Insulation Question
Before a I forget, I have a question for all you house-bloggers out there. Which is better for insulating your attic, rolled bats or blown insulation? We've heard conflicting things about them. Some folks say that rolled insulation offers better coverage than blown insulation, that blown insulation isn't uniformly deep. It has thin spots that don't insulation as well. We have also heard that they are comparable to one another.
So which is it?
It will cost 50% less to have blown insulation put in the attic. That makes it very tempting. On the other hand, we don't want to use inferior insulation. Heating costs are way too high to skimp on this.
Suggestions?
So which is it?
It will cost 50% less to have blown insulation put in the attic. That makes it very tempting. On the other hand, we don't want to use inferior insulation. Heating costs are way too high to skimp on this.
Suggestions?
posted by John | 4:02 AM
5 Comments:
It would depend on what you blow in as well. I think the blown in is better, it gets in to all the areas that are hard to get with the rolls. Cellulose is said to be better than fibreglass by some, there seems to be a lot of debate about it. I'm using stuff called Roxul, it's made out of basalt, it doesn't let as much air pass through as FG and it's fire resistant.
"on the other hand we don't want to use an inferior insulation..."
If that is the case, use closed cell polyurethane foam like Insulstar or Corbond...
I'm no expert and can't even tell you from experience but I have been told by two roofers that inspected the attic before roofing to get about 12 inches of blown in fiberglass. I asked them if that was the best and both said that there wasn't much difference.
Another consideration with insulation is the impact on the environment and air quality. Foam insulation is awful stuff from an air quality stand-point, and will still be there long after your home is gone. Fibreglass is not great for the environment in its construction, and can cause some damage to your lungs in the long run.
I would use either blown in cellulose (recycled newsprint, with a fire coating), or roxol, which is a bi-product of smelting (which is not great for the environment, but its being created already, so we might as well use it).
I believe in the end blown-in is better for an attic as it leaves less air gaps. Cellulose is better than fibreglass too, as it retains more insulative value as it settles over time. Don't let it get wet, though...
More misnomers about foam: Actually, foam is considered a "green product" made (often) from the sugars from beets/soy...Do some investigating on this issue, and you'll learn that foam is not only more "green" than fire-retardant-sprayed-newspaper, but it out performs it considerably.
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