Over 400,000 homes in the U.S. are not insulated. Even more homes across the U.S. are improperly insulated. Dense pack cellulose, if installed by a professional, can lower energy cost by 50%. Let Nicely Done show you the Best way to insulate your existing home. 15″ of DPC in your attic space will provide a value of R50. While Siding your home, it is cost effective to Blow insulation through existing exterior wall without damaging sheetrock/plaster in your home. DPC is a green product, no carcinogens, high energy rating, and is mold, roach and termite proof. DPC consists of 80 % recycled materials.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cellulose Insulation Compared to Icynene Foam Insulation
National Fiber’s cellulose insulation is a cost effective alternative to Icynene and other low density foam products, outperforming them in all of the critical aspects below:
Thermal
National Fiber’s cellulose insulation has an R-value of 3.8 per inch; Icynene has an R-value of 3.6 per inch. Cellulose fully fills the building cavities providing an effective barrier to air movement. During the installation of Icynene, large air pockets or voids form reducing its effective R-value. Many Icynene installers also under fill the building cavities further reducing thermal performance of these assemblies. With our NuWool spray applied cellulose, we will guarantee the building’s heating and cooling costs and help size the mechanical equipment; Icynene will not.
Sound
Cellulose insulation is very effective at attenuating sound. Its Sound Transmission Class rating in a 2 x 4 wall with half inch sheetrock on each side is 41, compared to only 37 for Icynene, a noticeable difference. There are many cellulose insulated, cost effective sound wall designs to choose from.
Fire
Of the commonly used insulation materials, cellulose insulation outperforms all others in terms of fire safety. With cellulose, there are over 95 UL fire rated wall and floor/ceiling assemblies to choose from. Our insulation is classified as a Class A material with a flame spread of 15 and a smoke developed of 5. By contrast, Icynene has a flame spread of 25 and a smoke developed of 450. When fire occurs in a foam insulated building, flames spread quickly producing large quantities of smoke and toxic combustion byproducts. Tests by Omega Point Labs have shown that 14.5 inches of cellulose exceeds the performance of conventional two inch wood fire blocking. Icynene will not perform as a fire block and in many instances does not fully fill the building cavity, allowing a pathway for rapid flame spread.
Mold
National Fiber’s NuWool spray applied insulation contains a borate based EPA registered fungicide that resists mold growth, even in high moisture areas. Only materials containing an EPA registered fungicide can legally make this claim; Icynene cannot. Cellulose is also hygroscopic, meaning that in addition to managing moisture throughout the insulation, it also helps dry and protect the materials adjacent to it. Icynene is hydrophobic, allowing water to accumulate and damage the surrounding framing and sheathing materials.
Environmental
Cellulose contains over 82% recycled material and requires very little embodied energy to manufacture (750 btu/lb). Icynene on the other hand is manufactured from non-renewable petrochemicals, has no recycled content and requires substantial amounts of energy (18,000 btu/lb) to produce. Also, the overspray for spray applied cellulose is recovered and reused while the overspray from Icynene is trimmed off and taken to the landfill.
Cellulose insulation exceeds the performance of Icynene foam in all of these critical areas. Cellulose is clearly a better value than foam and is the only environmentally responsible, high performance insulation choice for your building projects.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please contact our Technical Manager, Bill Hulstrunk at technical@nationalfiber.com.
cellulose compared to fiberglass
The benefits of cellulose insulation over other types of insulation are striking. Cellulose has an R-value of 3.8 per inch vs. 2.2 per inch for regular fiberglass batts. The density of cellulose also makes it a superior sound barrier – achieving STC ratings as high as 45 in a standard 2×4 wall.
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.
The cellulose fibers are impregnated with naturally occurring fire retardant borates. This makes cellulose insulation not only safer than fiberglass and foam, but also safer than almost any other material in the building. Cellulose insulation provides a 1-hour, 2×4 load-bearing firewall when a single layer of 1/2 inch type X Gypsum is used on each side of the wall assembly. And our NuWool Wallseal is one of the only insulations on the market treated to prevent mold. Few other insulations can make this claim, and only cellulose insulation provides all these benefits and performance in one package.
The advantages of cellulose insulation over fiberglass are dramatic:
- Tests confirm that cellulose provides up to 40% better thermal and sound performance than fiberglass.
- Cellulose remains effective at blocking heat transfer at temperatures below freezing, while the effectiveness of fiberglass drops substantially.
- Cellulose is the only insulation made primarily from recycled material, making it better for the environment.
- Cellulose processing requires far less energy than the production of either fiberglass or foam products.
- Spray-applied or dry dense-packed cellulose adheres to construction joints and edges – eliminating gaps and voids left by traditional fiberglass batt insulation.