blown cellulose vs. foam insulation
sharron8745
15 years ago
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mmblz
15 years agosniffdog
15 years agoRelated Discussions
Blown paper cellulose insulation
Comments (3)I am using the cellulose insulation in my house under construction and it is a great product - provides excellent R value and sound proofing. We just turned the geothermal HVAC on and the house is nice and cool - no hot spots. And we don't even have the attic insulation in yet. In your area the moisture in the air is really high - I would do some research on using cellulose in your area. I would worry about the cellulose absorbing moisture like a sponge. If you do decide to use the cellulose - I would still have the spaces between the joists done in foam because the cellulose doesn't stick as well in smaller spaces. We had 4 inches of foam sprayed into those areas. All foam would be better but it does cost more (I was told 2 to 3 times more than celluose but never confirmed that cost). There may be some savings on the HVAC system if you go with foam so the total delta over cellulose would need to be looked at from a total system perspective. Regargless of the insulation selected - make sure you have them caulk all of the spaces between the studs where wall sgements meet, around the base of the floor, etc. Caulk everywhere! I was amazed at how many airways there were through the walls even with insulation in. If you don't caulk the small seams and gaps- you won't see the energy savings that you are paying for with the better insulation products. We also had a lot of angled corners and I made the builder drill holes into those wedge areas and fill them with foam. It took 2 workers less than a day to caulk and foam the angled voids throughout the house - not a big expense. Best of luck...See MoreSprayed-on cellulose vs. blown-in fiberglass??
Comments (13)Thank you all for your responses. Your replies are pretty much in line with my initial thoughts and impressions of the different products. sierraeast-we are not in a huge hurry to drywall the house (within reason of course), so I am not that concerned about the moisture evaporating. Besides, we have not been moving at warp speed up to this point, and I see no reason to believe that my GC will suddenly have a process in place to change things. Anyway, I would imagine that for a product that recommends a 2-3 day evaporation period, an entire week + would suffice. worthy- thank you for the info on the window insulation. Can you share a brand name of the foam? Also, I appreciate your thoughts on the use of blown-in cellulose in the attic spaces. bungeii- I appreciate the advice on the EPA inspector. I don't know how far out they are scheduled, but we would like to be insulating on Monday. We already pushed them off this past week. I have a question about the air infiltration issues that you mentioned. We have 2 bedrooms, a loft area in our 2 story foyer, the bonus room over the garage, the office, and a bathroom all with knee walls. What exactly do I need to be concerned about in particular? From the way it was explained to me, the knee walls would be insulated in the same manor as the exterior walls of the house. Do they need to do something in addition to this? THANKS!...See MoreCellulose vs Blow in Fiberglass vs Batts in Ceiling
Comments (1)cellulose blown in creates a better seal than batts. But it will settle a little over time. I prefer cellulose blown in. I think cellulose is also heavier and denser. I had only 2 inches of pink batts in my attic rafters. I filled about 6 inches of cellulose over the top of this. Its helped quite a bit. It doesn't seem to have settled much....See MoreClosed cell foam vs. Cellulose for basement insulation?
Comments (1)Moisture sensitive insulation is not appropriate for basements unless it is separated by a non moisture sensitive insulation. Closed cell insulation, which I have installed when the budget provides for it, is fine as long as it is protected by an approved thermal barrier. However, it's not a good choice for a retrofit unless you plan to be out of the home for at least a day due to the fumes. Also, there is risk if the applicator is not an experienced and trained person. This is no place for bargain-hunting. Extruded polystyrene followed by wood framing. A less expensive alternative would be sheets of extruded polystyrene affixed to the foundation wall followed by framing filled with fibreglass, rockwool or cellulose, all protected by an approved thermal barrier, typically drywall....See Morebrickeyee
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