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While there may be a lot of bad information and outright lies about various insulation materials available today, we
thought you should know some facts so that you can make the right decision for your home and family.
Insulation is rated in R-values; the higher the R-value, the more effective the insulator is....sort of. You see, there
is more to insulation than just R-values. The job of insulation is to block heat transfer: to keep heat out in the summer,
and keep it in during the winter. Heat can be transfered 3 different ways: through convection, conduction, and radiated
heat. R-values only measure heat transfer through conduction. So two different materials can have the same
R-rating, yet perform completely different. What you want as a consumer is an insulator that effectively blocks all three
methods of heat transfer.
Fiberglass has it's shortcomings in regards to it's thermal performance, especially compared to our cellulose insulation.
Fiberglass insulation can lose up to 50% of its rated R-value in extreme temperatures. Even NAIMA (North American Insulation
Manufacturers), a group of fiberglass manufacturers, states in it's Insulation Facts #35 booklet :
"..some light density loose-fill fiberglass products then may see a reduction in thermal performance..."
when attic temperatures change. What does this mean to you as a consumer? Basically it means that when you need it most, in
the heat of summer and in the cold of winter, fiberglass insulation does not perform as well as it's rated.
The University of Colorado School of Architecture and Planning built two identical structures in the winter of '89-'90.
One was insulated with fiberglass, the other with cellulose. They tested both units and found that in addition to using over
25% less energy than the fiberglass unit, the cellulose structure stayed warmer during a nine-hour heat loss test...even though
both attics were rated at the same R-value. They concluded that the cellulose insulation was approximately 38% more effective
than the fiberglass.
In addition to being a poor insulator, fiberglass has some health risk associated with it, also. I'm sure you are familiar
with the itching and skin irritation that fiberglass can cause. This is because the tiny strands and fibers that make
up the insulation can break apart very easily and wind up in your skin and in the air. What happens when it gets in the air
and you breathe it? Well, it goes in your lungs...and stays there. Fiberglass also happens to be listed on the National Toxicology
Program's report on carcinogens as being "resonably anticipated to cause cancer in humans". You can read the complete report here.So, in a nutshell, it's a poor insulator and potentially harmful to your health.
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Cellulose insulation offer more thermal performance than fiberglass, without the health risks associated with fiberglass.
You see, unlike fiberglass insulation, cellulose does not suffer the same reduction in thermal performance when the temperatures
change significantly. So in the summer and winter, you get the insulation performance you paid for. The main reason for cellulose's
superior insulating properties is because it effectively controls all three ways heat can be transfered. Heat transfer
through air (convection) is a key factor and cellulose is superior to fiberglass in this respect: hot air in the
attic goes through the fiberglass and begins to penetrate through your ceiling. But with an attic insulated with cellulose,
a significantly higher percentage of the heat stays in the attic because of it's resistance to heat flow by convection.
You may hear some false claims made by fiberglass companies about cellulose; we've heard them all. They will tell you
that cellulose is highly flammable, that it attracts bugs, that it is a health risk, and all sorts of other things to convince
you to buy fiberglass. The truth is, the have to bad-mouth cellulose, because they know it is a superior product.
They can't sell against it otherwise. But if you want to know the facts, here they are:
- Cellulose is made up of 85% recycled materials, and requires a fraction of the energy to produce (as well as producing
less carbon dioxide) than fiberglass
- Cellulose is treated to be guaranteed fire proof. It carries an Underwriters Labs (UL) class-1 fire rating. The National
Research Council of Canada found it to be more effective at slowing the rate of fires than fiberglass.
- The Tennesee Technological University's department of chemical engineering found that it would take at least 300 years
for the cellulose to lose it's effective fire-proofing agent.
- Cellulose is treated with borates, which are derived from boron, a naturally occuring element. Borates make the cellulose
effectively insect-proof, as well as mold and mildew-proof. Borates have been safely used for years.
- Testing has shown cellulose to be harmless to humans. Pound for pound, a human can actually ingest more cellulose, with
less harmful effects, than regular table salt.
So cellulose has proven to be a more effective insulator, which will save you more money, and pose no known health
risks.
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