose insulation blown in wall r 3 8 r3 9. Cellulose insulation like spray foam insulation limits air movement a study by the university of colorado found that cellulose insulation reduced air leakage by 38.

There are two ways to get your insulation whether fiberglass or cellulose. Fiberglass batts however are less expensive costing on average 0 30 to 0 40 a square foot for 6 inches of insulation. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these insulation materials. Cellulose has an r value of 3 5 3 7 per inch where fiberglass has around 2 1 2 7 r per inch.

How are they similar and how are they different from blown fiberglass vs. Cellulose insulation blown in attic r 3 6 r3 7. Because it is denser than fiberglass cellulose is much more resistant to wind washing. 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.

Batts or loose fill. Air moving through a vented attic deposits dirt and dust into fiberglass batts. This is called wind washing. Very common very problematic.

Higher r value per inch. Fiberglass insulation cannot stop air from passing through it meaning that more than 30 of heat or air conditioning can escape. So it seems to me the real debate.