Conscious Choice: Itch-Free Insulation

November 2001 | Sensible Home

Itch-Free Insulation

by James Dulley

Dear Jim: My house needs additional insulation, but I have avoided adding it because it makes me itchy. Other than the standard itchy stuff, are there any new types of insulation I can easily install myself? — Teresa E.

Dear Teresa: There are insulation materials that are not itchy like standard fiberglass batts. They are extremely effective and adding them can cut your utility bills year-round. Don’t necessarily write off professional installation as too costly; the energy savings often pays back the cost quickly.

Using new manufacturing procedures, some fiberglass insulation is fairly itch-free. Although it looks like standard itchy insulation, it feels like fluffy cotton balls. I have installed some in my attic and it is itch-free.

Itch-free insulation is made by fusing two different forms of glass into a single fiber. This fusion process causes each tiny fiber to curl and twist randomly. These fibers are resilient, so the insulation rolls look small at the store. When they are unrolled, they quickly fluff up to full thickness.

Another new type of itchless insulation is made of recycled cotton from denim production. It is a natural product and it really does look like blue jeans. The denim material is treated with chemicals to make it fire resistant. The insulation value per inch is similar to fiberglass batts.

Several types of insulation are encapsulated in poly-film wrap. Even when filled with standard fiberglass insulation, it is easy to handle and to install without getting itchy. Since you must slice the wrap when you cut it to length, you may have some contact with the itchy fiber, but very little.

When insulating an existing wall or when insulating around plumbing and electrical obstructions during construction, it is important to fill it completely, leaving no voids. Using a professionally installed nonsettling type of insulation is often the most effective method in these areas.

One type of nonsettling insulation uses fiberglass fibers mixed with adhesive. After it is blown into the wall cavity to fill all the gaps, the adhesive sets up to eliminate settling. When installed in new walls, nylon netting is stapled over the studs and the insulation is blown in behind it.

Another type of effective professionally installed nonsettling insulation is low-density polyurethane foam. Its volume expands about one hundred times creating millions of microscopic insulating cells. It fills in well around obstacles and also seals air and moisture leakage spots inside the wall.

When buying insulation, you pay for the R-value insulation level, not just the thickness. Insulation can be fluffed to be thicker than it is when rolled, but it still has the same, or lower, R-value.

Write for (or instantly download) Update Bulletin No. 448, buyer’s guide of ten insulation material manufacturers, R-values, sizes, features, insulation selector guide, and a U.S. map showing recommended insulation levels. Please include $3.00 and a business-size SASE. James Dulley, Conscious Choice, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244.

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