Why insulate your home with batt insulation or cellulose insulation?
Whether it’s winter or summer, the comfort of your room temperature is dependent on heating, cooling and the ceiling insulation to keep the temperature constant. There are many ways of keeping your home warmer in the cold months, but the most important trick is how to keep the warmth, created by your heating system, in your home with quality insulation.
As energy prices seem to have a way of creeping up constantly, heating a home can be very costly and therefore there is a real need to keep the warmth within the home in order to cut down on heating. The same is to be said for the summer months when the cool air produced by your cooling system needs to remain within your home. By installing insulation in your roof, you will be able to reduce your energy consumption substantially.
1. R Rating insulation
Whether you choose fibreglass batt insulation or cellulose insulation for your home, you will notice that there is an R-value rating relative to the product offered. The R-value refers to how well an insulation performs at stopping thermal/heat transfer, in other words, it’s a measurement of an insulation’s ability to block the movement of heat. The higher the R-value recorded, the better the insulation is performing. Cellulose and fiberglass do have similar R-values, but cellulose insulation is slightly higher. The difference is that batt insulation in extreme cold and if compressed will lose R-value, unlike cellulose insulation which will still maintain its R-value.
2. The environmental impact
Cellulose insulation is well known for being the best eco-friendly insulation available and is least polluting. It has the highest recycled content averaging 75% consisting of recycled newspapers. Fibreglass batt insulation consists of approximately 35% recycled glass, when touched it can make you itch and should not be breathed in, it may be a health concern for installers. The manufacturing process of cellulose uses approximately 10 times less energy to produce than fibreglass.
3. Shortcomings of batt insulation vs cellulose insulation
Fiberglass batt insulation is very difficult and problematic to install. As the batts are produced in rolls with a paper backing on one side, they need to be cut to size and unless it’s done to perfection, there will be holes and gaps in the insulation. It therefore can result in breaks in your homes’ thermal barrier, because of the gaps that may exist in the installation. Cellulose insulation will provide better thermal insulation than batt insulation because it is loose-filled, it is able to fit well around obstructions, pipes and fittings in the ceiling and fill all holes and spaces, which helps with keeping room temperatures even and controlled.
4. Moisture
Unfortunately batt insulation is not moisture resistant. If water leaks onto the batt insulation it is absorbed and causes more gaps and holes in the insulation allowing heat to escape your house. Cellulose insulation is more moisture and mildew resistant.
5. Fire
Fibreglass batt insulation once ignited will burn very fast and could emit toxic gases. When installed it needs to be kept away from chimneys and light fixtures to reduce heat build up and potentially become a fire hazard. Cellulose insulation is treated for fire retardancy. It can actually slow a fire from spreading easily and doesn’t emit toxic fumes.
Best insulation material – cellulose insulation
Cellulose insulation is used to slow down the transmission of cold and heat. It is more effective at preventing thermal transfer than batt insulation. It fills cavities and prevents gaps occurring. By surrounding joints and beams, it prevents thermal transfer keeping an even temperature in your home.
Who to trust when choosing your cellulose insulation
Cool or Cosy is proudly the only manufacturer of cellulose insulation in accordance with the Australian Standards in South Australia. For more than 30 years Cool or Cosy has been supplying and installing cellulose insulation in South Australian homes – no gaps guaranteed and all in accordance with all relevant Australian installation standards.
Applying for finance from Cool or Cosy for your insulation couldn’t be easier. No deposit is required and therefore your cash flow is protected. We offer financing with flexible terms, depending on your specific needs and the application process is quick and easy. The sooner you install insulation, the more you will start saving by cutting your electricity bills.
Give Cool or Cosy a call today on (08)83525588 to see how we can help you save on your energy bills by insulating your home correctly.