5/11/2021 - One of the most important features of the home is something that you never see again once it's installed: the insulation! Not only does it keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but the type of insulation that we use (blown cellulose) is sound deadening and eco-friendly. (NOTE: We chose to insulate the floor, ceiling and walls around the master bedroom to make a super cozy den and I am GLAD we did. Especially since we did LVP floors throughout which I adore, but they do NOT absorb sound like carpet.)
It’s made of 80% post-consumer recycled newsprint. The fiber is chemically treated with non-toxic borate compounds (20% by weight) to resist fire, insects and mold. Cellulose insulation is safe. It is made of paper, but the chemical treatment provides it with permanent fire resistance. There’s been static generated by the fiberglass industry warning that cellulose could burn. But independent testing confirms it’s safe and cellulose is approved by all building codes. In fact, many professionals consider cellulose to be more fire-safe than fiberglass. This claim rests on the fact that cellulose fibers are more tightly packed, effectively choking wall cavities of combustion air, preventing the spread of fire through framing cavities.
One of my Dad's favorite demonstrations for customers is the "R-value" demonstration between
fiberglass batts and blown cellulose. Though both have similar "R-values" as tested in a lab - using a heat flow meter to measure the transfer of heat through the mediums with no humidity or air movement...which would be accurate if all homes were built inside laboratories! In the real world, homes exist in environments with breezes, humidity, etc. Dad does a great quick demonstration, but here is a more in depth version:
Cellulose insulation provides greater resistance to air leakage and for me this huge. The fiberglass industry points to tests demonstrating air leakage can be controlled with dedicated air-barrier systems. True. Install perfectly continuous sheathing, caulks, gaskets and sealants and you will block air leakage effectively with fiberglass or cellulose. But the simple fact remains: densely packed cellulose blocks air better than fiberglass. Fiberglass relies on trapped air for its insulation value. Cellulose is made from wood fiber and the cellular structure of wood is naturally more resistant to the conduction of heat. When dedicated air-barrier systems are not installed perfectly (which they seldom are), cellulose wins. All caulks over time will age and crack and most homeowners perform very little regular maintenance. Our goal is to provide long-lasting energy efficiency with minimal effort on the part of the homeowner. So to us, cellulose is a no-brainer. It is much more efficient than fiberglass and less expensive and toxic than foam. I have reactive airway disease and am very sensitive to environmental toxins (as are my precious children), so while the tightness of the foam insulation appealed to me, the toxic off-gassing was the deciding factor to avoid it. Not everyone has the same level of sensitivity that my family has, so I'm not saying that foam insulation is a bad choice for everyone, it's just a choice I opted to personally steer away from.