Cellulose Insulation comprises 15% recycled paper fibers and 85% stabilized boron nitride or ammonium phosphate. This is definitely one of the greenest insulation choices, especially if you prefer to minimize the use of non-renewable resources. It can be found in fine pieces, making it compatible with sprayed-in applications using a specialist machine. It is also an extremely lightweight choice, weighing in at less than half a pound per square foot. And because it is completely biodegradable, it is considered just as safe as wood cellulose fiberboard.
You don’t have to build your DIY project from scratch for this product. Just get the fiberboard or plywood from a hardware store, and then measure, cut, and drill holes for the tubing. The product can be made into panels, and these are glued into place as a sort of DIY air seal. You can even add a PVC joint to prevent moisture from building up between the two sheets.
Many people like to install DIY project kits that include fiberglass insulation for this purpose. However, if you do this, you must make sure the kit includes the proper amount of cross-linker and the cellulose batt insulation. If you don’t use the right blend, you’ll find that your home will have an uneven heat gain and loss. On the other hand, if you get all the right materials, it will be a completely effective thermal barrier.
The R-value refers to the thermal resistance value of a material. The higher the R-value, the more effectively it conducts heat. Lower values produce cooler temperatures, and lower R-values mean warmer temperatures. That’s why rolled foil is often used to insulate against solar heat gain. The blown-in cellulose batt insulation has a low R-value, which makes it excellent at blocking solar heat, but it doesn’t perform very well at keeping heat out of the house.
The average cost of this product varies depending on the manufacturer and type of cellulose batt insulation. A high-end manufacturer might quote a low R-value for their product because it is highly resistant to moisture, but it will also be quite expensive. A manufacturer specializing in this product may quote a slightly lower average cost, but the quality will be far better. It’s definitely worth paying a bit more for high-end protection, but don’t pay too much for mediocre performance.
Another way to determine the cost is by considering how much wall area will be covered. If a home has two-wall studs and is insulated with batt insulation, then the cost will be about ten cents per square foot. For a three-wall studded house, the average cost is about eleven cents per square foot. And for a four-wall studded house, the cost is about fifteen cents per square foot. It might take more than one square foot of insulation to keep the average house warm. That’s the reason that batt insulation can be installed on homes with many different wall studs.
If you’re looking for an extremely efficient method of keeping your home cool, consider fiberglass insulation materials. It performs as well as any other option on the market. It provides a premium finish and good value for money since it’s a tough, durable product that won’t crack or rot. It’s possible to install these exterior walls with a roller underlayment because fiberglass panels are easy to install on floors that support them.
As with batt insulation, fiberglass is best if it’s properly installed because this type of material is more expensive to install than other types. However, if you choose this option, you’ll appreciate the fact that fiberglass is available in R-values of seven. R-values indicate how much thermal resistance the fibers can provide. The more fibers per square inch you have in a square foot, the better the thermal resistance to the outside environment.