Cellulose blown-in insulation
Cellulose insulation is a form of blown-in insulation. Cellulose insulation contains up to 85% recycled newsprint. Borate and ammonium sulfate make up the rest of the mixture and also acts as a fire retardant. These chemicals are also an excellent deterrent for rodents, mold, and even insects within the walls. Cellulose blown-in insulation is popular because it also fills in many corners and gaps that traditional insulation misses. Cellulose insulation installation is done by blowing insulation into an area with a high powered machine. It is not something that should be attempted by a weekend warrior.
The goal of cellulose insulation (in addition to the added goal of insulating your home) is to reduce the amount of trash going to landfills by diverting paper from waste disposal. The newspapers we recycle every week are a key component of cellulose insulation. Paper products are the BIGGEST single source going into our landfills today. By recycling materials, cellulose insulation is literally saving tons of oil, water and other natural resources. The environmental savings is simply an added bonus to using cellulose insulation since it is extremely efficient. Cellulose insulation price points are very competitive with other types of insulation. To learn more about cellulose insulation check out this video from CIMA.
Cellulose insulation and installation technology is highly sophisticated. This material is much more effective in preventing air infiltration than fiberglass insulation batts. Cellulose is the ONLY Green, high-performance, energy efficient insulation available. Benefits of cellulose include superior protection against moisture, mold, vermin, sound, & fire. By every measure, cellulose insulation is superior to fiberglass.
Cellulose also exceeds the performance of low-density foam products, by delivering greater R-Value, enhanced fire and sound performance, and exceptional moisture management capabilities. Cellulose is the only environmentally friendly, high performance insulation. Our method of spraying or injecting cellulose into cavities at high densities ensures that it achieves a tight air barrier, without the voids or gaps of conventional insulation. This air barrier also blocks the flow of moisture , since airflow accounts for 98% of moisture transfer, ensuring your home will be free of rot, mold, and condensation-related problems.
Cellulose installation procedure:
Exterior walls - The first step of the installation procedure is to remove the siding from building to be insulated. One full strip for each floor will be removed for the whole perimeter of the building. Depending on the house usually every sixteen inches to twenty four inches there will be a stud.
The space in between studs is referred to as a “bay.” A hole must be drilled for every bay on every floor. A machine will then pump the cellulose through a hose into the house to reach the desired R-value. Every hole is then plugged and, siding is put back on.
Attic Insulation Installation – If the attic is not insulated at all and the bays are open, then a hose is run directly through a vent from the exterior of the house (or if no other option is available, through the house). Starting from the most convenient point the installer will then proceed to evenly spray approximately thirteen inches of cellulose insulation where applicable covering the whole attic space. If the attic has flooring, then approximately every four feet the floor should be pulled up to expose the bays. The hose is then inserted under floored bays and cellulose is pumped in at the approximate value you of R13. The floor boards are then reattached or replaced.
