Which Type of Insulation Is Best for Your Home?

Blanket Rolls

• Mineral fibers, such as rock wool or fiberglass, serve as blanket rolls. For walls and attic space, blanket rolls provide adequate insulation. They come in the form of long rolls that you cut and trim by hand, fitting into the space between wall studs or floor joists. Insulation batting also goes around electrical outlet boxes, pipes and wires.

Blown-In Loose-Fill

• Wall cavities, unfinished attic floors, irregular shaped areas and filling around obstructions require a solution that fills every crevice, such as blown-in insulation. Cellulose, fiberglass, rock wool and recycled fibers all come pre-packaged for blown-in insulation. Home improvement stores rent out blown-in insulation machines and sell the insulation to homeowners. However, the process requires two people, face masks and safety precautions as you move around in the attic.

Sprayed Foam Insulation

• Homes in places with harsh winters need a stronger insulation material. Professional insulation installers use foam insulation. With special machines, installers meter and mix the insulation, then spray the foam insulation into the space. The foam comes from a polyisocyanurate and polyurethane mixture, which forms either as open-cell or closed-cell. The difference is that open-cell foam insulation allows water vapor to move through the insulation. However, closed-cell provides greater R-value, a measure of thermal resistance. The highest R-values produce better efficiency in insulation.

Rigid Insulation

• Rigid insulation is made of plastic foams formed into rigid boards and mold piping. In foundations and wall sheathing, this type of insulation works the best. The boards provide the most insulation, which is the best solution for spaces that experience harsh winters. Rigid insulation has a few heat loss paths, but when space is limited, rigid insulation has the highest R-value. Reflective foil covers boards of rigid insulation to reduce heat flow when next to an air space.