Spray foam can be great, but honestly, it's not always the best choice—especially in older homes. I've seen cases where spray foam trapped moisture against old wooden beams, causing rot issues down the road. Cellulose might not have the same wow factor, but it's breathable and less risky if your attic ventilation isn't perfect. Just something to keep in mind before jumping into spray foam...
Good points raised here, but I'd caution against dismissing spray foam entirely based on moisture concerns alone. While it's true that improper installation or inadequate ventilation can lead to moisture issues, a properly executed spray foam job—especially closed-cell foam—can actually help control moisture infiltration by creating a tight air barrier. I've seen older homes benefit significantly from this, provided the attic space is thoroughly assessed beforehand.
That said, cellulose definitely has its merits, particularly in terms of breathability and cost-effectiveness. But let's not overlook the importance of addressing underlying ventilation issues first. If your attic already has moisture problems, neither spray foam nor cellulose will magically fix that without proper airflow management.
In my experience, it's less about the insulation material itself and more about how thoughtfully it's integrated into the home's existing structure and ventilation system. A careful evaluation of your attic's specific conditions is key before committing to any insulation upgrade...
Good insights here, and I'd add a couple quick thoughts from my own projects:
- Totally agree on ventilation being key. I've seen gorgeous insulation jobs turn into moldy messes because nobody bothered to fix the attic airflow first.
- Spray foam can be fantastic, but I've also seen it cause headaches when installers rush the prep work or miss tricky spots. It's great stuff, just needs careful hands.
- Cellulose is underrated IMO—breathable, budget-friendly, and way less itchy than fiberglass (been there, done that... never again).
Bottom line, fix ventilation first, then pick insulation based on your attic's quirks.
Yeah, ventilation seems like the unsung hero here. I'm still pretty new to all this, but when we moved into our place, the attic was a disaster—fiberglass everywhere, itchy arms for days. We ended up going with cellulose too, and honestly, it's been great so far. But one thing I didn't see mentioned yet: has anyone else had issues with pests getting into cellulose insulation? Our installer mentioned rodents sometimes find it cozy...which kinda freaked me out at first. We sealed everything up tight beforehand, but I'm curious if others have run into that?
Also, totally agree about spray foam needing careful prep. My neighbor rushed his install and ended up with weird gaps and uneven coverage. Looked like a mess and he had to redo half of it later. Lesson learned, I guess...
We had cellulose blown in about five years ago, and honestly, pests haven't been an issue for us yet. But I did hear from a friend who had mice nesting in theirs—turns out the installer missed sealing around some electrical conduits. Once they patched those gaps, problem solved. Seems like as long as you really seal things up tight beforehand, you're probably fine. Still beats dealing with itchy fiberglass any day...
