Blown Insulation

Blown insulation is a loose cotton like material that usually consists of either cellulose (cut up paper) or fiberglass. It's a highly cost effective way to add additional savings to your home's utility bills. Depending on your location on this planet, the amount of insulation needed in your home varies. For the southern coastal areas of the United States R-38 to R-49 is usually recommended. You can also check the Regional Insulation Chart at the bottom of the page.

The Basics R-VALUE & INSULATION

Insulation seems to be the cure all for energy efficiency upgrades on most residential homes in the United States. But how does it work. What is the best type of insulation for your home and what are the differences? This video will give you the basics of insulation characteristics, and Terms. Enjoy!

The two types of blown insulation varies in properties. For example, cellulose usually consist of recycled paper and other materials. It's heavier than fiberglass and has a tendancy to decompose at a faster rate than fiberglass. Also cellulose insulation has a tendancy to create more dust in your home. Recent versions of cellulose has reduced these decomposing and dust effects and has also added a fire retardant to help reduce the chances that fire will spread through your home. Also cellulose insulation can also make for a decent air sealer because of it's heavy dense nature. In addition, cellulose is usually made of recycled paper. Although this appears to be a beneficial green product, it has to be made clear that if recycled paper is not used to make more paper then more trees must be used instead. So is cellulose insulation truely green? Food for thought.

Fiberglass is also a recycled material that consists of glass strands that create a cotton like look. It's lighter than cellulose and is also fire proof and formaldhyde free. Fiberglass insulation also resists decomposing better than its cellulose counterpart. Although both materials can be effective in insulating your home, cellulose requires more material to produce the same "R" Value than fiberglass. Also fiberglass insulation creates very little if any dust in your home. Fiberglass can also be added over existing cellulose or fiberglass insulation to achieve a higher "R" value. So how much insulation do you need? Contact SEI and set up an Energy Tune Up Inspection today. At just .15 cents a square foot, an energy inspection is the smartest 1st step you can make towards saving money on your utility bills.

Insulation and Air Sealing 1 of 5

There are many aspects about insulation that are hard to register if you don't have the basic understanding of how insulation works and the terminology that is associated with the energy savings of insulation. This is the first of five videos pertaining to insulation and air sealing. Enjoy!