Fiberglass Batt Insulation and Fiberglass Loose Fill Insulation in Quinte West

With home insulation, understanding the basic facts will be useful

With home insulation, it’s not necessary to get overly technical. But it’s useful for a homeowner to understand the facts.  For those choosing between fiberglass batt insulation and fiberglass loose fill insulation in Quinte West, understanding the basic facts will make for better working relations with a prospective insulation contractor. And the basics are straightforward: insulating a space is about inhibiting “heat flow” throughout the home. In winter, it’s about inhibiting indoor heated air from flowing out. And with summer, it’s about inhibiting heat from the outdoors from coming in. In short, “heat flow” is not good. It compromises energy efficiency and makes for high heating and cooling costs.

For professionals in the insulation business, “heat flow” is an integral element when planning a project.  Everything focuses on the “building envelope" – in other words, the structure of the house. And it’s the  “envelope” that influences “heat flow” – either in a positive way or negatively. When insulating a home the aim is to remove the negatives of “heat flow”. This is why it becomes so important to pick the right insulation for the given job. With a top-quality insulation product, “heat flow” issues can be addressed effectively. And the positive outcomes for the homeowner can be many:  enhanced energy efficiency; improved energy consumption; better-balanced energy usage; and reduced heating and cooling bills.

It seems that every year there are more insulation products on sale. Along with that, every product makes promises about the efficacy of their brand. But for a homeowner, insulation has to perform, no matter what product is ultimately selected. The insulation must impede unwanted air movement; it must inhibit moisture from building up; and it must measurably increase R-Value in the space. For the professional contractor all of this is vital for any insulation to do its job. As for a D.I.Y. insulating job - yes - there can definitely be dollar savings. But by any measure, there is no substitute for a professional touch. The experts are the ones who can deliver the best long-term project outcomes.

Fiberglass home insulation continues to be amongst the most popular alternatives

For residential homeowners in most of North America, fiberglass insulation (the batts or the loose fill) continues to be a popular installation option. Fiberglass is frequently used in roofs, attics, basements, and even in attached garages. It’s an installation that provides good R-Values and good product life. With a quality install and a quality product, the results are satisfactory:  enhanced energy efficiency; reduced energy consumption; and lower utility bills from season to season.

In general, a fiberglass insulation project requires a certain degree of expertise. And here, it’s the professional contractors who best understand product and installation. The professionals know how to ensure peak product performance. They know how to properly install loose fill insulation so that the consistent uniformity sets the stage for optimum performance. As for fiberglass batt insulation, they know how to strategically install the product and guarantee maximum performance for years.

There are definite benefits to installing fiberglass home insulation

With fiberglass home insulation, the best outcomes are derived when strictly following manufacturer guidelines. Fiberglass products have proven to be safe - asbestos-free - non-toxic - non-corrosive - and non-combustible. The top brands are tested for air-quality and are approved for residential installs. As for those consumers who prefer the so-called “green” products, fiberglass does contain recycled glass.

When professionally installed, fiberglass insulation doesn’t provide a good environment for insects, animals, or rodents. Quite importantly, the fiberglass insulation environment must be well ventilated. This is absolutely critical in preventing long-term deterioration and ensuring a long lifespan for the product. For homeowners buying fiberglass products in Quinte West, it’s a cost-effective install option.

Fiberglass insulation could also present some potential disadvantages

For a professional installer, fiberglass products (on their own) do not completely address all insulation issues. Primarily, fiberglass insulation doesn’t completely stop air movement. As well, fiberglass does not completely prevent moisture collection. All of this makes for serious problems in attics or roofs.

Another problem with fiberglass products is residual air leakage. Even with the best of installations, neither batts nor loose fill do a good sealing job where installed. The result is residual air leakage, and this can seriously compromise insulation performance. For the professional installer, sealing is vital.

There are added problems when fiberglass becomes wet. A wet fiberglass environment will rapidly lose integrity and rapidly lose R-Value. When unattended, wet fiberglass can deteriorate. And here, the only option is to remove the insulation, reinstall new insulation, and start the whole process anew.

Spray foam (spray polyurethane foam) is becoming an alternate to the fiberglass

Due to the challenges associated with fiberglass insulation, contractors are choosing spray foam as an alternate installation.  Spray foam does more in one application than any product on the market. It stops air leakage. It stops moisture collection. And it provides the highest R-Value of any insulator.

The best attribute of spray foam is its capacity to block “heat flow”. And because spray foam seals a space and makes it airtight, it allows that space to experience maximum insulation potential. There’s no comparable product that can deliver the same kind of benefits in a single application.

For many, the most cost-effective insulation project will be the “hybrid” option.

Today, for a number of good reasons, insulation professionals are choosing spray foam for attics, roofs, and basements. But as it is, spray foam is not going to be suitable for every homeowner’ project budget. For this reason, G.N.I. (Great Northern Insulation) offers a cost effective alternative for more budget conscious homeowners.  It’s an installation method known as a “hybrid” installation.

With the “hybrid” option, spray foam is installed, parallel to an installation of fibreglass insulation. This approach allows for the spray foam to effectively seal and insulate, while the fibreglass component supplements R-Values, and allows for a cost-effective component to the project as a whole. It’s an ideal option for homeowners with specific project budgets.