Blown Attic Insulation

How To Choose The Right Type Of Blown Attic Insulation

When comparing blown attic insulation with other options for attic insulation, it comes out on top. Traditional options used to insulate your homes attic, such as rolled batt or wool insulation, have been proven to be less effective on lowering energy loss from your home. This is because blown insulation can create a more thorough blanket of insulation, completely covering all the cracks and crevices that your attic may contain. This covering will create a radiant barrier that will insulate your attic from the loss of energy. There are two main materials used to make blown attic insulation: cellulose and fiberglass. They each have their own benefits and risks, making choosing the correct one for your home and needs difficult. While it has long been suspected that fiberglass insulation contains carcinogens, cellulose insulation is thought to be a hazard for fire.

While in 1994 the American government did list fiberglass as a material that could possibly be a carcinogen, a letter written to Congress by the Health and Human Services department declared that fiberglass poses no major threat to us in our lives on a day to day basis. The major risk concern is during the installation of fiberglass insulation, wether it be blown or batt, due to the small particles that can be inhaled. While this may be a threat during installation and can cause lung damage to those who install it on a regular basis, it is preventable by simply wearing the proper mask during the installation process. Once laid, fiberglass does not show to be a serious threat to the average persons health.

Cellulose insulation's main material is newspaper that has been recycled. Due to the extremely high flammability of newspapers some are concerned about its use. However, the newspaper used in cellulose insulation has been treated with chemicals, such as boric acid, ammonium sulfate, or sodium borate, that make it fire resistant. These chemicals are capable of keeping their fire retardant capabilities even in the extreme temperatures that can occur in an attic space. These chemicals, that have been found to be safe for people, also have the added benefit of repelling mold and pests. However, there have been times when cellulose has been found to cause a fire, indirectly. The ultimate cause of the fires has almost always been the combination of the cellulose installation and older recessed light fixtures. The heat that is generated from the bulbs is trapped by the insulation and the fixture becomes too hot, causing a fire. This issue can be resolved with newer light fixtures that include internal thermostats that turn off the light should it become too hot.

Both cellulose and fiberglass blown attic insulation will compact and settle once installed. How they settle will determine what is called the R-value, a measurement of the amount of heat that can flow through the material. The higher the number, the better of a insulator a material is. Blown cellulose insulation  has a higher R-value because it settles deeper than fiberglass. Most blown cellulose insulation settles at an R-value of around 3 per inch while blown fiberglass insulation is anywhere from 2.1 to 2.7 per inch. Another issue of blown fiberglass insulation is that as the temperatures between the attic and living spaces becomes drastically different, the R-value decreases. This can be extreme in very cold areas where the reduction can be up to half. In the end cellulose can burn while fiberglass will not. While fiberglass will melt, it will not accelerate the fire.

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