| Feature |
Cellulose
(Dense Pack) |
Fiberglass Batt |
Icynene Foam |
Notes |
| R-Value per inch |
3.8 |
2.1-3.2 |
3.6 |
|
| 100% Green |
YES |
NO |
NO |
(‡ foot note) |
| Recycled Content |
Over 82% |
Up to 25% |
None |
|
| Install w/o gaps, voids |
Yes |
No |
No |
Fiberglass has gaps, Foam has voids in bulk installations |
| High Performance |
YES |
NO |
YES |
Sops air infiltration, fills voids and gaps. |
| Stops Air Infiltration |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|
| Off Gases |
NO |
YES |
YES |
Fiberglass - formaldehyde, Icynene - isocyanates |
| Fireproof Class "A" Rated |
YES |
NO |
NO |
Cellulose has no burn rate, no smoke when exposed to flame. |
| Fill Gaps and Voids |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|
| Low Embodied Energy |
YES |
NO |
NO |
Manufacturing energy costs. Cellulose is less than 1% of competition. |
| Potentially Hazardous |
NO |
YES |
NO |
Fiberglass contains formaldehyde, arsenic and other irritants |
| Hygroscopic† |
YES |
NO |
NO |
Absorbs and wicks moisture away from other building
materials. |
| Easy to Remove |
YES |
YES |
NO |
|
| Settles/Sags |
N/Y |
NO |
NO |
(* foot note) |
| Closed Cavity Install |
YES |
NO |
YES** |
Foam products require numerous install
penetrations. |
| Vermin Proof |
YES |
YES |
NO |
|
| Insect Proof |
YES |
YES |
NO |
|
| Mold/Fungus Proof |
YES |
YES |
NO |
|
| Perfect Fit |
YES |
NO |
YES |
5% gappage will increase energy usage by 52% |
| Easy to retrofit (wiring/plumbing) |
YES |
YES |
NO |
|
| Distorts Jambs/Framing |
NO |
NO |
YES |
Expanding foams force on areas of installation. |
| Zero Waste Factor |
YES |
NO |
NO |
|
| Stops Convection |
YES |
NO |
YES |
|
*Dense Pack Cellulose installation typical in walls and ceilings cannot settle because it is installed under pressure to a high compaction factor typically 3.5 lb/cf. Loose Fill cellulose typically installed on attic floors will experience a small degree a settlement however this in NO way reduces the total R-Value or performance of the cellulose.
**Foam insulation in retrofit cavity fill applications typically require more frequent penetrations to achieve the same coverage as Cellulose.
†Hydroscopic: Materials that absorb and transmit moisture. This is advantageous for insulation that stops airborne
‡A "Green" building material may have any of the following attributes: contributes to high energy efficiency, recycled, renewable, organic, devoid of synthetic additives, or locally produced. Only Cellulose has ALL of these "Green" attributes. |