Fiberglass Insulation Vs Cellulose Insulation For Attic

Many fiberglass installers fluff the fiber with extra air so you don t get as much insulation as you re supposed to.

Fiberglass insulation vs cellulose insulation for attic.

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. Cellulose insulation is also chemically treated to resist fire insects and mold. It has a better resistance to air flow and prevents the upward movement of air caused by temperature differences. Air moving through a vented attic deposits dirt and dust into fiberglass batts.

Or 7 inches of cellulose. Dirty fiberglass batts have a significantly reduced r value. This is called wind washing. Fiberglass is a suspected carcinogen.

Rather than trying to meticulously lay fiberglass insulation over the attic homeowners and builders can simply blow cellulose insulation throughout the attic. Cellulose provides better sound insulation than fiberglass i e homes are less noisy with it. This allows the insulation to get into the small pockets and crevices that fiberglass wouldn t be able to. The two main least expensive and most commonly used residential insulation materials is cellulose and fibreglass.

Unless you opt for spray foam then the insulation choices normally come down to cellulose and fibreglass. Cellulose insulation is considered green as it is made from recycled newspaper and requires less energy to manufacture than fiberglass insulation.