During the hottest and coldest months of the year is the temperature of your home out of control? Maybe you should start looking in your attic for answers. The insulation in your attic is the first line of defense for keeping that extreme weather out of your home. Blown-in fiberglass insulation could be a great option for your next home energy efficiency improvement project. Each different type of blown-in insulation has its own pros and cons that can affect your decision when remodeling your attic. An attic that is properly insulated not only can save you money on your monthly bills but can also help extend the life of your roof and heating and cooling systems while maintaining comfort in your home. Let’s take a look at the 3 main pros and cons of blown-in fiberglass insulation.
Pros of Fiberglass Insulation
Affordable and Renewable
Fiberglass insulation is made from almost 50% recycled glass that is heated and spun into tiny threads that when combined resemble cotton candy. The rest is made from silica sand that is hyper-heated over 3,000 degrees to form new glass. Consisting of recycled material and cheap renewable materials makes fiberglass an affordable insulation product.
Fire and Moisture Resistant
Since the process of creating fiberglass involves heating all its materials to extremely high temperatures, it’s easy to see that this product will be a safe option for your home in case of a fire. Also, the materials used to make fiberglass are naturally moisture resistant, which means it is far less prone to mold and mildew growth, especially in more humid climates.
Easy to Install and Longevity
Fiberglass insulation comes in different forms such as rolls, or “batts”, and loose-fill, or “blown-in”, which gives you easy options to insulate your attic. Loose-fill fiberglass is the least messy of the 3 types of blown-in insulation and is fast and easy to install. Once your insulation is properly installed it can last around 100 years without losing much of its performance value.
Cons of Fiberglass Insulation
Lower Overall Performance
Compared to the 3 other types of blown-in insulation, fiberglass does not rate nearly as high in its ability to resist heat flow ( R-value ) meaning you will need deeper insulation to get the same performance as the others. Also, fiberglass does not dampen sound or repel pests at the levels of other products on the market.
Loses Performance Easily
Even though it is easy to install, fiberglass is so fluffy that it makes it more difficult to get into smaller gaps and cracks leaving bigger air spaces in the insulation driving down performance. Fiberglass is also more susceptible to compaction over time and when walked through further bringing down its insulation value.
Eco-Friendly
Despite being made with recycled and renewable materials the process of making fiberglass is not eco-friendly. The factories that produce fiberglass use a ton of energy to run the furnaces and machinery, and they produce a lot of air pollutants.
There are a lot of things to consider when planning out your next home energy efficiency improvement project. Blown-in fiberglass insulation is just one option to consider when thinking about upgrading the efficiency of your attic. Whether your goal is cleaner energy with a smaller carbon footprint, affordability, or maximum performance, there are options to fit everyone’s goals and lifestyle. Home Shield Insulation in Charlotte N.C. is dedicated to providing our customers with the best sales, service, and education when it comes to making your home more energy efficient. Let us work with you to create the best plan for making your home more comfortable while providing cleaner, healthier air and saving you money!
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