Loose fill insulation fiberglass and rockwool

Loose fill insulation materials are sold in packed bags, and include fiberglass, cellulose and rockwool and slagwool particles. They are applied with a blowing machine in order to get a uniform blanket with a minimum of voids and gaps. Since they easily conform to existing spaces and structures they can provide - in retrofits involving old buildings - higher energy-efficiency than batt insulation.

Uses

Loose-fill insulation is vastly used in attics, vaulted ceilings and in wall cavity insulation.

Loose Fill Cellulose vs. fiberglass and mineral wool

The most common loose-fill insulation materials – fiberglass, mineral wool and cellulose particles - are rather equivalent in price and not very different in performance.

They are all eco-friendly products, with a strong recycled content: recycled newsprint (cellulose), recycled glass (fiberglass), industrial recycled content (mineral wool).

Loose-fill cellulose has a slightly higher insulation-value (R-value): 3,2-3,8 per inch, against 2,3-2,7 for loose-fill fiberglass and 3-3,3 for loose-fill mineral wool; cellulose is also more resistant to air convection, but it is more prone to water damage. Due to it, loose-fill cellulose should only be used in non-humid climates and whenever it can be kept dry. Cellulose also demands insecticide and fire-resistant treatments (something that loose-fill fiberglass and rockwool do not).

Other less common types of loose-fill insulation include polystyrene particles and the older and once particularly common loose-fill vermiculite and perlite, often associated to problems with asbestos in older buildings.

Advantages of loose Fill Insulation

Since loose fill insulation materials conform to existing spaces and structures, they may have an enormous advantage over other types of insulation in retrofits, namely over the common batt insulation materials. Besides, they are cheap and energy efficient solutions – more efficient than batt insulation as long as properly installed, without gaps and voids.

They are also eco-friendly materials, using significant parts of recycled waste.

Disadvantages of Loose Fill Insulation materials

Loose-fill insulation demands professional installation. A blower machine is often required, and problems like settling and fluffing should be dealt in advance.

Installing Loose-Fill materials

Some home improvement stores hire blowers to install the fiberglass, cellulose and rockwool loose fill insulation. These blowers are indispensable to get a truly uniform blanket, without unwanted edge gaps or voids.