Pros and Cons of Attic Insulation Types
What's the best cranium insulation? That depends on your definition of "best". An expert abode inspector goes through which attic insulation types piece of work best in specific situations.
What You Demand to Know Nigh Cranium Insulation Types
Looking for the best attic insulation? That respond depends on your definition of "all-time." The best performing fashion to insulate an attic doesn't ever align with the most toll-constructive way.
First, let'southward discuss the most common types of insulation available for attics: fiberglass batts, cellulose, loose-fill up fiberglass and spray foam. More options exist, but these iv materials make up the vast majority of installations. The term "R-value," when used beneath, refers to the material's ability to resist the transfer of heat and measurement looks at "per-inch" units. The higher the number, the better.
Interested in increasing the R-value in your attic? Y'all tin salvage energy with blown in insulation.
Fiberglass Batt Attic Insulation Pros and Cons
Fiberglass batts offer the easiest way to add together attic insulation or just about any area of your dwelling house. Notwithstanding, typically batts offer the worst insulation functioning for whatever chore. Merely grabbing a packet at the store and rolling it out takes fiddling try, so people use them frequently.
The image below shows an atrocious installation found at a two-year-onetime home. The residence stood in an upscale neighborhood and aye, this passed the urban center inspection.
I won't even discuss R-value, because fiberglass batts don't belong in an attic.
Pros and Cons of Cellulose Attic Insulation
Cellulose — recycled, ground-upward paper with boric acid added for insect control and fire resistance — offers a better cranium insulation option than batts. If you choose to install cellulose yourself, you lot tin buy the insulation in numberless from your local habitation-improvement store. If yous buy enough, they'll probably permit yous use an insulation blower for costless. Don't try to buy a single bag and spread it out past paw for spot-insulation: It'south fashion too densely packed.
The cellulose insulation method creates lots of dust, but it gets the task done. If you hire a pro, they utilize moisture-spray cellulose, which adds a small amount of water to aid control the grit and to slightly increase the insulation value per inch.
Cellulose provides an R-value of approximately 3.five per inch. While it doesn't actually create an air barrier, the dense material stops near air movement. That helps control frost in attics. Not completely, of class, but information technology does a pretty expert job. The same cannot exist said for fiberglass.
If you check with the Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association, they'll assure you that cellulose is definitely your best pick for insulation.
Pros and Cons of Loose-Fill Fiberglass Attic Insulation
Loose-fill fiberglass seems to dominate attic insulation in new-construction homes and has an R-value of approximately 2.5 per inch. Like cellulose, you lot need a big machine to accident it in. You tin't simply purchase information technology in numberless and spread information technology around yourself.
Older fiberglass is itchy and bothers your pare and lungs way more than the newer stuff.
Pro tip: Don't even think of doing any blazon of insulation piece of work without wearing a respirator.
A widely publicized report conducted by Oak Ridge Laboratories in 1991 said that loose-fill fiberglass attic insulation lost a lot of its insulation value once temperatures dropped below 20 degrees, making loose-fill fiberglass an inferior product when compared to cellulose. I contacted Andre Omer Desjarlais at Oak Ridge Laboratories about this issue, and he said: "This was true 20 years ago but all fiberglass manufacturers have inverse their products appreciably since then and this is but no longer an issue."
I also contacted several insulation manufacturers about this. They said the same thing and sent me some peachy information to dorsum it up. Loose-fill fiberglass attic insulation still experiences convection, but not about equally much equally old fiberglass used to.
If you check with the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association, they'll clinch you that fiberglass or mineral wool is definitely your best selection for cranium insulation.
Spray Cream Cranium Insulation
Spray foam offers the best cranium insulation performance available. Choose from two types: closed-jail cell and open up-jail cell, aka 2-pound and ½-pound, respectively. They sport insulation values of approximately R-six.5 and R-iii.6 per inch, respectively. When installed properly, both types of insulation fill all of the nooks and crannies in a space and brand for a perfect air bulwark. When air can't motility through information technology, you have zero heat transfer through convection.
With closed-jail cell foam, 2 inches of thickness also serves as a moisture barrier. Because of this and the higher R-value per inch, most foam insulation used in Minnesota is airtight-prison cell. To tell the difference between the two, try poking it with your finger. Y'all can easily poke a hole in open-cell cream, but non airtight-cell foam. That stuff is way also hard. Hither's why spray cream tin can regulate your firm temperature.
The large downside to either blazon of spray-foam insulation lies in cost. It's expensive stuff, and it shouldn't be installed by a DIYer. Of grade, that's non to say it tin't be washed, it merelyshouldn't exist done. It requires good utilize of a spray foam gun. Professionals already have a hard enough time getting information technology correct.
The paradigm below shows a botched spray-cream installation at the rim joist of a new-construction home that I inspected.
I drawback: Spray foam insulation requires the off-gassing of toxic poisons. I'm no expert on that matter, so I won't talk over. Some people express concerns about it, then do your own research. After conducting my ain research, I concluded that I was comfortable putting it in my own dwelling.
About the Writer:
Rueben Saltzman is the president and owner of Structure Tech Home Inspections
Source: https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/attic-insulation-types/
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