More Insulation Choices

Does Fiberglass Insulation Still Make Sense?, Fine Homebuilding January 2004, is a broad discussion of residential insulation types, including consideration of materials, costs, ease of installation, thermal efficiency, moisture resistance, air barrier qualities, and more.

A few interesting points:

• As much as 70% of residential energy use costs are for heating and cooling, so the economic consequences of insulating choices and quality of installation are significant.
• Varieties of insulation include batts, blown-in-place, foamed-in-place, and rigid boards. Costs range from 50 cents to more than $2.50 per square foot. R-values range from 2.3 to 7 per inch of thickness.
• Batts are popular, inexpensive and easy to install. However, gaps and other irregularities in installation can result in significant reductions in efficiency.
• Blown-in loose fill insulation fills gaps more completely and therefore results in higher overall performance.
• Foamed-in-place insulation has higher initial costs in comparison to batts or blown-in insulation. Initial (pre-aged) R-values may be as high as 7 per inch, and foamed-in-place insulation can also act as an effective air barrier in the wall assembly.

There is more good information in this article, including information about different products' absorption of moisture, resistance to water vapor transmission, etc. Comparative details for typical home insulation conditions are also provided. This is a good overview of the state of the art in residential insulation products and strategies.