Attic Insulation Batts Vs Blown

Fiberglass insulation is available in blown in form and so is cellulose which is referred to as loose fill cellulose.

Attic insulation batts vs blown.

Batt insulation is available at home centers and lumberyards. Batt insulation take time to read this column. Disadvantages of batt insulation. You d need a thickness of.

When comparing blown in insulation vs. Depending on the material of the insulation the installation method may vary slightly. I don t know about that but it s a common insulation material that works much better in the blown form than in batts. The maximum rating of batt insulation is around 4 2.

Blown in varieties however typically reach a peak of around a 2 8 r factor. Batt or rolled insulation or blown loose fill insulation fiberglass or cellulose can be installed on top of old insulation. The photo above shows an attic insulated with blown cellulose. You also don t see any gaps that allow you to see all the way down to the ceiling drywall.

The biggest disadvantage of batt insulation is that it does not fit well in non standard spaces. Before choosing blown vs. Instead of cutting and stapling rolled up layers into place they get to spray the insulation where it needs to go. Any existing batt or roll insulation in the attic should have the facing against the attic drywall floor or no facing at all.

With this method the insulation is simply blown onto the attic floor and no matter what type of joists studs or wiring that may be in play the blown insulation will naturally form itself tight around any of these creating a layer of strong insulation. Batts you must also examine the r values. Often times a combination of the two is ideal. When insulating an attic space many homeowners ask us which is better blown in or batt insulation.

Notice how you don t see any of the ceiling framing down at the ceiling level. When blown into attics and wall spaces loose fill fiberglass offers an average r 2 5 thermal value per inch the higher the number the greater the insulating effect. In short there is less chance of error with blown insulation as compared to batts. Current energy standards recommend the installation of a first layer of craft faced moisture barrier fiberglass batt.

Insulation should be rolled out perpendicular to the joists and unfaced rolls should be used. Blown in insulation requires a professional. Blown in insulation is much easier on installers. We use both blown in and batt insulation depending on the situation at hand.

Compared to blown in insulation batts can reach a resistance rating r factor of over 3 1. While the manufacturer will state the actual r value of the insulation that you use according to the department of energy you can expect an r value range between 2 9 and 3 8 per inch of thickness for standard fiberglass batts and between 3 7 and 4 3 for high performance fiberglass batts. That s because blown insulation is great at filling the gaps and giving you a good complete layer of insulation. The answer is it depends.