Pros and Cons of Blown Attic Insulation

If you are building your dream home, or just renovating your current one, you want the job done right. You don't want any surprises or mishaps or unforeseen bills down the road because something was not done right or maybe it just wasn't the right material for the job. There might not be a brief rundown of every part of home renovation, but there are a few things you should Attic insulation know about blown attic insulation.

There are a lot of insulation varieties out there from rigid foam panels to fiberglass blankets to blown attic insulation. To make the correct choice for you and your home, you have to be willing to do your research. Talk to your contractor, too; he may not know how to insulate your home with the materials you want to be used. Always know your choices so that you know what the pros and cons are of each product. Blown attic insulation is the most common type of loose-fill attic insulation available. As such it can be a great protector of your home and investment. Blown insulation comes in one of two material types, either fiberglass or cellulose. Blown attic refers to the way the material is installed, usually with a large machine that literally "blows" the insulation all over the surfaces of the attic.

Pros

•Blown attic insulation is the most common and also one of the easiest to install. Most contractors know how to do this job.

•It is also the least expensive of all of the insulation types.

•Installation is fast taking only about 2 hours depending on the size of the attic.

•For added insulation, batt insulation can be installed over top of blow attic insulation, but it will cost more.

•Blown attic insulation covers everything, leaving few gaps.

Cons

•The r-factor (a measure of thermal resistance) in blown attic insulation is the lowest of all insulation types.

•Because it is difficult to blow the insulation uniformly across the attic, often the r-factor varies greatly even when installed correctly.

One thing to remember is always to check to make sure that your service contractor is giving you what he promised and what you paid for. To hold the contractor accountable, you should make sure you do your homework. One of the things most often skimped on in home construction or renovations is blown attic insulation. Often they make the amount of blown attic insulation look correct just by turning the machine they are using to install the material up to a higher setting to "fluff" it. Failing to insulate your attic can result in energy loss and a much higher energy bill for you that will add up to the cost of fixing the issue when it should have been done right in the first place. The correct installation of any insulation is pivotal to saving money on your energy bill.