Fiberglass or foam, open cell or closed cell, fill to the dry wall or not. These are a few of the many questions we are trying to answer as we make our insulation choice. We have 2×6 wall studs and 2x12s in the roof. This gives us plenty of space to pack-in the insulation. This should enable us to reduce the size of our heating and air conditioning units and reduce run times, saving us money and energy. But what should we use?
I have been told by more than one source that fiberglass batts do not perform up to their insulation ratings. So while one of the least expensive products available, it does not cut down on energy loss to the extent other products do.
We are currently considering the costs and benefits of various blow-in foam options. We have learned that some use ozone depleting chlorofluorcarbons to apply the foam, so we plan to stay away from these. We are currently looking at some Soy based insulation products that are applied (blown-in) with water and hope these will be viable alternatives.
Check the Energy page for more discussion on this.
