| While some folks
may balk at the thought of filling their walls with old issues
of the Albany Times Union or spreading shredded copies of the
Manhattan phone book in their attic, the simple fact is that
cellulose insulation, made from recycled newsprint, is a very
effective insulation product.
Cellulose advocates generally
cite four major advantages: 1) high R-values, 2) effectiveness
at stopping drafts and air infiltration, 3) environmental
benefits, and 4) health benefits. Let's look at each of these.
In terms of insulation value,
most cellulose has an R-value of about 3.0-3.7 per inch,
substantially higher than most loose-fill fiberglass. To get
R-30 in an attic, for instance, you may need only 9 inches of
cellulose versus 13 inches of fiberglass.
Most building scientists would
agree that cellulose is more effective at stopping air movement
than fiberglass. Since all voids are filled (difficult to
achieve with batts), and since the cellulose itself is more
effective at stopping air movement, this system makes a very
tight house.
Using our system, called
dense-pack, the cellulose is pumped dry into the walls at much
higher densities so that it won't settle even without binders.
The high density of the material makes it even more effective as
a barrier to air movement.
The third advantage mentioned
for cellulose is that it has environmental benefits. By using
recycled newsprint, this industry strengthens the market for
what otherwise was going to the landfills, saving expensive
landfill space and helping to pay for recycling programs.
Another aspect of environmental
impact is the pollution caused by the manufacture of the
products. From this perspective, cellulose is viewed as creating
"negligible" pollution, whereas fiberglass which uses a lot more
energy to manufacture, creates more pollution associated with
that energy use, but in any case, with dense packing, it saves
12% more energy in the first year alone than what is used by
it’s manufacturer.
Finally, the health issue has
been so clouded by people and groups promoting or attacking
various products that it is difficult to sort it out. All of the
insulation products mentioned have been demonstrated to be
irritants at least to some people, and should therefore be
isolated from the living space. Most of the dangers associated
with these products seem to relate much more to those involved
in making or installing them, as opposed to those living in
houses where they are used.
The key is to have an effective
air barrier between the insulation and the people. This means,
for instance, that the ducts going through the attic should be
totally sealed so that you aren't sucking insulation — of any
kind — into the system and blowing it around the house every
time your heating system kicks on.
Another example would be to
weather-strip around your attic access door. This will not only
keep insulation out of your lungs, but will also help keep 130°
attic air out of your house when you're running the air
conditioning.
The bottom line? Any of the
insulation products on the market can be effective and safe. The
key is to make sure they are installed absolutely perfectly and
in strict accordance with the manufacturer's specifications,
preferably by a church choir supervised by a doctor with a
lawyer looking on, or in the absence thereof, The
Insulation Experts at
Insulex!
>
Links to Manufacturers
http://www.cellulose.com/
http://www.thermocon.com/ |
