Great comparison. Last year I DIYed blow in cellulose in my attic. I found it easy to work with but an air tight mask and goggles where definitely necessary. As far as price, Lowes was selling cellulose at a crazy discount making it cheaper than fiberglass or denim. Already in 13 months the cost of cellulose has broken even with the heating/cooling savings.
You are so good! Should some unsuspecting UA-camr falling through the rabbit hole should stumble upon your path without question they will be snared by you! Hands down the modern marvel of insulation is definitely you! Lol listening to The who, then Bill Murray. Then informed that my attic Is not built correctly... And I was right about to pick what is 0 to the power of zero and you won the last light 45 minutes of my life LOL 🤣 A very strange thing getting lost in the woods. when it was your computer!
Blue denim used for sound deadening of interior walls around laundry room, half bathroom and HVAC utility room walls. The quiet is wonderful. And no more embarrassing noises heard (and giggling by kids) emanating from the half bath!
I always appreciate the fact that you look at the overall aspects of materials, such as ultimate decomposing, carbon footprint, and even more importantly, possible alternatives for highest best usage, instead of limiting the information strictly to performance in a given application.
Another great lesson, yes loose fill was blown in my 100 year old house, i was cleaning up dust for a year , and 8 years later i still find it in the furnace filters, the insulation is a good improvement over having no insulation, i want to get insulation into the walls of my house 65 year house need to make a choice
Another correction from a Manufacturer of the Cellulose fibre insulation product - Borax in the treated paper does not mean that it can not be used in future as insulation. In fact it is the only insulation that we can vacuum out and pump into another roof without any remanufacturing of the product. Borax does not evaporate and so it is as fire retardant as the new stuff and so it can just be blown back in. I do want to correct another final thing you said which is that it can be used for mulch after being used as insulation. That is not true, in fact it will mostly kill any plants you put it on as borax is a herbicide like salt but without the same corrosive properties as salt. Anyway finally on effectiveness you did cover how messy cellulose is to install but once it is installed that does not effect the home owner at all. However the HUGE advantage of being messy to install is that it will leave no gaps. Zero gaps in the insulation is something that batts can not do in the real world on most jobs, as for example when laid over wires or baton timber and just 1% gaps can reduce the effectiveness of insulation by as much as 30%. So I would say a bit of mess during installation is a huge advantage to the product in terms of the result customers want. www.insulation.team
30 years ago I designed an addition to my father’s 200 year old house in Vermont. He’d had cellulose blown in 15 years earlier. 2 exterior walls were removed. I was very impressed with how intact, and firmly in place the cellulose was. Zero gaps. It should also be noted that cellulose work well as a moisture “damper”...particularly in older homes where it may be better to have no vapor barrier than risk trapping moisture. In a home where you generally will allow related humidity to fluctuate seasonally keep your walls air-tight but water vapor permeable. Modern cellulose insulation can absorb water
I installed cellulose in houses more than 40 years ago and have seen them since and I have not witnessed any degradation of the cellulose and this is the first time I have ever heard of its degrading. My good friend in Weedsport NY was the first manufacturer of cellulose fiber in the US and I use to get it from him by the tractor trailer load. Huge fan to say the least. I built several houses with 10" truss type studs through the early 80's ---all with blown cellulose. One house I built in 1987 had a blower door test done on it in 2012 and tested at under 1 ACH 50.
My house was built in 1951 and they filled the walls with cellulose in the late 80s. It's since settled to about 4.5' up from the floor with 8' ceilings.
Thank you for the in-depth comparison of these products- I so appreciate how you explain the processes, materials and cost/benefit ratios in various products. You have become one of my "go-to" people when I am researching building projects.
same here, I don't know how I stumbled to this channel. I am going to buy a home soon so I think youtube algorithms caught me in the act but I love this channel.. loves how she breaks things down and somehow can make the most seemingly boring things interesting.
My cabin will be 3 48' sea containers side by side with a loft. Conditions are extremely hot in the summer and rain forest in the winter. The bottom will be spray foamed and then spray tar willbe applied in order to protect the foam from critters and moisture. The exterior walls will be 4" foam with a double bubble, triple foil on both sides of the foam insulation with an air barrier between both sides of the foam and an air barrier between the hardy board siding and the bubble foil. The interior wall will be the same but with rockwool for interior insulation and concrete wallboard on the bottom run around the interior of the home and gyprock above. The plumbing and wiring will be run through a hollow space in the 4" insulation in the floor and infloor heating above that.The plan is to keep the cold out and the warm in and use air spaces whenever possible to help the process. Love the videos! Keep up the great work! Mike Fitzgerald Calgary Canada 🇨🇦
Cellulose fibers retain their R-value in normal humidity levels while fiberglass looses half when you open the bag. Sprayed onto walls and ceilings cellulose absorbs about 90% of noise and can be dyed different colors. It also wicks water allowing it to dry faster and the fibers are hollow whereas glass fibers transmit heat. I dump loose cellulose behind burlap and hardware cloth ( 1/2' looks better ) in my basement to insulate my rim joists and block walls and there is no dust or mold. It also blows well into walls in old uninsulated houses with little or no sagging. For small batches, like in my basement , I fluff it in a 5 gallon pail thats screwed to a piece of plywood that I stand on so I can fluff it with a paddle mixer sticking through the middle of the cover for my 1/2" drill and then scoop it out and dump it behind the mesh, about 16" on the blocks and 24" in the rim joists. Very little dust but I wear a mask.
Great comparison. I like how you concluded with the importance of both and their place within the larger issues. I'm a fan of external rockwool, and would love to see a video with your thoughts. 👍
Idea for future video: insulation products that were once popular that are no longer being used. I can even start you off with one: wood wool. I'm planning an insulation replacement for my attic (on which your videos have been a tremendous help!), and I discovered that is the insulation in my attic. Looks like it's the original stuff - meaning it's over 70 years old! - based on what I found online.
@@BelindaCarr Please take a look at wood fiber blown into closed building (plywood) modules; the house can be kept diffusion-open with all the benefits like reduced cost, CO2 negative, allergen-free materials, natural moisture movement, you don't have to live in a plastic bag!
UA-cam’s AI suggested one of your other video a few weeks ago. I hit subscribe immediately. This comparison video was very informative and much appreciated. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
As first glance, this seems like a much better DIY material than fiberglass. Heck, my attic is downright hazardous to anyone going up there due to airborne fiberglass dust .
Cellulose is cheaper than fiberglass and has fire retardant and pest control but one messy and difficult job to install. You can barely see anything when you install it and have to pause the machine to see what you are doing. Well explained.
@@BelindaCarr I only have installed dry attic cellulose at r60 in Canada. So 17.9 inches installed and it settles to 15.9 inches. The construction industry unfortunately does not favour slow and meticulous installation so when you have to stop the machine to see what mistakes need to be touched up (dust yo settle) then it gets frustrating. I know some companies say misting is a good idea but you need the proper mask plus like you said, if you mist too much mold will grow in the cellulose.
Belinda, I have a passive-class low energy home which has an internal timber frame made up of custom-to-plan Larsen strut system which creates a 30cm void between the interior VCL and the airgap-facing Panelvent boarding. (The outer skin is laid stone.) The void was filled on site, post frame construction using blown cellulose giving an overall U-value for the total profile of < 0.12 W/m²K, an excellent tested air-tightness. This type of installation should only be done by specialist contractors, but that being said IMO this is best type of infill for this type of installation, and is one of the alternatives which could achieve UK building code fire ratings.
Fantastic informative video. I was waiting and looking for your cellulose video before insulating my attic and glad I did. There is also the added cost of installing attic vents when using cellulose which could add $100 to the project. Which would you lean towards for a '70s ranch attic in zone 5. From your vids I am leaning towards hemp if the cost will be comparable to rockwool. Thank you Belinda amazing content
Great content as always, Belinda. I've gotta say, for those of us who are eco-conscious, cost is not so much a detriment as long as the cost is not outrageous. Extractive Capitalism artificially lowers the cost of the most destructive goods and savvy consumers are realizing that quality goods cost more than their toxic alternatives. Definitely think I'll be going with denim or cellulose in my future home!
Belinda, I recently discovered your channel, and can't get enough. I am LOVING your content. I would really appreciate if you could do a video on asbestos. I think a lot of people don't think about it and just assume it's present only in insulation. Well. I just moved into a rental townhouse that was built in 1965. My previous home was an apartment in another Iowa city built in 65. Both apartments had many original fixtures. I'm sure that other apartment had asbestos somewhere, but this one has a popcorn ceiling throughout, except in the kitchen, the original tile backsplash in the kitchen, the original linoleum kitchen floor, original walnut cabinets/laminate kitchen countertops, and original ceiling tiles in the finished basement room. If I had to bet, except for the kitchen cabinets, there's asbestos in all of that. Glue on the counters, tile grouting, in the linoleum, and definitely in the ceiling through the whole house. I would just like to hear what you have to say about it, its (continuted/unknown) presence, and how it's safe as long as it's not manipulated. Thank you. Also, your radon video got me thinking I should buy a detector.
Wonderfully informative and your conclusion about the true environmental friendliness of these materials was welcome. I'd loved to have rockwool in the comparison as well as fibreglass, it's a more familiar insulating material where I'm from. May I request a short video on acoustic insulation products; what's available, how does it compare to general insulating materials? My limited experience of building soundwalls consisted of rolls of stapled fibreglass. Your explanation, context and limited testing of these materials is very useful.
Another very informative video. I will definitely consider Denim on any upgrades I do in the future. Also look to donate my old jeans instead of simply throwing them away.
I think you touched on two important issues that you should revisit. One being the "actual" cost of a recycled item after factoring in the initial cost of raw materials and the first manufacturing process. Second being the over-pricing of items that are "recycled." Example - We used to sell concessions on the festival scene. Certain festivals would require that all of the serving items were green, biodegradable and recycled. Forks, spoons, plates, napkins et all. It actually increased the cost of the base meal such that it wasn't worth it to sell at some of those festivals.
You have a very good point. Recycled is not always better. Its a gimmick when it comes to wood/paper products. The reason behind this is because people are under the impression that paper mills cut down treas and move to a new area and never do anything with said previous field. Yet paper mills plant more trees than anyone else does, over and over and over again. new paper products are far cheaper than recycled ones.
CORRECTION! GRAMMAR! It is NOT air trapped "between" fibers but, rather, "among" fibers as there are more than two! LOL Thanks for the video and thanks for sharing as you are so very professional in your presentations! Best of luck!
Both chemically treated to be non-flammable, but being organic fibers can retain moisture. Good for sound attenuation on interior walls, but not a good thermal barrier for exterior walls or ceilings. The moisture they can retain can transfer to the sheetrock, and over time cause mold and fungus to grow on the sheetrock. If you do use it there use a mold and mildew resistant paint on ceiling and walls. I know as I have been in the insulation business since 1966. Use Fiberglass or Open Cell Foam on walls and ceilings.
Dense pack cellulose in walls is much better than fiberglass.Both fiberglass and rockwool are natural matewrials and are not an insulator on there own.Too much is put on R value.Stopping convection is more important.Both denim and cellulose are more expensive,but in the long run I believe they are better at insulating.If you check the people installing cellulose,they show a comparison between it and fiberglass.You can easily see the temp go up on fiberglass,thats the convection taking place. Gary Schumacher
Years ago the plumber ignited the denim and although it did not burn it smoldered we removed it and had to put dirt and water on it before it stopped. I hope they have improved this. Cellulose does not have that problem.
My parents' house was insulated with loose cellulose, but it wasn't installed wet as you showed, they used a humidity regulating canvas that was stapled to the front of the studs and then blew the material into the space through holes cut in the canvas.
Blown insulation is superior. You can insulate faster, the R-value will be higher at an equal depth to Batt insulation, and you can eliminate the thermal bridging which almost always occurs from using batt insulation. Also saying blown insulation can cause poor air quality because it can get into your HVAC system is certainly something that happens, but that isn't a problem with the insulation, it is a problem with your HVAC system which has leaks and needs to be sealed or replaced or better yet relocated.
Ok as a Manufacturer of cellulose fibre insulation in Australia, I would like to correct the following error in this video. At 11:09 You said the cellulose will breakdown over time ? why do you think that Paper is biodegradable when exposed to the elements like water and sunlight but in your roof it should not have any exposure to these. Saying that paper breaks down over 20-30 years is wrong, we have books that are not treated with borax that have been around for hundreds of years. Also you said that the cellulose can get mould forming on it because it is paper. Again how many books in the library have mould on them? That will only happen if it is exposed to water.
2nd day of watching your videos, thank you Belinda, as interesting as always. Thank you ! Having completed a technical degree on green houses in France, I can add another advantage of cellulose and denim insulation : "déphasage thermique" or thermal shifting. (I have yet to read a good translation for that in English). Both materials are better than mineral or fiberglass at preventing the outfdoors heat from getting inside a home (10-12 hours compared to a few hours for more traditional materials). This means increased comfort during heatwaves, thus less A/C required. Edit : apparently this is due to the fact that both materials are heavier than their competitors. I have no clue as if this is true, and/or verified. I have just read many reliable sources -including professionals - claim this... It may just be another argument to sell more circular economy materials but I doubt it. Have you heard of something similar ? What do you think ?
It might be correct. Wood fiber insulation is an excellent heat buffer, that holds the heat for a much longer time, than mineral wool (or keeps cold away for a longer time).
Other channels are saying high amounts of Borate used for Cellulose is also used for pesticides.To help reduce dust in my house, I am thinking of installing it in my attic without using the blown insulation machine.
Gosh that wet blow-in insulation process looks like an incredible mess. It's good that people are finding uses for all our discarded denim clothing instead of just 'donating' it all to developing nations that don't want it.
Consumption is the main driver of GDP in modern mixed economies, so we need to make these solutions cost effective by offering the manufacturing firms government incentives (increased aggregate spending). It seems that Rockwool is hard to beat, though the manufacturing seems to require more heat energy. I'd like to see a comparison of the denim and the rockwool.
Sorry, your numbers are a bit off here. Cellulose loose fill is R 3.7 per inch, dense pack is.R 3.8 per inch. Fiberglass batts are around R - 3.3 per inch. Loose fill Fiberglass varies from a dismal R 2.2 per inch, to R 2.7, if you have a more than 12 inches depth.
One of the things I think would be interesting is the carbon foot print per square foot to produce different insulation and what if these products release into or homes over time
Don’t worry, cellulose insulation will _not_ decompose at all under normal conditions. We know from history that even untreated, newsprint and other cellulosic materials have service life of multiple centuries. Google Montichello+cellulose insulation 🙂.
@@BelindaCarr I have yet to see manufacturers guidelines that state insulation products need to be replaced after 20 years. A few reasons to replace insulation, would be a house fire, or flood. Possibly in 40 years, the insulation won't be deteriorated, but insufficient thickness which may be required by future building codes.
I am very please to see all the knowledge you have as a women we are put down in the subject you disgust. question i have a detach garage live in Colorado what is the best insulation i can use? i work on project but it gets cold in winter times hot in summer time.
First and foremost, I really enjoy your content! We are renovating our home and have cellulose insulation in the attic. It looks to have been there awhile and has settled to about 6". I have a couple of questions for your feedback, if possible. 1. Does the fire retarded properties of cellulose insulation degrade over time? 2. Should older cellulose be covered with new insulation? Thanks for your time!
in a hybrid age, why not make a hybrid product? denim was .6" shy of it's purported size and didn't shed water. cellulose shedded water but was "crumbly". why not make a product combining the two where the cellulose part is placed towards the exterior of the building all the while being the 1.5" in thickness in the end?
Where did you get twice the cost? My installer used cellulose insulation for our 1964 ranch, and it was cheaper than fiberglass batted insulation. Same with another installer I got a quote from.
You couldn't be more wrong. Efficiently recycling an inefficiently produced product is not a bad thing and should not be discouraged. People aren't going to stop wearing jeans, and the alternative to using discarded garments as insulation is just throwing them into a hole in the ground. Therefore the only part of the production cycle that should be assessed for embodied energy is from the point where a consumer decides to discard a garment until the insulation is sitting on a shelf in a warehouse.
Do a remodel on a house with old "blown in" insulation, and the problems it causes, that stuff should go straight to the compost and never be put in unless it the only option.
Insulation belongs on the outside of a building not inside the walls. He talks about this starting at 22 minutes 58 seconds in this video. m.ua-cam.com/video/rkfAcWpOYAA/v-deo.html Moisture control is easy if you insulate the outside of a building.
Those eco-friendly recycled bio stuff is nice for cardboard homes since the home won't last 200 years anyway, and isn't water-resistant by itself anyway. For ancient european bunkers glass fiber is probably better. Carbon footprint of denim insulation should indeed be "almost 0" since the raw material isn't cotton, it's something that was already on a landfill. And denim clothes aren't bad by themselves... same as leather. Denim pants last 10+ years and leather stuff can last decades (except shoes, those last "only" a couple years if you wear 1 pair everyday). Modern trend of making clothing out of "eco friendly" materials like synthetics (and advertising them for vegans, green activists etc.) is actually not eco-friendly since those clothes won't last nearly as long. So more emissions overall for production, more for shipping. Used leather clothes are also good- 1'st owner who's into "fashion trends" owns it 1 season and then it can have 2-3 more owners the following years.
when one were to buy a home, about how often should these items be replaced? if no set period, what considerations should one make to maybe change(replace) it? hopefully my question makes sense.
3:36 Considering that it is air pockets that act as the insulator, what about using bubble wrap? Would an inch thick layer of bubble wrap have the same or better insulating properties in regard to the denim insulation?
I think that the air pockets might be too big- once they reach a certain size you get convection in the pockets and heat transfers way faster. Not sure what that size is.
Funny you should say that, I'm getting samples from a European company that makes multi-layered bubble wrap foil insulation. It's 100% recyclable. I'll release the video as soon as possible.
Belinda I absolutely love your channel thank you, I have a question I want to insulate a small home for myself with 2 x 6 walls. What insulation is best for my small 1000 sq foot home. denim, hemp, etc. etc. spray foam? What would you use for the DIY Method
Great comparison. Last year I DIYed blow in cellulose in my attic. I found it easy to work with but an air tight mask and goggles where definitely necessary. As far as price, Lowes was selling cellulose at a crazy discount making it cheaper than fiberglass or denim. Already in 13 months the cost of cellulose has broken even with the heating/cooling savings.
Denim is a favorite insulator for custom RV build.
Great work! I am a test engineer and I appreciate your approach to your content.
She seriously gives the best info🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🍻
Thank you!
You are so good! Should some unsuspecting UA-camr falling through the rabbit hole should stumble upon your path without question they will be snared by you! Hands down the modern marvel of insulation is definitely you!
Lol listening to The who, then Bill Murray. Then informed that my attic Is not built correctly... And I was right about to pick what is 0 to the power of zero and you won the last light 45 minutes of my life LOL 🤣
A very strange thing getting lost in the woods. when it was your computer!
I love this channel! So educational! Keep up the good work Belinda!
Thanks, Eloy!
@@BelindaCarr where can I get denim to buy?
Blue denim used for sound deadening of interior walls around laundry room, half bathroom and HVAC utility room walls. The quiet is wonderful.
And no more embarrassing noises heard (and giggling by kids) emanating from the half bath!
I always appreciate the fact that you look at the overall aspects of materials, such as ultimate decomposing, carbon footprint, and even more importantly, possible alternatives for highest best usage, instead of limiting the information strictly to performance in a given application.
Another great lesson, yes loose fill was blown in my 100 year old house, i was cleaning up dust for a year , and 8 years later i still find it in the furnace filters,
the insulation is a good improvement over having no insulation, i want to get insulation into the walls of my house 65 year house need to make a choice
Another correction from a Manufacturer of the Cellulose fibre insulation product - Borax in the treated paper does not mean that it can not be used in future as insulation. In fact it is the only insulation that we can vacuum out and pump into another roof without any remanufacturing of the product. Borax does not evaporate and so it is as fire retardant as the new stuff and so it can just be blown back in. I do want to correct another final thing you said which is that it can be used for mulch after being used as insulation. That is not true, in fact it will mostly kill any plants you put it on as borax is a herbicide like salt but without the same corrosive properties as salt. Anyway finally on effectiveness you did cover how messy cellulose is to install but once it is installed that does not effect the home owner at all. However the HUGE advantage of being messy to install is that it will leave no gaps. Zero gaps in the insulation is something that batts can not do in the real world on most jobs, as for example when laid over wires or baton timber and just 1% gaps can reduce the effectiveness of insulation by as much as 30%. So I would say a bit of mess during installation is a huge advantage to the product in terms of the result customers want. www.insulation.team
30 years ago I designed an addition to my father’s 200 year old house in Vermont. He’d had cellulose blown in 15 years earlier. 2 exterior walls were removed. I was very impressed with how intact, and firmly in place the cellulose was. Zero gaps. It should also be noted that cellulose work well as a moisture “damper”...particularly in older homes where it may be better to have no vapor barrier than risk trapping moisture.
In a home where you generally will allow related humidity to fluctuate seasonally keep your walls air-tight but water vapor permeable. Modern cellulose insulation can absorb water
I installed cellulose in houses more than 40 years ago and have seen them since and I have not witnessed any degradation of the cellulose and this is the first time I have ever heard of its degrading. My good friend in Weedsport NY was the first manufacturer of cellulose fiber in the US and I use to get it from him by the tractor trailer load. Huge fan to say the least. I built several houses with 10" truss type studs through the early 80's ---all with blown cellulose. One house I built in 1987 had a blower door test done on it in 2012 and tested at under 1 ACH 50.
My house was built in 1951 and they filled the walls with cellulose in the late 80s. It's since settled to about 4.5' up from the floor with 8' ceilings.
Unfortunately there were lots of poor installations back then. Fortunately it can be re-packed.@@veganpotterthevegan
Thank you for the in-depth comparison of these products- I so appreciate how you explain the processes, materials and cost/benefit ratios in various products. You have become one of my "go-to" people when I am researching building projects.
I always learn something new and useful in your videos, thank you!
same here, I don't know how I stumbled to this channel. I am going to buy a home soon so I think youtube algorithms caught me in the act but I love this channel.. loves how she breaks things down and somehow can make the most seemingly boring things interesting.
I'm building a tiny house and I find ALL your info invaluable☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ Thx you so much🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks, Alicia!
Hi Alicia. Are you building your tiny home in Canada?
I think it's really cute how excited you are by insulation 😃
The fact that there are enough old jeans out there to supply an insulation industry is pretty shocking.
Well, denim might be the most popular kind of clothing. It fits well with any outfit.
@@alymaldonadoand it's very durable
My cabin will be 3 48' sea containers side by side with a loft. Conditions are extremely hot in the summer and rain forest in the winter. The bottom will be spray foamed and then spray tar willbe applied in order to protect the foam from critters and moisture. The exterior walls will be 4" foam with a double bubble, triple foil on both sides of the foam insulation with an air barrier between both sides of the foam and an air barrier between the hardy board siding and the bubble foil.
The interior wall will be the same but with rockwool for interior insulation and concrete wallboard on the bottom run around the interior of the home and gyprock above. The plumbing and wiring will be run through a hollow space in the 4" insulation in the floor and infloor heating above that.The plan is to keep the cold out and the warm in and use air spaces whenever possible to help the process.
Love the videos! Keep up the great work!
Mike Fitzgerald
Calgary Canada 🇨🇦
Cellulose fibers retain their R-value in normal humidity levels while fiberglass looses half when you open the bag. Sprayed onto walls and ceilings cellulose absorbs about 90% of noise and can be dyed different colors. It also wicks water allowing it to dry faster and the fibers are hollow whereas glass fibers transmit heat. I dump loose cellulose behind burlap and hardware cloth ( 1/2' looks better ) in my basement to insulate my rim joists and block walls and there is no dust or mold. It also blows well into walls in old uninsulated houses with little or no sagging. For small batches, like in my basement , I fluff it in a 5 gallon pail thats screwed to a piece of plywood that I stand on so I can fluff it with a paddle mixer sticking through the middle of the cover for my 1/2" drill and then scoop it out and dump it behind the mesh, about 16" on the blocks and 24" in the rim joists. Very little dust but I wear a mask.
Great comparison. I like how you concluded with the importance of both and their place within the larger issues.
I'm a fan of external rockwool, and would love to see a video with your thoughts. 👍
Idea for future video: insulation products that were once popular that are no longer being used. I can even start you off with one: wood wool. I'm planning an insulation replacement for my attic (on which your videos have been a tremendous help!), and I discovered that is the insulation in my attic. Looks like it's the original stuff - meaning it's over 70 years old! - based on what I found online.
She's done one on wool but that would be an interesting series
wood wool is in use in Europe... www.steico.com , cotton isulation on the other hand... unreachable
Thanks for the idea! I'll start looking into it. Glad these videos have been helpful.
@@BelindaCarr Please take a look at wood fiber blown into closed building (plywood) modules; the house can be kept diffusion-open with all the benefits like reduced cost, CO2 negative, allergen-free materials, natural moisture movement, you don't have to live in a plastic bag!
@@tzenophile Would wood fiber be better than rock wool for existing walls?
These product comparison videos are fantastic!
The way you breakdown and compare every parameter is extremely useful ! Thanks a lot !
UA-cam’s AI suggested one of your other video a few weeks ago. I hit subscribe immediately. This comparison video was very informative and much appreciated. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks, Dennis!
As first glance, this seems like a much better DIY material than fiberglass. Heck, my attic is downright hazardous to anyone going up there due to airborne fiberglass dust .
Cellulose is cheaper than fiberglass and has fire retardant and pest control but one messy and difficult job to install. You can barely see anything when you install it and have to pause the machine to see what you are doing. Well explained.
Cellulose is superior insulation compared to fiberglass. Fiberglass loses R value with temperature extremes. Best green cost effective product!
Thanks! Do you install dry or wet cellulose? Both seem very messy.
@@BelindaCarr I only have installed dry attic cellulose at r60 in Canada. So 17.9 inches installed and it settles to 15.9 inches. The construction industry unfortunately does not favour slow and meticulous installation so when you have to stop the machine to see what mistakes need to be touched up (dust yo settle) then it gets frustrating. I know some companies say misting is a good idea but you need the proper mask plus like you said, if you mist too much mold will grow in the cellulose.
@@BelindaCarr thank you for taking the time to reply to my comment. Means a lot.
Very informative video. I've been working at greenfiber since 2005. They up the oil content to cut back on the Dust
I love your videos. Thank you so much. I am looking into how to decomtaminate iron containers because i am moving to the Caribbean.
Very impressive reviews of both products; however, I was pleased with your conclusions re: overall lifetime embodied energy used.
Videos like this really help spread the word about these product options and what to expect. Thanks Belinda for doing your part!
My favorite new UA-cam channel by far. What amazing videos! So succinct and informative. Thanks, Belinda!
Thank you for another comprehensive review. I've learned so much from you, and feel much more informed going into my home renovations! Well done!
These videos are so helpful as I am interested in homesteading and permaculture - thank you so much for making them :)
Belinda, I have a passive-class low energy home which has an internal timber frame made up of custom-to-plan Larsen strut system which creates a 30cm void between the interior VCL and the airgap-facing Panelvent boarding. (The outer skin is laid stone.) The void was filled on site, post frame construction using blown cellulose giving an overall U-value for the total profile of < 0.12 W/m²K, an excellent tested air-tightness. This type of installation should only be done by specialist contractors, but that being said IMO this is best type of infill for this type of installation, and is one of the alternatives which could achieve UK building code fire ratings.
Fantastic informative video. I was waiting and looking for your cellulose video before insulating my attic and glad I did. There is also the added cost of installing attic vents when using cellulose which could add $100 to the project. Which would you lean towards for a '70s ranch attic in zone 5. From your vids I am leaning towards hemp if the cost will be comparable to rockwool. Thank you Belinda amazing content
Great content as always, Belinda. I've gotta say, for those of us who are eco-conscious, cost is not so much a detriment as long as the cost is not outrageous. Extractive Capitalism artificially lowers the cost of the most destructive goods and savvy consumers are realizing that quality goods cost more than their toxic alternatives. Definitely think I'll be going with denim or cellulose in my future home!
Belinda, I recently discovered your channel, and can't get enough. I am LOVING your content. I would really appreciate if you could do a video on asbestos. I think a lot of people don't think about it and just assume it's present only in insulation. Well. I just moved into a rental townhouse that was built in 1965. My previous home was an apartment in another Iowa city built in 65. Both apartments had many original fixtures. I'm sure that other apartment had asbestos somewhere, but this one has a popcorn ceiling throughout, except in the kitchen, the original tile backsplash in the kitchen, the original linoleum kitchen floor, original walnut cabinets/laminate kitchen countertops, and original ceiling tiles in the finished basement room. If I had to bet, except for the kitchen cabinets, there's asbestos in all of that. Glue on the counters, tile grouting, in the linoleum, and definitely in the ceiling through the whole house. I would just like to hear what you have to say about it, its (continuted/unknown) presence, and how it's safe as long as it's not manipulated. Thank you.
Also, your radon video got me thinking I should buy a detector.
Just wanted to say that I love this channel! Thanks Belinda!
Wonderfully informative and your conclusion about the true environmental friendliness of these materials was welcome. I'd loved to have rockwool in the comparison as well as fibreglass, it's a more familiar insulating material where I'm from. May I request a short video on acoustic insulation products; what's available, how does it compare to general insulating materials? My limited experience of building soundwalls consisted of rolls of stapled fibreglass. Your explanation, context and limited testing of these materials is very useful.
What an amazing channel!! Also an engineer and absolutely loving your content and delivery
Another very informative video. I will definitely consider Denim on any upgrades I do in the future. Also look to donate my old jeans instead of simply throwing them away.
I think you touched on two important issues that you should revisit. One being the "actual" cost of a recycled item after factoring in the initial cost of raw materials and the first manufacturing process. Second being the over-pricing of items that are "recycled." Example - We used to sell concessions on the festival scene. Certain festivals would require that all of the serving items were green, biodegradable and recycled. Forks, spoons, plates, napkins et all. It actually increased the cost of the base meal such that it wasn't worth it to sell at some of those festivals.
You have a very good point. Recycled is not always better. Its a gimmick when it comes to wood/paper products. The reason behind this is because people are under the impression that paper mills cut down treas and move to a new area and never do anything with said previous field. Yet paper mills plant more trees than anyone else does, over and over and over again. new paper products are far cheaper than recycled ones.
CORRECTION! GRAMMAR! It is NOT air trapped "between" fibers but, rather, "among" fibers as there are more than two! LOL Thanks for the video and thanks for sharing as you are so very professional in your presentations! Best of luck!
Both chemically treated to be non-flammable, but being organic fibers can retain moisture. Good for sound attenuation on interior walls, but not a good thermal barrier for exterior walls or ceilings. The moisture they can retain can transfer to the sheetrock, and over time cause mold and fungus to grow on the sheetrock. If you do use it there use a mold and mildew resistant paint on ceiling and walls. I know as I have been in the insulation business since 1966. Use Fiberglass or Open Cell Foam on walls and ceilings.
I'm been spoiled on closed cell foam, can't find anything better for exterior roofs and walls. I like you great job presenting info.
Gutex
Great work! Just found this channel....I think this has great potential. You go in more detail in explaining than other YT channels!
Thank you!
Dense pack cellulose in walls is much better than fiberglass.Both fiberglass and rockwool are natural matewrials and are not an insulator on there own.Too much is put on R value.Stopping convection is more important.Both denim and cellulose are more expensive,but in the long run I believe they are better at insulating.If you check the people installing cellulose,they show a comparison between it and fiberglass.You can easily see the temp go up on fiberglass,thats the convection taking place.
Gary Schumacher
Exhaustive analysis. Almost TMI. 😊 Thank you!
Years ago the plumber ignited the denim and although it did not burn it smoldered we removed it and had to put dirt and water on it before it stopped. I hope they have improved this. Cellulose does not have that problem.
My parents' house was insulated with loose cellulose, but it wasn't installed wet as you showed, they used a humidity regulating canvas that was stapled to the front of the studs and then blew the material into the space through holes cut in the canvas.
Great video Belinda. A lot of useful information on the strengths and weakness of all three types of insulation.
Blown insulation is superior. You can insulate faster, the R-value will be higher at an equal depth to Batt insulation, and you can eliminate the thermal bridging which almost always occurs from using batt insulation. Also saying blown insulation can cause poor air quality because it can get into your HVAC system is certainly something that happens, but that isn't a problem with the insulation, it is a problem with your HVAC system which has leaks and needs to be sealed or replaced or better yet relocated.
Ok as a Manufacturer of cellulose fibre insulation in Australia, I would like to correct the following error in this video. At 11:09 You said the cellulose will breakdown over time ? why do you think that Paper is biodegradable when exposed to the elements like water and sunlight but in your roof it should not have any exposure to these. Saying that paper breaks down over 20-30 years is wrong, we have books that are not treated with borax that have been around for hundreds of years. Also you said that the cellulose can get mould forming on it because it is paper. Again how many books in the library have mould on them? That will only happen if it is exposed to water.
Great discussion! From a fellow Dallas resident!
Great information presented in an easy to understand format. Always interesting to watch your videos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge base.
Thanks, Gary!
Always so informative and thorough!
Awesome! Now we call you the insulation expert! Next winter in Texas will be a breeze!
Thanks, that was wery informative helpfull and interesting video.
Very fine and educational UA-cam lesson, thank you
OMG YES, THANK YOU!
2nd day of watching your videos, thank you Belinda, as interesting as always. Thank you !
Having completed a technical degree on green houses in France, I can add another advantage of cellulose and denim insulation : "déphasage thermique" or thermal shifting. (I have yet to read a good translation for that in English).
Both materials are better than mineral or fiberglass at preventing the outfdoors heat from getting inside a home (10-12 hours compared to a few hours for more traditional materials). This means increased comfort during heatwaves, thus less A/C required. Edit : apparently this is due to the fact that both materials are heavier than their competitors.
I have no clue as if this is true, and/or verified. I have just read many reliable sources -including professionals - claim this... It may just be another argument to sell more circular economy materials but I doubt it. Have you heard of something similar ? What do you think ?
It might be correct. Wood fiber insulation is an excellent heat buffer, that holds the heat for a much longer time, than mineral wool (or keeps cold away for a longer time).
I would love if you would do a video on aerogel insulation
I knew denim was recycled frequently but I didn't know it was available for insulation
Other channels are saying high amounts of Borate used for Cellulose is also used for pesticides.To help reduce dust in my house, I am thinking of installing it in my attic without using the blown insulation machine.
Gosh that wet blow-in insulation process looks like an incredible mess.
It's good that people are finding uses for all our discarded denim clothing instead of just 'donating' it all to developing nations that don't want it.
Consumption is the main driver of GDP in modern mixed economies, so we need to make these solutions cost effective by offering the manufacturing firms government incentives (increased aggregate spending). It seems that Rockwool is hard to beat, though the manufacturing seems to require more heat energy. I'd like to see a comparison of the denim and the rockwool.
Sorry, your numbers are a bit off here.
Cellulose loose fill is R 3.7 per inch, dense pack is.R 3.8 per inch.
Fiberglass batts are around R - 3.3 per inch.
Loose fill Fiberglass varies from a dismal R 2.2 per inch, to R 2.7, if you have a more than 12 inches depth.
I kinda wish you also put mineral wool/ Rockwood into the comparison
Another excellent presentation!
Another great video
i would like you to tell about the "toxic foam" released by the denim insustry in theyamuna river of india
nice video
We just removed cellulose insulation from our very old house. It has a distinctive “old house” smell.
One of the things I think would be interesting is the carbon foot print per square foot to produce different insulation and what if these products release into or homes over time
Great info. Would like to include even rock wool in this comparison just for noice sound ratings
Interesting video indeed.
A video on cork board would be good.
After 20-30 years it begins to decompose? I plan on being in my house for 50 years. Are you expected to have it replaced every couple of decades?
I'm following up with the manufacturers on that lifespan.
Don’t worry, cellulose insulation will _not_ decompose at all under normal conditions. We know from history that even untreated, newsprint and other cellulosic materials have service life of multiple centuries. Google Montichello+cellulose insulation 🙂.
@@BelindaCarr
I have yet to see manufacturers guidelines that state insulation products need to be replaced after 20 years.
A few reasons to replace insulation, would be a house fire, or flood.
Possibly in 40 years, the insulation won't be deteriorated, but insufficient thickness which may be required by future building codes.
Hee hee, I misread this as titled *"Denim versus Cellulite"* and boy was I confused for a couple of minutes. XD I always enjoy your videos.
Lol!!
Lol!!
Make a video about passive house design
I am very please to see all the knowledge you have as a women we are put down in the subject you disgust. question i have a detach garage live in Colorado what is the best insulation i can use? i work on project but it gets cold in winter times hot in summer time.
I love me some recycled denim.
First and foremost, I really enjoy your content!
We are renovating our home and have cellulose insulation in the attic. It looks to have been there awhile and has settled to about 6".
I have a couple of questions for your feedback, if possible.
1. Does the fire retarded properties of cellulose insulation degrade over time?
2. Should older cellulose be covered with new insulation?
Thanks for your time!
1 no it doesn't degrade over time, and 2 you can either fluff it back up by hand or yes you can just blow more on top
in a hybrid age, why not make a hybrid product? denim was .6" shy of it's purported size and didn't shed water. cellulose shedded water but was "crumbly". why not make a product combining the two where the cellulose part is placed towards the exterior of the building all the while being the 1.5" in thickness in the end?
Where did you get twice the cost? My installer used cellulose insulation for our 1964 ranch, and it was cheaper than fiberglass batted insulation. Same with another installer I got a quote from.
Hallo, thank you for video. Another good example of "eco" materials. Still waiting for wood fibers comparison ;-)
I'm currently working on a Gutex wood fiber video. I'm hoping to release it tomorrow.
I'm currently working on a Gutex wood fiber video. I'm hoping to release it tomorrow.
You need to head up the EPA 👍
You couldn't be more wrong. Efficiently recycling an inefficiently produced product is not a bad thing and should not be discouraged. People aren't going to stop wearing jeans, and the alternative to using discarded garments as insulation is just throwing them into a hole in the ground. Therefore the only part of the production cycle that should be assessed for embodied energy is from the point where a consumer decides to discard a garment until the insulation is sitting on a shelf in a warehouse.
Do a remodel on a house with old "blown in" insulation, and the problems it causes, that stuff should go straight to the compost and never be put in unless it the only option.
Great content! Can you make a comparison between insulation inside wall cavity between studs, vs exterior wall insulation (EPS, XPS, Rockwool) ?
Insulation belongs on the outside of a building not inside the walls. He talks about this starting at 22 minutes 58 seconds in this video.
m.ua-cam.com/video/rkfAcWpOYAA/v-deo.html
Moisture control is easy if you insulate the outside of a building.
This video is helpful
One issue that blown in cellulose insulation has is that it tends to settle and leave air gaps when not properly installed.
Ty!
Those eco-friendly recycled bio stuff is nice for cardboard homes since the home won't last 200 years anyway, and isn't water-resistant by itself anyway.
For ancient european bunkers glass fiber is probably better.
Carbon footprint of denim insulation should indeed be "almost 0" since the raw material isn't cotton, it's something that was already on a landfill.
And denim clothes aren't bad by themselves... same as leather. Denim pants last 10+ years and leather stuff can last decades (except shoes, those last "only" a couple years if you wear 1 pair everyday). Modern trend of making clothing out of "eco friendly" materials like synthetics (and advertising them for vegans, green activists etc.) is actually not eco-friendly since those clothes won't last nearly as long. So more emissions overall for production, more for shipping. Used leather clothes are also good- 1'st owner who's into "fashion trends" owns it 1 season and then it can have 2-3 more owners the following years.
thanks for the video :)
when one were to buy a home, about how often should these items be replaced? if no set period, what considerations should one make to maybe change(replace) it? hopefully my question makes sense.
What's the best 4 the price ? Bubblewrap, saw dust, sheep wool etc.??
3:36 Considering that it is air pockets that act as the insulator, what about using bubble wrap? Would an inch thick layer of bubble wrap have the same or better insulating properties in regard to the denim insulation?
I think that the air pockets might be too big- once they reach a certain size you get convection in the pockets and heat transfers way faster. Not sure what that size is.
Funny you should say that, I'm getting samples from a European company that makes multi-layered bubble wrap foil insulation. It's 100% recyclable. I'll release the video as soon as possible.
Belinda I absolutely love your channel thank you, I have a question I want to insulate a small home for myself with 2 x 6 walls. What insulation is best for my small 1000 sq foot home. denim, hemp, etc. etc. spray foam? What would you use for the DIY Method
Cellulose went into my 1957 house this week, yes it is dusty . from exterior ok. inside the attic space and interior Yes dusty
I see it seems to be discontinued, Do you know why?
Supply chain issues due to the pandemic. There's a major shortage of recycled denim.
love ye videos!
This is a good video and, I'm
Solid content.. Thanks