Builder has given us choice of either fiberglass or cellulose insulation for walls in new house construction. Which is better? He told us the cellulose has a slightly higher R factor and makes the walls air tight. Does the cellulose settle more than the fiberglass? Is cellulose more prone to having mold or insect problems?
any help would be appreciated
thanks
u4ick
This is Turtle.
I would never put Cellulose in my house again. Before i put it on top of the fiber glass this cellulose stuff my house was very dust free and had to dust very little. I install it and everything in the house get's dusty every 3 to 4 days and my 90% media filter plugs up every week with the gray fiber dust which looks just like the cellulose stuff. And yes i have made the attic area air tight to the living area but very little help. It has been a nitemare but now it has been about 6 or 7 years and it's slow down a good bit now. If given a choice of Cellulose or nothing. I would take nothing. Hindsight is always better than forsight.
TURTLE
Like You ''''''All the Coonasses -- Let the Good Times Roll '''''' .
which is better for you will depend on many factors
if one has a higher r value, you can always add more of the other to equalize
some of the differences mentioned in some of my previous posts here:
Cellulose: settles and also causes *visible* dust in your house 24/7 when not entirely sealed from the interior of your house (tough to do, hvac ducting breaks down over time and breathes, then cellulose gets in it and ultimately into your house); cellulose is usually recycled newspaper with fire retardent added; cellulose can be about a 30% radiant barrier; cellulose seals against (stops) wind blowing through your house/walls if cellulose gets wet it is destroyed cellulose is not carcinogenic (doesn't cause cancer)
Fiberglass: can cause *invisible* "dust" in a house (see links below - also, look inside a fiberglass insulated attic at night with a flashlight, while wearing an appropriate breathing mask - you will see millions of tiny particles floating around in the air = fiberglass); fiberglass is glass fibers; fiberglass doesn't seal against the wind blowing through your house/walls; fiberglass is not a radiant barrier; fiberglass can be dried and reused if it gets wet; fiberglass can be carcinogenic (can cause cancer)
"the state of California does require that fiberglass be labeled as a potential carcinogen"
"Overall shoddy construction standards on today's mass-produced homes further increase the odds that there is some amount of fiberglass in your home environment.."
more:
according to dr. hulda clark (cancer expert, who has already been slammed on this discussion group and by the medical industry in general) at:
Most solid malignant [i.e. cancerous] tumors contain fiberglass or asbestos, another glass-like particle. In nearly all cases a hole can be found in the ceiling or walls, leading to fiberglass insulated parts of the house. When these holes are sealed in an air-tight manner the house air no longer is positive for fiberglass. Covering with paneling is not sufficient. Check your dwelling for uncovered fiberglass. Repair immediately. Search for small screw holes intended for pictures, or electric outlet plates that are missing.
Also remove fiberglass jackets from water heater and fiberglass filter from furnace. Replace with foain or carbon. Best of all, hire a crew to remove it all from your home, and replace insulation with blown-in shredded paper [cellulose] or other innocuous substance.
Never build a new house using fiberglass for any purpose."
dr. clark also recommends against the use of galvanized pipe (pvc is recommended) or copper pipe (or lead solder used to join copper pipe, prevalant up until 1988 or so) in homes, as they can be poisonous to humans
After reading your post it appears fiberglass insulation is truly something to bw corncerned about.
Mike
Get a second opinion here, Effi appears to be one of the fringe folks. The web site she/he cited:
From this site you can get an MSDS
SECTION V: HEALTH HAZARDS/PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT Primary Route of Entry: Inhalation. Fiberglass wool may cause mechanical irritation of the upper respiratory tract. Use of a respirator such as 3M model 9900 or equivalent is recommended. Operations which generate high airborne fiber concentrations (over 10 fibers per cc) require additional respiratory protection. Skin Contact: Direct contact with the skin may cause mechanical irritation. If irritation occurs, long sleeves, loose fitting clothing, gloves, and eye protection are recommended. Wash exposed areas with soap and water after handling. Wash clothes separately and rinse out washer after each use.
Following a thorough review of all the medical data available, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified glass wool insulation as Group #3, "not classifiable as to carcinogenicity to humans". IARC has stated there is "no evidence of increased risks of lung cancer or of mesothelloma...from occupational exposures during the manufacture of these materials, and inadequate evidence overall of any cancer risk."
------------------------------end quote-----------------------------------------
While you are free to believe anything you want, I suspect that in this day in age when toasters come with warnings not to use them in the bath tub the companies lawyers would not sign off on the wording in the MSDS unless it was the best known medical facts.
What abt using SIP panels vs either cellulose or fiberglass?
Just bypass the two all together?
Only seen them on tv, and they seemed like they were whole wall units, not somehting you can put in later into an existing home.
later,
tom @
All true, cellulose is treated to resist insects and mold as well as fire. Cellulose is much less expensive 70sqft R12 3.2" is $11 vs $25 for 88sqft fiberglass R12
Foam is best with the highest R value, Icynene is R 3.5" polyurethane R6-7per". Cellulose is good if it is wet blown with a glue binder. Dry it is a dust problem. Fiberglass is good but the lowest R value. Google, there is alot to different insulations. It depends on what contractors in your area offer.
Foam is best with the highest R value, Icynene is R 3.5" polyurethane R6-7per". Cellulose is good if it is wet blown with a glue binder. Dry it is a dust problem. Fiberglass is good but the lowest R value. Google, there is alot to different insulations. It depends on what contractors in your area offer.
Fiberglass takes a long time to settle compared to cellulose. Cellulose can get into area that fiberglass can't. Just make sure you have proper venting. There should not be a dust problem as long as the cellulose is not disturbed and there are no ducts in the attic. One issue is an attic fan or bathroom exhaust fans. They can disturb the insulation and create dust. One way I solved this was to take a large duct tube and put it over the exhaust fan in the attic (this also solves the problem of keeping the insulation 3 inches from the fixture). You can cap the tube to prevent additional energy loss and run the exhaust hose through the cap or side.
The cellulose will settle eventually and I think you should go up there in 5 years and add a couple inches. As far as the entrance to the attic goes, I would section it off and lay down batting so when you go up there, a ton of cellulose doesn't fall out and get everywhere. Just make sure you have proper venting between the rafters before you spray that stuff in!
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