Better For Attic Insulation Fiberglass Or Cellulose

Fiberglass is a suspected carcinogen.

Better for attic insulation fiberglass or cellulose.

It has a better resistance to air flow and prevents the upward movement of air caused by temperature differences. Cellulose forms a dense continuous mat of insulation in your attic. Blown cellulose is typically the preferred choice of insulation for attics. The thermal performance of fiberglass insulation is directly related to its ability to trap and maintain very small pockets of air.

This keeps the air from moving within the insulation and from penetrations between the air conditioned space and the attic. At 3 5 per inch of material the r value of blown in cellulose is 23 better per inch than fiberglass batts. Cellulose is more difficult to cheat than fiberglass. Sloppy people aren t suited for this job.

Cellulose has 38 better air infiltration than fiberglass. Cellulose provides better sound insulation than fiberglass i e homes are less noisy with it. Both fibreglass and cellulose are the two most inexpensive insulation products that you could use. Loose fill insulation is just better.

Sources many fiberglass installers fluff the fiber with extra air so you don t get as much insulation as you re supposed to. Fiberglass and cellulose have similar r values with ranges depending on how and where they are installed. Cellulose has a slightly higher r factor a unit of thermal resistance with an r value of approximately 3 0 per inch while fiberglass ranges from r 2 1 to r 2 7. Fibreglass is perhaps the most common product available in the market for insulation outpacing its close competitor cellulose by 50 1.

According to research done at the oak ridge national lab fiberglass loses up to 50 of its r value in very cold conditions. Blown in fiberglass creates a seamless blanket in your attic. Batts must be cut tightly and you can t have gaps. Cellulose and fiberglass have similar insulating values.

Cellulose insulation is considered green as it is made from recycled newspaper and requires less energy to manufacture than fiberglass insulation. When installed properly in similar areas they perform about the same at 3 5 to 3 7 r value. Making cellulose a better choice for homes in northern climates. Rather than trying to meticulously lay fiberglass insulation over the attic homeowners and builders can simply blow cellulose insulation throughout the attic.

The higher the r value the better the insulation performs.