When it comes time to insulate your attic, often you will have the choice of cellulose or fiberglass insulation. Both cost about the same and get the job done, but each comes with unique benefits that you should consider depending on your circumstances. Here is what you need to know to make the right choice for your home.
What is the difference between the two? Fiberglass is exactly what its name implies, strands of very thin glass broken down to fibers to make the insulation. Cellulose is made from wood pulp products, like newspapers, and has chemicals added to retard fire and repel insects.
Which does the best job? Both products will do a good job insulating your home. It takes about 15% more depth of the fiberglass insulation to obtain the same R value as the cellulose. The key thing is the quality of the insulation installation. Both products take different technical skills to install them properly and the quality of the installation can make a huge difference in how well the products perform to insulate your home.
So, Which is the Best? The only benefit fiberglass insulation seems to have over cellulose insulation is that if you think you will need to crawl around in your attic for a future project, like installing can lights or a media system, the fiberglass is much easier to wade through than cellulose. The benefits of cellulose insulation—like the fire retardant, bug repellent, and sound proofing—make it the better choice.
One More Thing-Air Flow! The science of insulation has a lot to do with air expansion and contraction and air movement. A very important part of the success of your insulation’s performance is the air movement in your attic. Make sure you have the right ventilation system working in your attic. CLICK HERE for more information on attic ventilation.
Here is an interesting video on why cellulose is better than fiberglass: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdSBRPnFvlM
If you are interested in getting your north Texas home insulated, contact Kevin at http://www.eagledfw.com.
Take care,
Mike
