"Ended up going fiberglass myself—itchy mess, but at least my wallet isn't sneezing..."
Haha, totally get you on that itchy nightmare. I briefly considered cellulose too, but the price difference made me skeptical it'd be worth it. Fiberglass is messy and annoying, but honestly, once it's done, it's done. Denim insulation sounded cool in theory...until I saw the price tag. You're not alone—sometimes practicality beats comfort, especially when budgets are tight. Hang in there, the itchiness fades eventually...
I feel your pain on the fiberglass itch—been there myself. Denim sounded great to me too, eco-friendly and all, but the cost-benefit just didn't add up. Honestly though, cellulose isn't as pricey as people think, and the soundproofing benefits are pretty noticeable. I ended up using cellulose in a client's attic once, and the difference in noise reduction was impressive. Still, fiberglass gets the job done if you're mindful about sealing air leaks first...just keep aloe handy for the itch.
Have you looked into mineral wool insulation at all? I switched to it after one particularly itchy fiberglass job (still cringe thinking about that...). It's pricier than fiberglass, sure, but not as steep as denim, and the fire resistance and sound dampening are pretty solid. I did a custom build last year where the homeowner specifically requested better acoustics between floors—mineral wool made a noticeable difference there. Plus, installation-wise, it's way less itchy and irritating.
Fiberglass can definitely do the trick though, especially if you're careful with sealing. Did you tape off seams and gaps before insulating? I find that makes a huge difference in performance, both thermal and acoustic. Either way, keeping aloe handy is solid advice...learned that the hard way myself.
I've been curious about mineral wool myself, but how much pricier are we talking compared to fiberglass? I've seen it at the store but never really stopped to compare the price per square foot. Also, is the installation process pretty similar to fiberglass, or are there any special tools or techniques needed?
I did my attic with fiberglass last year and yeah... itchy doesn't even begin to describe it. I taped off most seams and gaps beforehand, but I probably could've done a more thorough job. Do you think sealing those gaps afterward would still help performance-wise, or is that something you really have to do before laying down insulation?
Also, you mentioned sound dampening—how noticeable is that difference in a typical attic space? My attic isn't exactly a living area, but if it cuts down on noise from rain or wind significantly, that might sway me toward mineral wool. I'm just trying to figure out if the benefits justify spending extra cash when the attic isn't used regularly.
And speaking of aloe... yeah, learned that lesson too late myself. Wish I'd read this thread before tackling my insulation project last summer.
- Mineral wool is usually around 20-30% pricier per sq ft from what I've seen.
- Installation's pretty similar, but mineral wool cuts cleaner and holds shape better—less sagging.
- Sealing gaps afterward still helps, but ideally you'd do it first.
- Honestly, noise reduction isn't dramatic unless you're sensitive to rain tapping or wind gusts... subtle improvement at best.
