Frequently asked questions about Insulation and Cellulose

This section contains answers for frequent questions about insulation, cellulose and other relevant themes:

  • What is insulation and how does it work?
  • Is Cellulose insulation nature friendly and effective?
  • Is Cellulose insulation fire-safe?
  • Can Cellulose insulation reduce buildings air-leakage?
  • What is conductancy and R-value?

What is insulation and how does it work?

Insulation is a term describing any material that reduces and resists heat flow by conduction. You can see the process of heat conduction in any building on images here:

heat conduction in hot weather heat conduction in cold weather

What do I need insulation for?

Insulation helps make your house stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter and so it makes your home more energy efficient. Insulation also helps muffle disturbing sounds from your neighbours. It is also necessary for protecting and preventing your home from structrual damage such as rot and mold, which can have serious repercussions if left unnoticed. You can spare a lot of dollars with investing just few in proper insulation!

Why Cellulose insulation?

  • it has higher R-per-inch values than most comparable mineral fiber materials
  • it reduces air-leakage
  • it is not as subject to convective heat loss
  • it has lower cost relative to competing product of similar thermal efficiency
  • it is made from over 75% recycled material
  • it is pure and environmental friendly
  • it is fire safe
  • it is approved by all major code bodies
  • it is well tested and field proven

Is Cellulose insulation fire-safe?

fire safe Cellulose insulation is arguably the safest organic building material since it is always treated with persistent fire retardants.
The United States Consumer Products Safety Commission des not believe Cellulose insulation is a hazardous product.

Fire statistics do not support the claim that cellulose insulation is a hazardous product.

The vast majority of fire and insulation experts agree that proper installation of insulation, not the specific material used, determines the safety of the insulation system in any building.

What is conductancy and R-value?

Conduction is a physical property of all materials, along with "radiation" and "convection" decribes one of three principal mechanisms of heat transfer. The conductance of material is the rate of heat flow that is induced by temperature differences between one side of a specific thickness of the material and the other. A material´s conductance results in the thermal transmittance "U-value" of a specific assembly of materials, such as wall, that have thickness and density, and conduct heat over specific periods of time.The "R-factor" of a material is the inverse of its U-value. These factors help engineers, architects and code officials calculate energy efficiency of buildings.

Can Cellulose insulation reduce buildings air-leakage?

Cellulose insulation has been shown to reduce air-leakage through wall and ceilings of buildings. Colorado University found cellulose at least 36 percent better than fiber glass in tightening buildings, which resulted in a 26%+ overall improvement in energy efficiency. Considerable research at the US DOE Oak Ridge National Laboratory shows cellulose insulation is not as subject to convective heat loss. Convecting through insulation has been shown to reduce the actual R-values of comparable mineral fiber materials from 20 to 40 percent, in cold weather.