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CELLULOSE INSULATION
Cellulose Insulation
Table of Contents
Cellulose insulation ......................................................................................................................... 2 1 2 History of cellulose insulation .............................................................................................. 2 Products .................................................................................................................................. 4 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 5 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 6 7 Dry cellulose (loose fill) ................................................................................................. 4 Spray-applied cellulose (wet-spray cellulose) ........................................................... 5 Stabilized cellulose ........................................................................................................ 6 Low-dust cellulose ......................................................................................................... 6 Thermal performance .................................................................................................... 7 Long-term cost savings ................................................................................................. 7 Sound insulation............................................................................................................. 7 Mold and pest control .................................................................................................... 7 Fire retardation ............................................................................................................... 8 Vapor barrier ................................................................................................................... 8 Dust .................................................................................................................................. 8 Installation expertise and building codes ................................................................... 9 Wet-spray drying time ................................................................................................... 9 Weight .............................................................................................................................. 9 Recycled content.......................................................................................................... 10 Low toxicity and environmental impact of raw materials ....................................... 10 Embodied energy ......................................................................................................... 10 Insulation is green ........................................................................................................ 11
Disadvantages ....................................................................................................................... 8
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Cellulose Insulation
CELLULOSE INSULATION
The word cellulose comes from the French word for a living cellule and glucose, which is sugar. Building insulation is low-thermal-conductivity material used to separate the internal climate and sounds of a building from external climate and sounds. Cellulose insulation is plant fiber used in wall and roof cavities to separate the inside and outside of the building thermally and acoustically.
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Cellulose Insulation
Due to complaints by retailers, contractors and consumers about price, safety and quality control problems, the federal government began enacting insulation standards beginning in 1978. There was a great concern that the growth in cellulose manufactures was leading to improperly or insufficiently treating insulation against the threat of fire even though reliable statistics on a national basis did not exist. This led to the Federal Consumer Products Safety Commission passing 16 CFR Part 1209, which sets safety standards covering four product attributes for cellulose insulation only: settled density, corrosiveness, critical radiant flux and smoldering combustion. Another regulation passed was the R-value Rule, placing clear limitations on the claims that manufacturing and marketing firms can make about their product. The effect of regulations by the CPSC put most of the small producers of cellulose insulation out of business. The costs incurred by increasing fire testing made cellulose more expensive and the bad publicity helped decrease demand. They were either unable to meet the testing requirements or they merged with other small manufacturers. In 1985 the CPSC asked Congress to repeal the flammability standard after further studies. By 1991 only 61 cellulose producers still remained in the US. The fiberglass industry meanwhile benefited from most of the regulations passed by the federal government. The heavy lobbying by the more centralized fiberglass and mineral insulation manufacturers helped pass the tough fire standards for cellulose insulation. These standards were reinforced by technical bulletins published by the Mineral Insulation Manufacturers Association (currently known as the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association) that promoted fire hazard claims against cellulose insulation. These claims were not independently verified, faced little scientific review, and were misleading and untrue. Currently cellulose insulation has increased again in use in the United States. Part of the reason for this growth are studies that suggest that cellulose may actually protect a building from damage in a fire better than fiberglass because cellulose is denser than fiberglass and doesn't allow the oxygen necessary to burn structural members. Several National Research Council Canada studies have backed these claims. Another major reason for the comeback of cellulose might be because of the increased interest in green building. Cellulose has the highest recycled content of any insulation material and also has less embodied energy than fiberglass and other furnace produced mineral insulations.
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Cellulose Insulation
2 PRODUCTS
Four major types of loose-fill cellulose products have been developed under a variety of brand names. These are generally characterized as dry cellulose, spray applied cellulose, stabilized cellulose, and low dust cellulose. These types are used in different parts of a building and for different reasons.
Dry cellulose is used in retrofitting old homes by blowing the cellulose into holes drilled into the tops of the walls. It can also be blown into a new wall construction by using temporary retainers or netting that is clamped in place then removed once the cellulose has reached the appropriate density. This form of application does settle as much as 20% but the stated R-value of the cellulose is accurate after settling occurs. In addition, a dense-pack option can be used to reduce settling and further minimize air gaps. Dense-pack places pressure on the cavity, and should be done by an experienced installer. Loose fill in walls is an antiquated technique of using cellulose in wall cavities. The home performance industry and its accrediting bodies support the dense-pack standard of insulating wall cavities, which does not settle. This method stops the stack effect and convective loops in wall cavities. Construction Engineering Page 4 of 12
Cellulose Insulation
Spray-applied cellulose is used for applying cellulose to new wall construction. The differences are the addition of water to the cellulose while spraying as well as adding some kind of moisture retardant such as chlorine to prevent mold cultures. In some cases the insulation might also mix in a very small percentage of adhesive or activate a dry adhesive present in the cellulose. Wet-spray allows application without the need for a temporary retainer. In addition, wet-spray allows for an even better seal of the insulated cavity against air infiltration and eliminates settling problems. Wet-spray installation requires that the wall be allowed to dry for a minimum of 24 hours (or until maximum of 25% moisture is reached) before being covered.
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Cellulose Insulation
Stabilized cellulose is used most often in attic/roof insulation. It is applied with a very small amount of water to activate an adhesive of some kind. This reduces settling and decreases the amount of cellulose needed. This can prove advantageous at reducing the overall weight of the product on the ceiling drywall helping prevent possible sag. This application is ideal for sloped roofs and has been approved for 5:12 (41.66%) slopes.
The last major type of cellulose insulation on the market is low-dust variety. Nuisance levels of dust are created during application of most types of dry insulation causing the need for simple dust masks to be worn during installation. This kind of cellulose has a small percentage of oil or similar dust dampener added. This may also be appropriate to homes where people are sensitive to newsprint or paper dust (though new dust will not be created after installation).
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Cellulose Insulation
Cellulose Insulation
ingestible form in order to achieve insect fatality. Proper testing of products containing borates must be performed in order to determine whether dosage and presentation are sufficient to kill insects. Once tested, registration with the EPA as a pesticide is required before a product may be touted as having pesticidal capabilities.
4 DISADVANTAGES
Cellulose has few disadvantages. As compared to other insulation options, the R-value of 3.6 to 3.8 per inch is very good but not the best (though it competes well in cost per R-value). Spray foam has many of the same benefits as wet-spray cellulose (such as sealing the cavity), while having advantages in R-value and rigidity and air sealing. However, many spray foams utilize an environmentally harmful blowing agent, such as Enovate HFC.
4.1 Dust
Cellulose is prone to create too much dust that is blown into the house through inadequate seals around fixtures or minute holes. This is mostly found in rooms that are used frequently and Construction Engineering Page 8 of 12
Cellulose Insulation
can be a real health problem, especially if you live in a carpet-less home where dust stays airborne longer. Even those old constructions with tiny holes in the wall, may cause the cellulose dust and asbestos to be blown into the rooms and duct work. This is one of the major blown cellulose insulation problems. Also, removal can be very costly depending on square footage.
4.3
Wet-spray provides the advantage of a better sealing of the insulated cavity and superior rigidity. However, the moisture from a wet-spray insulation requires a longer drying time before the drywall/sheet-rock is applied to a newly insulated wall. This drying time is usually reduced by the use of large space heaters that are run for a few days to weeks, depending on ambient humidity. The installer should use a moisture meter to verify acceptable in-wall moisture levels before any drywall is applied. From an environmental and energy efficiency perspective, wetspray is well worth the extra heating and time. This extra timing needs to be considered as part of the building schedule for new or remodel projects.
4.4 Weight
For a given R-value, loose cellulose weighs roughly three times as much per square foot as loose fiberglass. Ceiling structures should be inspected for signs of weakness before choosing a material for insulating the ceilings of existing structures.
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Cellulose Insulation
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Cellulose Insulation
6 PRODUCT SAFETY
Cellulose insulation can be very dusty during insulation and it is recommended that a standard dust mask be worn while working. The fire retardant boric acid is about as dangerous as table salt. There is slight concern over the off gassing of ink from the newspapers but the material is sealed behind walls, and no studies have shown this as an issue.
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7 REFERENCES
1. 2. Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association, http://www.cellulose.org/ ICC Legacy Report ER-2833 - Cocoon Thermal and Sound Insulation Products, ICC Evaluation Services, Inc., http://www.icc-es.org 3. 4. HGTV Pro.com - Best Practices: Cellulose Insulation Cellulose insulation winning market share in Colorado, Built Green Colorado, Steve Andres, October 5, 2007 5. 6. 7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_firefighting [1] SCI Engineering Newsletter report City of Portland Oregon, The Plans Examiner, March 2007 http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=149882 8. Applegate Insulation, letter on recommendation regarding vapor retarders, http://www.paulseninsulation.com/docs/vaporretarder.pdf 9. Advanced Fiber Technology, Summary of Vapor Barriers/Retarders, http://www.advancedfiber.com/AFT%20Summary%2001.pdf 10. Green Fiber, Use of Vapor Retarders, http://www.greenfiber.com/technical_documents/vapor_retarder_use.asp 11. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cellulose-insulation-problems.html 12. Weights of Building Materials Boise Cascade Engineered Wood Products Tech Note GE-1, p. 1, retrieved Sept. 17, 2010 13. How to Insulate a Ceiling Bonneville Power Administration, retrieved Sept. 17, 2010
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