Insulation: Cellulose, Fiberglass, or Spray Foam?

One popular question that we receive is what type of insulation is the best for a home. Cellulose is the oldest option that has been available to homeowners, but fiberglass insulation has been the go to choice over the years mainly because it is the cheaper option. However, since the inception of spray foam insulation there have been questions about which of these three is the best choice. So in this blog post we are going to compare the three popular products and then give our opinion on which one you should choose in your next construction project.

First of all, cellulose insulation offers these benefits:

1. It is more resistant to fire and mold than the other two options
2. It poses less health risks than fiberglass
3. It is more effective than fiberglass

Secondly, fiberglass insulation has the following benefits:

1. It is significantly cheaper (about half the cost of cellulose and spray foam)
2. It is easy to remove and replace during renovations or when checking for termites

So let’s look at the benefits of spray foam insulation:

1. Substantially more energy efficient
2. Adds additional strength to the building’s structure
3. Has a longer lifespan (around 80 years)
4. Helps save money on future HVAC costs
5. Attic space is not affected much by the outside temperatures
6. Much cleaner
7. Reduces sound infiltration more effectively

So from a first glance, spray foam seems to dramatically outweigh its competition strictly based off of benefits alone. However, we need to specifically list the cons of each product before we move on.

The cons of cellulose are:

1. It creates a lot of dust during installation
2. It holds moisture over time which affects its long-term efficiency

The cons of fiberglass insulation are:

1. Air infiltration is common (leads to HVAC units having to work harder)
2. Loses heat quickly
3. Its effectiveness only lasts 25 years
4. Does not act as a good sound barrier
5. Does not add to the structural integrity of the building
6. Attic space is affected more by outside temperatures

The cons of spray foam insulation are:

1. More flammable (however, most products come with fire retardant)
2. Hides termite damage (spray foam hardens in place, so you can’t check for termite damage without damaging the insulation and paying to replace it)
3. More expensive upfront cost

All in all, the pros and cons of the spray foam insulation seem to prove to be the better product to use in your home. For that reason, we suggest that it is the better choice when building a house.

However, we do not mean that either fiberglass or cellulose insulation are bad products. We still build homes with these products because they still work and they will save a lot of money for our customers upfront. There is nothing wrong with using either (especially since you can use a combination of any of these three), and we want all of our customers to understand that. With that being said, we believe that you will make your money back overtime using spray foam because you will save money on HVAC costs over the course of your time living there.

What product would you suggest? Let us know in the comments below!

“We are not just your builders, we are your neighbors!“