Cellulose Attic Insulation

LET US SHOW YOU HOW WE CAN KEEP YOU WARM IN THE WINTER AND COOL IN THE SUMMER!

Imagine crawling into bed on a frosty night, only to find that your blankets don't nestle around you. Instead, they rest rigidly on top, offering only surface warmth, not the wrap-around comfort you expected.

Traditional insulation is just like those rigid blankets—effective in keeping away some chill, but not flexible enough to provide deep-down coziness.

Cellulose insulation fills areas completely to effectively stop air infiltration. When Elite Insulation installs it pneumatically, cellulose acts almost like a liquid, flowing into cavities and wrapping itself around obstructions, providing a cozy "blanket" of warmth. This flexibility assures a more effective outcome than with fiberglass batting.

The result is not only a home with an increased comfort level, but one with reduced energy consumption—and notably lower energy costs.

Fiberglass versus Cellulose

Cellulose Insulation Tops Fiberglass in Performance

"R-Value" (an expression of heat transfer resistance) is the standard for measuring insulation performance. At R3.6 to 3.8 per inch, cellulose insulation is considerably better than most mineral fiber blowing wools. But, R-Value is only ONE factor in the energy efficiency of a home. Studies of actual buildings regularly show that cellulose-insulated buildings may use 20% to 40% less energy than buildings with fiberglass, even if the R-value of the insulation in the walls and ceilings is identical.

Cellulose Insulation Tops Fiberglass in Safety

It is a known fact that all residential structures contain large amounts of wood. Cellulose insulation is the only wood-based building material that is always treated for fire retardancy. This precaution makes cellulose insulation one of the safest materials used in home construction.

If a fire occurs, the dense structure of cellulose and its fire retardants slow the spread of fire through the building by blocking flames and hot gases while restricting the availability of oxygen in insulated walls and ceilings. Scientists at the National Research Council Canada report that "cellulose in the wall cavity provided an increase in the fire resistance performance of 22% to 55%." Fire roars right through fiberglass.

To the right are photos of a home insulated with cellulose, which was devastated by fire. As you can see, the cellulose insulation actually contained the fire to the attic space, sparing the majority of the house from damage: (photos courtesy of Applegate Insulation).

Cellulose Insulation Tops Fiberglass in Conforming to House Design

Cellulose insulation flows around obstructions and penetrates odd-shaped cavities, completely filling the voids. This system provides a superior monolithic blanket of insulation, resulting in a tighter and quieter finished home construction. Cellulose Insulation effectively reduces energy costs by conforming to the space where it is applied—even around wires, electrical boxes and pipes causing fewer leaks, fewer drafts and lower heating/cooling costs!

Cellulose Insulation Tops Fiberglass in Infiltration

Cellulose insulation is superior in suppressing air infiltration. Cellulose is two to three times more dense than fiberglass products. This density blocks air better than lightweight fiberglass. In 1990, the University of Colorado-Denver compared the performance of cellulose and fiberglass insulation and found that cellulose insulation was 38% tighter and required 26% less energy.

In a Princeton University study, a group of homes with cellulose re-insulated walls showed an average 24.5% reduction of air infiltration with only the walls re-insulated. In a similar study, the Leominster, Mass. Housing Project for the Elderly found that the cellulose insulated building had a 40% lower leakage than similarly constructed buildings insulated with R-13 fiberglass batts in the walls and R-38 fiberglass batts in the ceiling.

Cellulose Tops Fiberglass by Providing a Superior Sound Barrier

Cellulose Insulation is two to three times denser than similar fiberglass products. When installed, cellulose insulation completely eliminates voids and gaps blocking the avenue for sound travel. In open attics, Cellulose Insulation molds around irregular construction and stays in place, eliminating potential leaks for sound transmission. By keeping the walls, ceilings and floors airtight, sounds are greatly restricted. Traffic noise, airplanes, radios, televisions and conversations will be controlled, providing a more comfortable atmosphere inside your home for your family to enjoy.

Cellulose Insulation Tops Fiberglass in Standards

Cellulose Insulation is covered by the American Society for Testing and Materials Standard Specifications (ASTM). The ASTM covers several material properties, including:

• R-Value
• Flame spread
• Smoldering combustion
• Density
• Corrosiveness
• Odor emission
• Moisture vapor absorption
• Fungi resistance
• Adhesive/cohesive strength (spray on only)
• Cellulose Insulation has the highest standards of any insulation material!

NOTE:
Soffit Baffles:
Proper design of attic ventilation requires a balance between lower intake and upper exhaust. When retrofitting homes with increased insulation, the installation of baffles may be needed to allow air movement from intake to assist in exhausting attic temperature and moisture.