Why Cellulose?
Cellulose insulation is blown or sprayed into place, preventing gaps and stopping air leaks better because of the way it's applied. Cellulose is denser than most other insulation.
A Blanket of Protection
Cellulose insulation forms a monolithic blanket of protection-blocking air infiltration and convection currents that are both primary causes of energy loss.
A Tale of Two Seasons
The R-value of cellulose insulation, or its ability to stop heat transfer, remains consistent through a greater temperature and application range. This keeps the heat in during the winter, and out during the summer. While loose-fill fiberglass can lose as much as half its R-value at 20°F below zero, cellulose insulation actually performs at a higher R-value at 20°F below than it does at a pleasant 70°F. Those were the findings of tests conducted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. And what it means is that cellulose insulation works hardest when it's needed the most.
Safe and Sound
Cellulose insulation can increase a wall's fire resistance by 22-55%, is non-toxic and guaranteed for the life of your house. Cellulose insulation has a Noise Reduction Coefficient of 0.90 (90% of sound energy absorbed). It's so effective at limiting outside noise, it's approved by the Federal Aviation Administration as an enhanced sound control material for homes located in the flight paths of our nation's airports!
Insulate Your House and Preserve Your Planet
Cellulose insulation resists moisture, mildew and pests, plus preserves our natural resources.
Cellulose insulation is a non-toxic natural product made from at least 80% recovered, post-consumer paper fiber, reducing landfill waste.
Additional Energy Efficiency Factors
Cellulose not only insulates better than mineral fiber materials, it has two other important energy advantages.
The first is less "embodied energy." Mineral fiber insulation is produced in furnaces that burn natural gas and release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These furnaces burn day and night, month after month, regardless of how much insulation is needed.
Cellulose is produced in electrically-driven mills. They consume relatively little energy when they are operating, and no energy once the production day ends. On a strictly theoretical basis it can be calculated that "R" for "R" mineral fiber insulation takes 15 to 20 times more energy to make than cellulose insulation. Data reported to the Canadian Standards Association suggest mineral fiber production actually requires 59 times more energy than cellulose production, on a pound for pound basis.
Adjusting for weight differences, mineral fiber materials take at least 25 to 30 times more energy to make than cellulose of equivalent R-value. Adding to the "embodied energy" advantage of cellulose is the fact that most cellulose insulation is made with a high percentage of locally-generated raw materials.
Other than the fire retardants, which are about 20 percent of cellulose insulation by weight, it is not necessary to transport
feedstocks long distances to cellulose insulation plants. In addition, recycling newsprint locally as cellulose insulation makes it unnecessary to expend energy transporting it to distant landfills or deinking plants.