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Insulation Materials

At Pure Eco, we have a deep knowledge of the different types and brands of insulation products on the market today, and we have many years of experience in installing them in Los Angeles Area and Southern California homes and businesses.

If you are wondering what kind of insulation is best suited for your building and your budget, and which kinds are most environmentally friendly, we can be your helpful guides and help you to make an informed decision that you'll continue to benefit from for years and never regret.

For further information on the various options of materials for insulating your home/business, or for a free, no-obligation consultation, feel free to contact us today by calling 877-778-2551!

We Always Provide You with Top-tier Insulation Options

We at Pure Eco are fully familiar with today's insulation market. We know which brands and forms of insulation have the highest R-values in each class, which types of insulation are most eco-friendly, and which are of the highest overall quality so that they'll last for decades to come.

We also can help you find the best overall value, the most affordable way to insulate your building that will still truly meet your needs. 

And if you need a room soundproofed or need a material with the highest degree of fire protection, mold and mildew resistance, or other special concern, we can guide in those matters as well.

Here below, we cover some of the most popular types of insulation and explain to you their strengths and limitations as well as give a little insight on when you might choose each type.

Fiberglass Insulation

Fiberglass is easily the most common of all insulation materials, and it's also the most affordable option that still retains a high R-value.

In some situations, another material might be preferable to gain extra insulating power, but for most usages, fiberglass is adequate. Plus, you can double up on the batts (after removing the intervening vapor cover) or lay down additional depth of blown-in fiberglass insulation to increase its effectiveness yet further.

Today, you can buy either medium or high density fiberglass products, which will also affect the R-value. The denser fiberglass is best for use in cramped areas with little room for insulation, such as inside of cathedral ceilings, in order to insure they are well insulated even with less bulk of material present.

What is "fiberglass?"

What is fiberglass made of? Like the name suggests, it is manufactured out of blown glass and (plastic) fibers that give it additional strength and insulating power. This combination of fluffy material with tiny rigid fibers interspersed throughout is an extremely effective and affordable way to insulate your home.

Where to use batts of blown-in fiberglass

Batts of fiberglass are used where you have standard-spaced rafters or walls studs because this allows for a tighter fit and minimizes empty pockets in such situations.

Blown fiberglass insulation is often used on attic floors, inside ceilings, or in walls with non-standardly spaced studs.

We often use the BIBS (blown in blanket system) with dry-blown materials or a hybrid system that combines BIBS with spray polyurethane foam, to obtain the best results.

How fiberglass insulation works

Fiberglass material contains numerous, tiny air pockets within it that serves to slow down the movement of air, sound, and heat through it. This helps a room insulated with fiberglass stay cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter, and makes it less affected by sounds from another room or from outside.

Fiberglass in the attic, crawlspace, and exterior-facing walls creates a solid insulation envelope, while individual insulated rooms can be heated/cooled without your having to, in effect, heat/cool the entire house. That saves you a lot of money and reduces your overall carbon footprint.

Due to the potential irritation fiberglass material can have when it contacts the skin, some prefer not to use it. But there is no evidence of its being cancerous, as some have claimed. And we know how to handle fiberglass safely and would be the ones installing it for you. But definitely always wear gloves, a face mask, and protective clothing when around exposed fiberglass.

Cellulose Insulation

Cellulose is the number one alternative to fiberglass insulation materials, as to popularity. It is manufactured from recycled newspapers or other paper products.

Cellulose is commonly used as blown-in insulation in attics and as dense-packed insulation in wall cavities.

It can be blown into old homes or into new construction, with only small holes drilled behind the siding to blow it into walls of older homes - at about 3.5 pounds per cubic foot, and then the holes are dutifully plugged up and the siding put back in place.

The process with new construction and additions is easier because it's done before the siding or drywall is applied. With new structures, cellulose will be either damp-sprayed or dry-filled behind a netting. Both methods ensure the material stays in place until the wall or ceiling is sealed off and finished, and neither method harms the material or your building.

How is cellulose made?

Most of today's cellulose insulation is 80% to 85% recycled newspaper. The newspapers are chopped up into small bits, then ground down to fibers. 

The remaining 20% to 15% of the material is made up of chemical additives like borate, ammonium sulfate, and boric acide, which enhance its fire resistance, mold/mildew/moisture resistance, and insect resistance. 

How does cellulose insulation work?

Because cellulose compacts more tightly than fiberglass, it has a somewhat higher R-value. But it still works on the principle of creating air pockets that slow down heat movement and sound movement through the material.

The air pockets in a layer of cellulose are simply smaller than with fiberglass, in general, which helps the material to work a little better. 

You can get cellulose in either batts or loose-fill forms, actually. So, cellulose can be an alternative to fiberglass in every room and in every situation.

Roxul Soundproof Insulation

We at Pure Eco use ROXUL® soundproof insulation for most of our soundproofing jobs. It is, we are convinced, the best soundproofing material on the market today. And it's great for the environment too.

Roxul is a perfect choice when you want to create a baby room or a media room and don't want people in that room to be disturbed or to disturb others outside of it. 

What is Roxul insulation made of?

Roxul's special soundproofing product is extremely unique. It is made of a combination of basalt rock and recycled metal slag. Basalt is a volcanic rock, and the slag is a byproduct of steel an copper production.

These rock and metal materials are melted and mixed and then spun into a fibrous material that, while still dense, is of a reasonable weight.

How does Roxul insulation work?

The sheer density of Roxul soundproof insulation absorbs and severely reduces both air-borne and impact sounds. The materials used are also fire proof, won't mold, can't be eaten on by insects or stain. 

Roxul's material basically resists everything imaginable and therefore lasts for extremely long periods of time. And this means that it's not only the best soundproof insulation around, it may well be the best insulation in almost every other way as well, having an incredibly "off the charts" R-value.

The higher cost of Roxul material generally restricts it to soundproofing use and to filling in small spaces that ordinary batts can't reach. Currently, Roxul comes only in batts and not in blown in form.

Denim Insulation

One of the most eco-friendly forms of insulation you can choose is that of denim. Denim insulation is made of cotton, specifically of recycled blue jeans. However, there are also other cotton, wool, and hemp (natural insulation products) besides denim that work about the same way.

Denim insulation is made from scraps or recycled old jeans, and it usually is about 85% recycled cotton and about 15% plastic fibers, which are added for strength. The plastic fibers are pretreated with borate to make them fire resistant and insect and rodent resistant. 

The exact source of the blue jeans can vary. One brand, for example, uses only the trim-off waste from blue jeans manufacturing plants. This means that denim insulation reduces waste by reusing cast-off materials and then recycles them - that's about as fully earth friendly as you can get.

And there are special denim insulation recycling programs that are contracted with different jeans manufacturers and that keep old jeans or scraps of jeans from ending up in landfills.

You can get denim insulation in loose fill or in batts form. In batts, it will cost 15% to 20% more than fiberglass on average, but it does give you a more natural and eco-friendly option.

How does denim insulation work?

Compared to fiberglass, denim is about as strong and durable but gives you a little extra R-value. It lacks the itchy to the touch quality of fiberglass, and so in some respects it could be considered safer as well.

Denim is extremely effective at trapping, isolating, and diminishing sound waves. And it has a Class A fire resistance rating. Plus, it will not mold or mildew.

Denim batts lack the formaldehyde that is found in some other batts insulations.

And it is so moisture resistant that it needs no vapor barrier, unless local building codes require vapor barriers regardless of insulation type.

Why Choose Pure Eco?

At Pure Eco, we can help you evaluate and consider each type of insulation material you might want to use in your building. We will listen to your expectations and plans, and we will give you the benefit of our experience. We never high pressure you to buy any particular product, but we put you in a position to make an informed decision you will never regret.

We give you an accurate estimate of the costs of each particular insulation type and of how much of it you will realistically need to have installed in order to reach the desired energy efficiency level. We are energy efficiency experts and can convert square footage and R-value numbers into estimates of how much you could reasonably expect to save on your power bill with different insulation choices.

Our staff is also fully experienced at installing all major types and brands of both batts and blown in insulation. We can both assist with material selection and install the insulation for maximum R-value. Additionally, we also provide other related services like attic cleaning, rodent proofing, and air sealing. Letting one company handle it all will save you time and money.

We can also help you qualify for energy efficiency programs on the federal, state, or local levels, and help you apply for energy efficiency based financing like GreenSky Credit.

Finally, we are a family owned and operated company and one with longstanding, deep ties to local communities in the Los Angeles Area and beyond. We care about improving the energy efficiency of local area homes and businesses and about reducing our collective carbon footprint!

Contact Us Today for Assistance in Achieving Maximum Energy Efficiency!

If you are trying to decide on which type of insulation to use in your home or business property, you will find that there is a plethora of options out there. There are so many factors involved in deciding on an insulation type/brand that it can easily be confusing to the uninitiated.

At Pure Eco, we are intimately familiar with the various products and features of today's insulation industry. We know by experience what works best in each situation, and we can help you find the insulation product that will best meet your needs.

Contact us Monday through Friday, from 8:30am to 5pm (Pacific Time) by calling 877-778-2551, and we can answer all of your insulation related questions and give you a free over-the-phone energy efficiency consultation and a free, no-obligation quote.


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