The icicles last year told us we had to do something with the insulation of our house from the 1920′s. Researching the marked we ended up with 40 cm “Isofiber” (cellulose ) from Norsk Celluloseinstallasjon a/s. This simple solution prooved itself to be far the best option for the environment, the house and for our vallet!
The price competes with the lesser environmentally friendly alternatives. We paid about 22 000 NOK for 96,5 m2. That includes the nearly 3000 NOK we got back from Oslo kommune. And it includes the man doing the job for you.
Not bad ey?
Our criterias for the insulation material:
- an environmentally friendly alternative to the promoted Glava (glass fiber) and Rock wool (mineral wool). Glava has been classified in the same category as asbestos in the UK and has been shown to be carcenogenic.
- could be used in an old building with corners and crevices difficult to reach.
- had to match the best alternatives on the marked concerning its insulation capacity, fire resistance etc.
Studies of actual buildings regularly show that cellulose-insulated buildings may use 20% to 40% less energy than buildings with fiber glass, even if the R-value of the insulation in the walls and ceilings is identical. One reason for this is the capacity of cellulose to stop air infiltration.
Cellulose earns “green points” due to the fact that it requires less energy than fiberglass to manufacturer. Cellulose also helps to reduce energy consumption and promotes environmental responsibility. Blown Cellulose Insulation is composed of 85% recycled newspaper. The remaining 15% is composed of non-toxic borate compounds which resists fire, insects and mould.
Blown Cellulose can be installed in new or existing structures. Blown Cellulose coats within cavities where traditional forms of insulation often miss. Corners, crevices, irregular angles and cramped spaces do not pose a problem for the application of this product because the materials are designed to shape to the surfaces to which they are applied. The end result is that cellulose insulation provides greater resistance to air leakage.
Benefits of Blown Cellulose Insulations
• Cellulose insulates better! It not only offers more heat transfer resistance per square inch than other fibre insulation materials, it also seals the structure against air infiltration better than other fibre installations.
• Studies of actual buildings regularly show that cellulose-insulated buildings may use 20% to 40% less energy than buildings with fiberglass, even if the R-value of the insulation is identical. One reason for this is the capacity of cellulose to stop air infiltration.
•Can also bee installed without a moisture barriere, because it “breathes”. This is a great advance in these old buildings too.
• Fills walls and stops air infiltration better than fiberglass.
• High “R” values
• Highest savings – Lowest Costs
• Cellulose makes homes safer by slowing down the spread of fire
• Cellulose insulation is subject to strict flammability and corrosiveness standards
• Cellulose has the highest standards of any insulation material
• Non-toxic borate compounds resists fire, insects and mould
• Fire resistant
• Rodent retardant
• Excellent soundproofing qualities
• Reduces energy consumption
• Efficient and environmentally friendly
• Cellulose makes efficient use of natural resources
Read more about it at:
http://www.cellulose.org/CIMA/GreenestOfTheGreen.php
http://www.insotec.ca/blown_cellulose_insulation.html
