Blown In Insulation -- Practical And Economical
One of the easiest forms of insulation to add to your home -- particularly if you want to add insulation after your home has already been constructed (commonly called a retrofit) is blown in insulation. Blown in insulation is a good choice because it will not normally require you to tear down large sections of your walls -- it is a minimally invasive technique. Blown in Insulation: Which Areas Should Be Insulated? Blown in insulation is a good choice when you want to insulate walls, ceilings and floors. Blown in insulation is a good way to insulate these large areas because, once blown in, the insulation will accumulate and fill up all the little, hard to reach spaces. Blown in insulation is a good option if you are looking to save money, because typically the insulators used are made from recycled material, and are blown in through a flexible tube or pipe, minimizing the number of workmen needed to do the job (thereby lowering your labor costs). Advantages and Disadvantages of Blown in Insulation As mentioned before, blown in insulation is inexpensive, safe, and very environmentally friendly. Blown in insulation provides a fairly decent R-value (3.4 and greater), and a Class I fire safety rating. The procedure for installing this insulation is simple: drill a hole in the wall or ceiling, the insulation is pumped in, and then the hole is sealed off -- that's all there is to it! There are a few disadvantages of using the blown in insulation method: For one thing, blown in insulation does not do a very good job in sealing up areas such as around plumbing pipes, electrical wiring or junction boxes. In addition, the materials which are blown in can, over time, settle -- and if you have put a lot of blown in insulation in an overhead ceiling, the weight of the material may cause your ceiling to sag (depending upon what type of insulating material was chosen). Types of Blown in Insulation Materials Which Are Available One of the most common materials used in blown in insulation is cellulose. Most cellulose insulation products used in the US have been treated with aluminum sulfate -- is used as a flame and fire retardant -- but its effectiveness can be lowered if it comes in contact with moisture. A variation is wet-spray cellulose. This is cellulose mixed with water and a special adhesive -- when it is blown in the adhesive helps the insulation to bind together. Typically this type of cellulose is sprayed in and then allowed to dry thoroughly before the area is sealed. Another common blown in insulation material is fiberglass. There is some concern, however, that fiberglass may be a potential carcinogen. Other materials which are used as blown in insulation filler are such things as vermiculite, perlite, rock and slag wool -- and from time to time even things such as cotton, hemp, corncobs, granulated cork and wood chips have been used as insulator materials. One of the problems with natural materials (such as wood chips and others) is that they are subject to deterioration over time, especially if the material becomes wet or damp. |
