Cellulose Vs Fiberglass Blown Attic Insulation

Fiberglass batts however are less expensive costing on average 0 30 to 0 40 a square foot for 6 inches of insulation.

Cellulose vs fiberglass blown attic insulation.

Loose fill or blown cellulose insulation is manufactured primarily from recycled newspapers a very benign product so it poses virtually no ongoing health risk. Installation costs for blown in insulation costs around 2 a square foot where installation costs for batts is around 1 a square foot. 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. More consistent pricing from cellulose manufacturers than fiberglass. Another important benefit from dense packed cellulose is its ability to limit air movement which cuts down on heat loss through convection. Fibreglass is perhaps the most common product available in the market for insulation outpacing its close competitor cellulose by 50 1.

Another major weakness of fiberglass insulation which does nothing to stop air from passing through it. Fiberglass insulation contains billions of tiny glass fibers which contain trapped bubbles of air. 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.

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. Both fibreglass and cellulose are the two most inexpensive insulation products that you could use. 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.

Or 7 inches of cellulose. The paper is broken down into cellular fibers that provide insulation. According to research done at the oak ridge national lab fiberglass loses up to 50 of its r value in very cold conditions. Cellulose resists blowing when installed fiberglass tends to blow around stick to the attic ceiling and drift.

This problem has been successfully solved by installing fiberglass batt insulation over the top of loose fill or blown insulation. At 3 5 per inch of material the r value of blown in cellulose is 23 better per inch than fiberglass batts. Cellulose insulation includes cellulose cells that have natural insulating power. The higher the r value the more efficient it is.

The bottom line is that cellulose can burn but fiberglass will not support combustion.