A Few Reasons to Use Cellulose Insulation

An Option for Insulating the Home

We all know the importance of proper insulation in the home – it keeps the home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, plus it reduces energy consumption which in return saves a few bucks on the power bill! There are a few different types of insulation including fiberglass, recycled denim (yes, it’s a thing) and cellulose. When my home was originally built, cellulose insulation was used, and I wanted to use it again. In this article, I will explain what it is and give a few reasons to use cellulose insulation!

What is Cellulose Insulation?

Cellulose insulation, in my opinion, is the best type of insulation to work with. It is made of recycled materials including newspaper, cotton, sawdust, and cardboard, and is an excellent choice for thermal performance and sound dampening. It will fill corners and crevices that regular insulation batts cannot, and is treated with a fire retardant that in some cases, protects the structure better than fiberglass. Because it is recycled content, it is a great “green” product. It is also extremely inexpensive and easy to “install” for any DIYer!

Cost

At most home improvement retailers, the cost of the equipment rental is free with a minimum bag purchase. For me, I purchased 20 bags and have roughly 840 square feet of area (it used to be 1500 square feet before the tree fell on the house!). The brand I chose, Green Fiber, costs roughly $11 a bag for 40 square feet. I spent a little over $200. It’s pretty cheap!

Easy Installation

The cellulose was easy to install… The machine to blow the insulation into the attic area is easy to use – it came with the machine equipped with a blower and a hopper, and 100 feet of hose. I left the machine outside by my trailer and only had to drag the hose into the house which greatly reduced the potential to have a mess.

The instructions are easy to follow and clearly spelled out on the side of the machine. Just connect the hose, turn it on and go! I had a “team” – one person running the hopper, one person as a communicator in between and me, in charge of the hose and where the cellulose needed to go.

Tips

The cellulose will settle over time so I overfilled it the best I could, and it is so inexpensive, I could add more later down the line if I decide to do so. Also, in my case, the attic area is very narrow so I could not reach all of the corners of the space. I found that a leaf blower (<– affiliate link!) worked really well to distribute the cellulose to these areas then I could fill in as needed.

Since my home already had cellulose insulation in the attic area, I decided to use it over the new area and also to fill the existing areas a little better. My cooling and heating bills were already pretty reasonable but in the words of my wise father regarding insulation, “It is hot or cool depending on the the season, and can only make (home) life better if nothing more!” In other words, one can never have too much insulation!

Hopefully, these few reasons to use cellulose insulation will help those DIYers looking for an insulation alternative. As always, consult with local building codes before starting any project! Have questions? Leave a comment below!

Originally posted 2018-11-11 08:00:16.