Insulation Comparison Chart
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| Insulation Type | R-Value per Inch | Density (lb per ft3) (for Loose-Fill Only) |
Where Applicable | Advantages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loose-fill: |
Anywhere that frame is covered on both sides, such as finished walls or cathedral ceilings, unfinished attic floors and hard-to-reach places. |
The only insulation that can be used in finished areas. Easy to use for irregularly shaped areas and around obstructions. Dense-pack provides air sealing as well as insulation. |
||
| Cellulose | 3.1-3.7 | 1.5-2.0 | ||
| (dense pack) | 3.4-3.6 | 3.0-4.0 | ||
| Fiberglass | 2.2-2.9 | 0.5-1.0 | ||
| (dense pack) | 3.4-4.2 | 1.6-3.0 | ||
| Rock wool | 2.2-2.9 | 1.7 | ||
| Batts: |
All unfinished walls, falls, and attics Fitted between frame studs, joists, and beams |
Do-it-yourself Suited for standard stud and joist spacing, if there are few obstructions |
||
| Fiberglass | 2.9-3.8 | |||
| Cotton | 3.0-3.7 | |||
| Sprayed insulation: |
Unfinished walls, attics, and floors |
Provides air sealing as well as insulation Can provide complete coverage around obstructions |
||
| Polyurethane foam | 5.6-6.2 | |||
| Icynene foam | 3.6-4.3 | |||
| Wet-spray cellulose | 2.9-3.4 | |||
| Spray-in fiberglass | 3.7-3.8 | |||
| Foam board: |
Basement masonry walls and floors Exterior walls under construction Exterior walls when adding siding |
High insulating value for relatively little thickness Covers wall framing, insulating studs as well as cavities |
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| Expanded Polystyrene | 3.9-4.2 | |||
| Extruded Polystyrene | 5.0 | |||
| Polyisocyanurate | 5.6-7.0 | |||
| Polyurethane | 5.6-7.0 | |||
| Phenolic (closed cell) | 8.2 | |||
| Phenolic (open cell) | 4.4 | |||
Sources: DOE Insulation Fact Sheet, 1993 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals, Loose-Fill Insulations
Excerpted with permission from No-Regrets Remodeling by Home Energy (1997)
