Cellulose Or Fiberglass Blown Insulation Could Be The Right Choice For Your Home's Exterior Walls
If you want your home to be more energy-efficient so you can lower your power bills and stay more comfortable during cold and hot weather, consider adding insulation to your exterior walls. If your home is a few decades old, the walls may not have enough insulation, especially when compared to the insulation put in new homes today.
Blown wall insulation is a good choice for existing walls, and fiberglass and cellulose are two popular types. Here's a look at the benefits of adding insulation, how the two types of wall insulation compare, and how they're installed.
How Wall Insulation Benefits Your Home
By blocking heat transfer through the walls, the insulation helps keep heated air inside in cold weather and it keeps hot air outside in the summer. In addition, the insulation helps with noise control so outside noises don't bother you as much in your home. When your house has the right amount of insulation, your power bills should be lower too.
How Fiberglass And Cellulose Wall Insulation Compare
Both types of insulation are good choices for any home. They have many similarities, including cost and insulation value. However, cellulose may edge out fiberglass insulation in very cold regions. Both fiberglass-blown and cellulose have higher R-values than fiberglass batt insulation.
The cost of each type of insulation is also close. You may need to talk to an insulation contractor and get a price for each type to find out what kind of insulation is the best deal for your home.
How Blown Wall Insulation Is Installed
When you have an existing home, it can be challenging to add insulation to exterior walls. If you're renovating and taking down all the drywall, you have more options than if you don't want to open up the walls.
An advantage of blown insulation is that it is installed by drilling holes in the exterior wall and then blowing insulation in the wall cavities. The holes are patched back up when finished, and the process is much less disruptive than tearing out walls.
One reason this type of insulation has a higher R-value, or resists heat transfer better, is because it is made of tiny bits of insulation that trap pockets of air that also act as insulation. Plus, the small bits of insulation fall in cracks and around odd shapes so they fill a wall void completely. If your exterior walls have no insulation or inadequate insulation now, having cellulose or fiberglass blown between the walls might make a difference in your comfort level while allowing your HVAC to run less.