blown-in insulation Archives - Barrier Insulation Blog

What Role Does Insulation Play?

The point of home insulation is to prevent sound or heat from moving from one space to another. Typically it is used in walls, attics, and floors to prevent heat or cold from moving into your living space. It can also be used to keep sound out of, or in your home. There are different types of raw materials that make up insulation, but the approach is usually the same. Materials are fabricated to create millions of tiny air pockets. The material along with the air pockets resists thermal transmission.

Insulation To Control Thermal Transfer

When the majority of people think of insulation it is heat control insulation they are thinking about. Thermal insulation is found in commercial and residential buildings in the attic, walls, ceilings, and even some floors. The outside walls and attic are the two areas that are usually most critical in keeping our homes comfortable.

The goal of thermal insulation is a very simple one, to keep either the heat or cold out of our homes. Depending on the region of the world you live in your insulation will be designed with a passive element to help accommodate the temperature swing from winter to summer. If it is always cold or hot where you live the insulation approach will be dedicated to prevent heat from entering or escaping.

R value is the term used to describe how much heat is controlled by any given insulation. The higher the number, the more effective the insulation is in preventing heat transfer. There are two ways R value is expressed in modern construction. The first is the overall R value of a structure including all building materials and the insulation, also known as RT. The second is the R value of each insulation type, also known as Rm. R values help make apple to apple decisions between various types of insulation.

Insulation To Control Sound Transfer

The word insulation also applies to the prevention of sound transfer. This can mean the sounds coming from outside your home which can disturb sleep, or it can mean sounds from your home. While all insulation also helps with refusing sounds there are dedicated acoustic insulation types. Acoustic insulation is typically only found in specialized rooms, like theater rooms in homes. It is installed in the floor, walls, and ceiling to keep the sound from disturbing others in the home, or neighbors.

If you live near a hospital, airport, or busy road you will also enjoy better sleep with insulation keeping the sound outside. There are specifically engineered products that will help keep those sounds out of your home and help you get more restful sleep.

Can’t Insulation Do Both Jobs?

Thermal insulation does reduce noise from outside and acoustic insulation does help with some heat transfer. However both are specialized for their specific purpose and lean towards their goals. For most quiet neighborhoods having thermal insulation is enough to keep the home quiet enough. However acoustic insulation can still be a good idea if there are bedrooms near other living spaces. It keeps the house sectioned off and helps people enjoy both spaces more.

What Types Of Insulation Are Available?

There are a few different types of insulation, all with their own particular benefits. Some are less expensive, and others have unmatched R values. Speak with your insulation professional about which will work best with your home.

Batt Insulation

Batt insulation is probably the most common type people think of when asked about insulation. Batts are generally made from rockwool or fiberglass. They are light panels with paper backing that are installed in between the studs in the walls and the rafters in attic spaces. Batts trap millions of tiny pockets of air between their fibrous materials.

Blown In Insulation

Another very common type of insulation is blown in insulation. Generally speaking the material is made up of cellulose or even recycled newspaper or denim. The material is blown by a machine into the attic and lays on the floor. Insulation techs make a nice even layer of the insulation that lays on the floor of the attic.

Spray In Insulation

One of the newer and best insulation types available is spray in insulation. It comes in two variants, closed and open cell insulation. Open cell spray foam is water permeable and creates millions of tiny open pockets of air. Closed cell has one of the best R values available because it also creates millions of tiny air pockets. However it is more effective because the pockets are closed and trap pockets of specialized gas. Each type helps to seal up gaps in the attic and the walls it is installed in.

Acoustic Insulation

Insulation that is designed to give the maximum sound resistance generally consists of much higher density material. It is often made with polymer based materials like glue or rubber. While it will help with some heat transfer the tight nature of the material is not as good as thermal insulation. It is a good product to use in conjunction with thermal insulation to get the perfect combination of comfortable temperatures in the home, and the quiet sanctuary all of us desire.

Phoenix Valley Insulation Installation

If you have a drafty home that isn’t staying warm in winter or cool in summer you probably either don’t have insulation, or have worn out insulation. The experts at Barrier Insulation will happily do an insulation inspection and help you find the weak points in your home’s thermal barrier. This will do more than keep you comfortable, but help dramatically reduce your energy bills. To get started today call 602-499-2922 or .

Rolled vs. Blown Insulation – Understanding Insulation

Rolled vs Blown Insulation Phoenix AZ

Insulation is in virtually every house in the United States. There are two basic types of insulation that are used, rolled and blow insulation. Both have their own advantages that make them preferable for one or another reason depending on the application. Some of the factors that help decide between them in commercial or residential situations depend on the area of the structure needing to be insulated and the budget available.

Rolled Bat Insulation

If you’ve been in many attics or built houses at all, you are intimately aware of rolled insulation. These fiberglass rolls are made in different dimensions. The width can be customized for the distance between studs and the depth can be variable, with the wider thicknesses offering greater R-values. Having different sizes of rolled insulation makes it possible to virtually have no waste and customize the insulation installation.

The areas in which rolled insulation can be used include the attics, crawl spaces, basements, floors, and even vaulted ceilings. There are a variety of facings (the paper backing), thicknesses and fiberglass qualities. This can be a factor when choosing which rolled insulation to buy as the better options will cost a little more.

Blown In Insulation

Being made from recycled materials blown in insulation has been widely used for many years. There are a variety of materials recycled to make this insulation. Some of those materials include denim, paper, recycled newspaper, or other cellulose materials. These blow in insulation materials are treated with fire retardant chemicals which help with fire safety. Thankfully the chemicals used for this fire safety are also non-toxic which makes them safe to have in our homes and near our heating and cooling ducts.

Because blown in insulation is made from reclaimed or recycled materials it is one of the most affordable options. It is durable, safe and can easily be distributed into the attic of your home or business. In addition blown in insulation can be blown into existing walls, adding an increased level of insulation.

Which Insulation Option Is Best?

Evaluating which insulation is best for one or another area of your home is the job of your local insulation professionals. They can help you choose which area is right for your home, as each home has a different layout. For example if you have a home that is prone to condensation during the winter having rolled insulation helps protect the cold roof from being exposed to warm moist air from inside the home. This protects the roof structure and helps it last longer.

In these attics insulation applications rolled also saves on waste. The widths of rolled bat insulation ordered can fit perfectly between the studs and be cut to length. This makes the installation quick and creates little waste. Conversely if you want to insulate the floor of your attic the blown in type of insulation is a great option. Many times there are odd crevices and uneven surfaces on the floor of attics and blow in insulation tends to get into these areas more effectively.

For customers wanting to add that insulation to existing walls, blown in insulation is a cost effective and fast option. Blown in insulation can be added to these walls with small, patchable holes in the drywall. This prevents having to completely remove and reapply the dry wall to get the rolled insulation into the walls.

Which Insulation Option Is Faster?

The answer to this question really depends on the job. If you are doing a new build or addition to an existing structure rolled insulation goes up very quickly if the drywall has not been done yet. It requires basic measuring and no special machines to blow the insulation into place. Generally its tacked up to the studs with a specialized staple gun.

For attic floors or walls that already have the drywall put up blown in insulation goes in much quicker. Generally adding blown in insulation to an attic can be done in a day, where rolled insulation could take considerably longer. It all really depends on your home or business and how the roof was built. The insulation company will be able to help you decide which is best for your home, and help you make a decision that is affordable and effective.

Which Insulation Is More Affordable?

When it comes right down to it there isn’t a huge difference between the cost of the materials. Which you choose will depend largely upon the area of your home that you need to insulate and what condition it is in. Having a professional install whichever material you choose carries with it a number of benefits. These experienced contractors know how to professionally install the insulation so it is effective. Many times there is also a warranty of workmanship that comes from the installer and some manufacturers warranty on the insulation itself.

Phoenix Insulation Services

Whether you’re building new, adding on, or just wanting to increase your home’s energy efficiency Barrier Insulation has you covered anywhere in the Phoenix valley. We will come inspect your home for ways it could save you money with better insulation, and help you affordably achieve your energy efficient home goals.

Barrier Insulation – 602-499-2922 or

Blown-In Insulation vs. Batt Insulation

When it comes to insulation, there are several types that are prominently used for various reasons. When you are considering which type of insulation you want to go with knowing the nuances of each type and how they compare to each other. In this blog entry we are going to compare Batt insulation to Blown-in insulation. These are two of the most commonly used insulation types and may very well be the style that you end up choosing.

Blown-In Insulation: This insulation type requires a professional technician with the necessary equipment to install it. The main advantage of blown-in insulation is the fact it can be blown into tight places that would be otherwise hard to insulate. Blown-in insulation is made from cellulose which is an affordable material that is safer to be exposed to than fiberglass. This insulation type can compact over time, which will cause it to lose overall efficiency, which is one of its few cons. Blown-in insulation should be strongly considered as it is both highly effective, more versatile in where it can be placed, as well as being affordable.

Batt Insulation: Batt is one of the most widely spread types of insulation available today. The reason for this is its low cost and how easy it is to install. Batt insulation comes in a foam roll that is meant to be cut into the shapes of the spaces you intend to insulate. This style does have its limitations as it is not suitable for crawl spaces and other hard to reach areas that should be insulated. Installation needs to be handled needs to be handled very carefully as any missteps can greatly affect the energy efficiency of the insulation in a negative way. Batt insulation is also prone to becoming compacted which can greatly harm its ability to effectively insulate.