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Old jeans vs traditional insulation - what's your pick?
Been reading up on using recycled denim as insulation, and honestly, it sounds pretty cool. I mean, it's eco-friendly, safer to handle (no itchy fiberglass bits), and apparently does a decent job at keeping the house warm. But then again, traditional fiberglass insulation is cheaper and easier to find around here. I'm kinda torn - anyone tried both or have a preference? Curious if the denim stuff is worth the extra hassle or cost.
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I've used both in different houses I've owned. Denim insulation is definitely nicer to handle - no itchy arms afterward, that's for sure. But honestly, the cost difference was noticeable, and I didn't really see a huge improvement in warmth or noise reduction compared to fiberglass.
"traditional fiberglass insulation is cheaper and easier to find around here."
Yeah, same issue here; denim was harder to source locally. If budget's tight, I'd stick with fiberglass... but if you're super eco-conscious and okay spending a bit extra, denim's not bad.
Denim insulation definitely has its perks, especially if you're installing it yourself - no itchy fiberglass dust is a huge plus. But from a builder's perspective, fiberglass still wins out most of the time. It's cheaper, easier to source, and honestly, the R-value per dollar is tough to beat. Curious though, has anyone tried cellulose insulation? I've heard good things about its eco-friendliness and soundproofing qualities, but haven't personally used it yet...
I've used cellulose insulation on a couple of renovation projects, and honestly, it's pretty impressive. The soundproofing is noticeably better than fiberglass, and the eco-friendly aspect is a nice bonus. Installation can be messy though - dust everywhere if you're not careful. Also, keep in mind it settles over time, so you might lose some R-value down the road. Still, I'd say it's worth considering if sustainability and acoustics matter to you.
The fair comparison is the installed cost to reach the same target R-value, not the price per bag. Check the product’s stated R-value per inch against the depth of the space: if it takes more thickness to meet the target, or the cavity can’t fit that thickness, the extra cost may not be worth it. If both options meet the target in that space, then the handling and sourcing trade-offs matter more.