Spray Applied Cellulose

Spray applied cellulose is a great way to make your next construction project "green". That cellulose insulation that many of us have in our attics is now being spray applied to walls in new construction to create a very tight densely filled wall cavity. One of the biggest problems with fiberglass batt insulation is the difficulty in filling the cavity without voids. Air infiltration in the cavity is the leading cause of a reduced effective R value.

Ok so you're probably asking what really makes cellulose a green building product. Typical cellulose used for home insulation is made from 75% to 85% recycled paper fibers (typically from recycled newsprint). The other 15% is typically a fire retardant material such as boric acid. By comparison most fiberglass insulation only has about 20% to 30% recycled material content.

The other big reason why cellulose is such a green product is the environmental impact that fiberglass and spray foam pose. Both fiberglass and spray foam products are petrochemical based. Spray foams are typically installed using some type of HFC (HydroFluoroCarbon) or HCFC (Haloalkane) blowing agents which are hundreds of times worse than carbon dioxide for the environment. It takes 20 to 40 times as much energy to make fiberglass insulation as it does to make cellulose insulation.

Cellulose insulation earns credits in two categories of the US Green Building Council LEED certification. The two categories are : the energy and atmosphere energy performance category and the materials and resources recycled content category. So it's clear to me that choosing cellulose as your primary insulation material can help you keep your project green and your home more comfortable in the winter and summer.

Tags: Green Construction Blog, Green Construction, LEED, Spray Applied Cellulose Insulation