Attic Insulation Batt Vs Blown

Depending on the material of the insulation the installation method may vary slightly.

Attic insulation batt vs blown.

It is sold in bags and made of materials that are of varying degrees of recycled. Batts must be cut tightly and you can t have gaps. We use both blown in and batt insulation depending on the situation at hand. Batt insulation is that it is a form of loose fill insulation as opposed to a flexible blanket.

Blown in insulation is much easier on installers. Current energy standards recommend the installation of a first layer of craft faced moisture barrier fiberglass batt. The first difference in blown in vs. Notice how you don t see any of the ceiling framing down at the ceiling level.

Blown in varieties however typically reach a peak of around a 2 8 r factor. I don t know about that but it s a common insulation material that works much better in the blown form than in batts. That makes it fast to install but costlier than batt insulation. Blown in fiberglass creates a seamless blanket in your attic.

Both blown in and batt roll insulation can be installed in different areas of a home including the attic and the walls. Disadvantages of batt insulation. Therefore if you have an abundance of joists and studs in your attic floor or likewise have many wires and other obstructions batt insulation may not be the best way to go. That s because blown insulation is great at filling the gaps and giving you a good complete layer of insulation.

The answer is it depends. The thermal performance of fiberglass insulation is directly related to its ability to trap and maintain very small pockets of air. Compared to blown in insulation batts can reach a resistance rating r factor of over 3 1. Sloppy people aren t suited for this job.

Often times a combination of the two is ideal. You also don t see any gaps that allow you to see all the way down to the ceiling drywall. Fiberglass insulation is available in blown in form and so is cellulose which is referred to as loose fill cellulose. The maximum rating of batt insulation is around 4 2.

The photo above shows an attic insulated with blown cellulose. The biggest disadvantage of batt insulation is that it does not fit well in non standard spaces.