Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation
PART I
Preserving Life As We Know It
Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation
Part I: Preserving Life As We Know It
Go With Cellulose Whether you’re looking to reduce your energy bills or you simply want to do your part in protecting the environment, building with an eye towards the efficient use of energy translates to savings all around. Lower energy consumption reduces the demand for fossil fuels and, consequently, lowers carbon dioxide emissions. You can improve your home’s energy efficiency by using environment-friendly recycled pulp for insulation. We’re all starting to feel the increased pressure of needing to think, and act, responsibly so that we can save our world for future generations. Already, our children and our children’s children are being born into a world that’s vastly different from the world we once knew. While far from pristine, there’s no denying that global environmental conditions were a whole lot better just half a decade ago. Today, conditions are so bad that doing something—anything— to help save the planet has become imperative. Just how urgent the situation is can be borne out by how the environment appears to be lashing back at us for our transgressions of the past. A thinning ozone layer, extreme weather phenomena, and climate change that’s led to increased flooding and drought the world over - all these are environmental problems that we need to address NOW.
We can no longer turn a blind eye. We need to take responsibility. We need to turn the tide. And nothing is too small or inconsequential to make a difference. Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation
Part I: Preserving Life As We Know It
Green Building / Sustainable Design In the construction industry, it’s now widely recognized that building smart and leaving a smaller environmental footprint can do wonders to bring the world back to some semblance of its former glory. From building smaller houses, to green roofs, to using solar energy and recyclable materials, to moving towards building energy-efficient homes that can help decrease the use of fossil fuels, people are making a conscious and educated effort to move towards sustainability. Sometimes, though, we’re caught in a quandary: Many of us have old homes that we need to renovate or update, but how to do so in an environmentally smart way is the question. We think: “Isn’t going green going to hit my pocketbook hard?”
Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation
Part I: Preserving Life As We Know It
The truth is it needn’t be so. With a little creative thinking and decision making, the everyday practicalities of life can work hand-inhand with measures that would allow us to build a better world. Take, for example, a re-roofing project. Sure, you’ll need and want to select the hardiest type of roofing material that will last—hopefully—way beyond your lifetime. It should also give you the best bang for your buck. A reliable contractor, good sturdy materials, and a great warranty are the basic essentials, but you’ve also got to build with an eye towards energy savings. This means looking beyond just the building of the roof itself. It means considering other important aspects such as ventilation and insulation, which could affect energy and cost savings, as well as the overall quality of life for the occupants of your home.
Insulation may appear seemingly unimportant, but carefully selecting the right insulation material could be more important than you think. Statistics show that fiberglass and cellulose are two of the most common insulation materials used in the country today. If asked to choose between the two, which material would you go for, and why? Before you answer that, read on to learn a little more about the basics of insulation and the importance of choosing the right kind.
Cellulose
Fiberglass Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation
PART II Insulation Basics Explained
Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation
Part II: Insulation Basics Explained
Homeowners naturally consider several different factors when picking out an insulation product. The questions we usually ask ourselves include: “How easy is it to install?” “How effectively will it be able to keep my home’s indoor environment warm in the winter or cool in summer?” “Is it safe to use?” “How will the product perform over the long term?” and, finally, savvy homeowners will ask, “How environmentally friendly is it?”
At the minimum, the insulation product you choose should be able to deliver on your expectations without sacrificing quality, performance, or cost in any way. Insulation should: • Increase your home’s energy efficiency • Pose a low fire risk • Muffle the noise that passes through the home
Professionals like using terms that aren’t easily understood by laymen. Take R-values, for instance. Who really understands how they’re measured and what they mean? Let’s talk in simpler terms, instead. To this point, if we want to measure energy efficiency, we can simply equate better efficiency with lower utility costs. If you’re spending less to keep your home at a comfortable temperature, that’s a pretty good gauge, isn’t it? But how, exactly, does your choice of insulation affect energy use? Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation
Part II: Insulation Basics Explained
Air Leakage Air currents constantly pass throughout our homes, creating convective heat loss. The more heat we lose, the harder our HVAC system needs to work to keep temperatures steady and the greater the energy consumed. Fiberglass insulation isn’t very good at blocking the air that passes through it. This may not seem like a big deal, but you won’t be happy to learn that around 20% of the energy generated for your home is lost when you choose to use fiberglass insulation. In contrast, a home insulated with cellulose can better limit air movement and prevent drafts. A University of Colorado study conducted in 1990 showed that there was 38% less air leakage, and it cost 26% less to heat a cellulose-insulated home than it did to heat a similar one insulated with fiberglass. Air leaking into the house from outdoors Air leaking from inside the house to the outside
Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation
Part II: Insulation Basics Explained
Installation Fiberglass insulation works by trapping air within its fine glass fibers, thereby slowing heat transfer. However, fiberglass, which comes in batts and rolls, needs to be measured, cut, and installed precisely. The process is tedious and can be painstakingly slow. You need to make sure each piece fits into place— over and under obstacles like wires, ducts, pipes and wood framing—perfectly. The reality is, installers seldom have the patience for this and end up simply forcing or jamming things into place, counting on the drywall to cover up any installation imperfections. Unfortunately, this compresses the material and squeezes out the air pockets that slow down heat transfer. Consequently, the insulation does little to improve energy efficiency. In contrast, blown-in cellulose is installed using a specialized insulation blower—ensuring that the insulation is distributed evenly throughout your space, filling in even the spaces around ductwork, electrical outlets, wires, and pipes with ease.
Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation
Installers can even adjust the density of the installation, allowing homeowners to pack the insulation as densely into a cavity as they please. This can help limit air movement, which cuts down on heat loss through convection. By efficiently preventing gaps and air leaks around the edges of your insulated space, blown in cellulose makes for a more energy efficient home. Moreover, cellulose is an environmentally friendly insulation solution. It contains at least 75% recycled material. It is actually made from finely chopped recycled newspaper and phone directories treated with a largely non-toxic borate that repels insects and rodents and prevents mold. Which of the two types of insulation I prefer is pretty obvious. Indulge me further as I make an unabashed pitch for cellulose, the only material I recommend you use to insulate your home. Let’s talk about why I think it’s the best choice for you. Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation
PART III The Case for Cellulose
Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation
Part III: The Case for Cellulose
One of the arguments for cellulose is its high recycled content; the production process (shredding paper and adding fire retardant borates) also uses much less energy. What are the other reasons why it should be your insulation material of choice? Blown in cellulose has gained favor among green builders and experts in building energy efficiency for good reason. It’s the only insulation material that makes any sense if you’re looking to use resources responsibly, save energy, and spend less on heating and cooling your home. The most commonly selected insulation material— fiberglass—apparently isn’t the best insulator. Insulation may be one of the cheapest components of your home, but its real value lies in its potential to save you money over the long haul. Most blown-in cellulose insulation projects have an energy-savings payback term of less than a year. Any savings after that is money in your pocket.
To put it simply, cellulose insulation works, and works well. Scientists, builders and contractors alike have been aware of the value of cellulose over fiberglass insulation for years now. In fact, various scientific reports have observed the following: • Because it’s manufactured purely from recycled paper, cellulose is not just the most energy efficient insulation; it is also the least polluting. Increased energy efficiency also means huge savings on your electric bill. • Fiberglass averages 35% recycled glass. In comparison, cellulose has the highest percentage of recycled content, averaging a minimum of 75% recycled content. Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation
Part III: The Case for Cellulose
• Cellulose won’t rot, decay or mildew. It does not support fungus or mold growth, making for a healthier environment. • Cellulose does not corrode aluminum, steel, or copper. • Cellulose does not lose its energy saving abilities over time. • Cellulose can easily be installed in both new construction and existing structures. • Cellulose offers better noise insulation and thermal protection than fiberglass. • Fiberglass insulation takes more than 10 times as much energy to produce as cellulose insulation. • Cellulose has better resistance to air flow and its R-value actually improves during cold weather. • Fiberglass is associated with substantial and welldocumented public health threats. • Cellulose insulation has no adverse health effects.
Good insulation lowers energy bills by trapping heat or cold air in your home. Fiberglass insulation may be more common (it’s used about 85% of the time), but cellulose insulation, as you can see, is by far the smarter, more energy efficient choice.
If you want insulation that is best for our environment, and for your pocket, choose CELLULOSE!
Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation
Campopiano Roofing
2100 Case Parkway North Twinsburg, Ohio 44087
(330) 425-1285 www.CampoRoof.com
Green Our Planet: Use Recycled Pulp Insulation