What is the Best Insulation?
What is the best insulation for a house?
Please see the chart below for a comparison of our insulation installation services:
GOOD
Fiberglass Batting- Initial Cost: $
- R-Value/inch: R-2.9 to R-3.8
- Easy Installation
- Air Sealing Ability: Poor
- Fills Gaps & Voids: Poor
- Moisture Resistance: Fair
- Mold Resistance: Fair
- Easily creates conditioned attic space to reduce HVAC workload
- Adheres to any surface
- Expands into place
- Does not sag or settle
BEST
Spray Foam Insulation- Initial Cost: $$$
- R-Value/inch: R-3.7 to R-7.0
- Easy Installation
- Air Sealing Ability: Excellent
- Fills Gaps & Voids: Excellent
- Moisture Resistance: Excellent
- Mold Resistance: Excellent
- Easily creates conditioned attic space to reduce HVAC workload
- Adheres to any surface
- Expands into place
- Does not sag or settle
BETTER
Blown-in Fiberglass- Initial Cost: $$
- R-Value/inch: R-2.2 to R-3.0
- Easy Installation
- Air Sealing Ability: Fair
- Fills Gaps & Voids: Good
- Moisture Resistance: Good
- Mold Resistance: Fair
- Easily creates conditioned attic space to reduce HVAC workload
- Adheres to any surface
- Expands into place
- Does not sag or settle
A Good Option
Fiberglass Batt Insulation
Pros
Fiberglass batt insulation is by far the most commonly used type of insulation due to its affordability and ease of installation. When a house is built with wood studs, fiberglass batting can be installed in the walls at a relatively low cost compared to other insulation products.
When properly installed, fiberglass batts provide effective thermal resistance that helps keep homes cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
Cons
Does Not Air Seal
Fiberglass batts do not stop air leakage. Conditioned air can escape through gaps, cracks, and openings around electrical outlets, plumbing penetrations, and framing.
Performance Depends on Installation
If batt insulation is compressed, cut improperly, or installed with gaps, its insulating value can be significantly reduced.
Can Leave Gaps and Voids
Unlike blown-in insulation or spray foam, fiberglass batts cannot easily conform to irregular spaces, leaving areas where heat can transfer more readily.
Susceptible to Moisture
If fiberglass becomes wet, it can lose insulating effectiveness and may contribute to mold or mildew problems in surrounding building materials.
A Better Option
Fiberglass Blown-In Insulation
Pros
Fiberglass insulation is by far the most commonly used type of insulation due to its affordability and ease of installation. In the attic, loose-fill fiberglass is commonly blown onto the top side of the ceiling to help insulate against the Florida heat.
This cost-effective option flows around irregular objects, creating a uniform blanket of insulation that helps resist the transfer of heat and cold. As a result, it can help keep your home cooler during the summer months and warmer on cooler winter nights.
Cons
One limitation of fiberglass insulation is that its performance depends heavily on how well it is installed. If it becomes compressed over time or if gaps are left unfilled, its effectiveness can be significantly reduced. Blown-in insulation must be installed correctly to achieve its stated R-value performance.
Loose-fill fiberglass insulation installation
Another major limitation of fiberglass insulation is that it cannot be applied to the underside of a roof deck the way spray foam insulation can. Most homes in Florida have their heating and cooling equipment, as well as air ducts, located in the attic space. When blown-in fiberglass is used to insulate the attic, the HVAC unit and some of the ductwork remain exposed to the unconditioned attic environment.
This means that your air conditioner and duct system—which are responsible for delivering cool air throughout your home—must operate in a much hotter and more demanding environment. As a result, while blown-in fiberglass insulation is often the least expensive option upfront, it may ultimately cost more in energy expenses over the long term.
The Best Option
Spray Foam Insulation
Pros
Spray foam is considered to be a much better insulator than fiberglass and its popularity is growing as its benefits are becoming more widely recognized. If a house is built with wooden studs, it can be sprayed into the walls. In attics, it can be sprayed down, to the top of the ceiling, or it can be sprayed directly to the bottom side of the roof deck, below the shingles, steel, or clay tiles.
There are four main reasons that spray foam is considered to be a better product when compared to fiberglass.
No Gaps. It expands into place, filling all cavities. You will not have to be concerned with open gaps or product compression to achieve its stated R value.
No Air Transfer. Foam insulation creates an air barrier from the outside to the inside so air does not transfer through it.
Versatile. It adheres to almost any surface, so it can be used in areas that fiberglass cannot.
Save more on Energy Costs. Less heat & air transfer means less wear & tear on your utilities. This will save you more money on your energy bills each month than with fiberglass.
Cons
There is one primary limitation with spray foam insulation.
Cost. The product itself is more expensive than fiberglass, and the equipment required to install it is also costly. You can expect to pay more than you would for fiberglass insulation to gain these additional benefits. However, you will likely recoup the extra cost through energy savings within 3–6 years.
Below are real energy bills from one of our clients, a year apart. Before Spray Foam Insulation, their utility cost for Aug 2023 was $330. A year later, and after spray foam installation, their utility cost was $243 for August 2024. That’s a savings of $87! Over the course of a year, the customer saves over $1,000!
Which Insulation Type Is The Best?
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO INSULATE
If you wait, there’s nothing to lose except your hard-earned money $$$