Green Insulation Options For Wisconsin Home Remodeling

It seems that many of us are more aware of our collective impact on the environment, and many of us have chosen to live more sustainably and reduce our carbon footprint. This belief carries throughout our lives, from eating organic, locally grown food, to driving a more economical car. It even extends to our homes and the materials we use in construction and home remodeling projects.

Even the insulation you choose can help to lower your impact on the environment while offering your home the protection you need. Here in Wisconsin, we have some seriously harsh winters, and properly insulating your home is the perfect way to lower your utilities use while keeping you warm and toasty.

Insulation is already technically a green material as it does lower your energy use. However, eco-friendliness is about more than R-value. Other factors, such as the manufacturing process, materials used, and toxicity, are other vital elements to be aware of. Air sealing qualities must always be considered.

While fiberglass (the pink stuff) may be the cheapest option and does a great job, it's far from eco-friendly. Manufacturing fiberglass is an energy-intensive process using up to 10Xs more than many eco-friendly options. Also, fiberglass insulation is made from hazardous fibers that have been linked to health issues. While fiberglass can contain up to 30% recycled glass, today, many insulation options are made of up to 80% recycled content.

Let's learn more about today's eco-friendly options for insulating your home during your next home remodeling project. But first, why proper insulation is essential.

Why Proper Insulation Is Important

When it comes to your home's energy efficiency, proper insulation is a critical element. Air circulates throughout your home. In winter, warm indoor air rises and moves out into the cold, dense air outside. In summer, cool, dense air sinks to the bottom of the room and leaks out through the bottom of your home.

Insulation combats the movement of air. Since air can move in any direction, insulation is needed in roofs, floors, and walls to prevent air from leaving and entering the home. Proper insulation is one of the most critical factors contributing to your home's energy efficiency. If your home is insulated improperly, you will spend more on heating and cooling, and you may be wasting energy.

The US Department of Energy estimates that 44% of the energy consumed in American homes is used in heating and cooling. Eco-friendly insulation options can reduce your energy bills, reduce your family's use of energy, and lower your greenhouse gas and carbon emissions.

Air Sealing is the Key

The fact is, though, most insulation does not prevent air movement! Specific air sealing measures need to be implemented in order to be sure that your insulation is fully effective. Fiberglass batts and loose fill fiberglass are least effective at air sealing. Damp spray cellulose and dense pack cellulose insulation are much more effective. Spray foam is arguably the most effective type of insulation for air sealing, but it comes at a high price.

It is important to remember that careful detailing, such as caulking and sealing wall and ceiling penetrations, can improve the air sealing effectiveness for any insulation.

The Benefits of Eco-Friendly Insulation

Natural, formaldehyde-free materials make eco-friendly insulation a great choice. Both green and healthier materials like cotton and wool are safe to handle and do not irritate the skin or the respiratory tract. Choosing this type of insulation made with recycled materials reduces your carbon footprint since you're investing in a product that otherwise would end up in the landfill.

Eco-friendly insulation offers many other benefits as well. For example:

• Options like wool, cork, or shredded denim use minimal energy to produce when compared to fiberglass. Reducing energy during production means fewer greenhouse gasses.

• Lower energy consumption, and as a result, lower utility bills.

• Eco-friendly options are sustainable and can often provide better insulation per-square-inch, than fiberglass. For example, spray foam insulation can reduce your energy bill by anywhere from 30 to 50% thanks to its integrated air sealing properties.

Using eco-friendly insulation in your next home remodeling project is a smart alternative that can provide you with the insulating properties needed to survive the harsh Wisconsin winters, and help to protect the environment in several ways.

7 Types of Eco-Friendly Insulation For Your Next Home Remodeling Project

Eco-friendly insulation is a growth area in the industry. New materials like rigid cork and experimental materials like Mycelium – a natural substance made by intertwining the rootlike filaments and bonding fungus together are becoming available. As the market for eco-friendly insulation continues to grow, manufacturers will expand the number of options available.

Right now, seven materials are being used in home remodeling projects. These include:

• Sheep's Wool

Sheep's wool doesn't only keep you warm when it's knitted into a sweater or a blanket; it actually works well when encased in walls and ceilings! Compressed wool fibers form small pockets that trap air keeping us cool in summer and warm in winter. The breathable layers absorb moisture without feeling damp or affecting its heat retention.

• Aerogel

Eco-friendly doesn't always mean natural. Aerogel is a material that contains 90% air. It is made from silica, by removing the liquid at high heat and pressure. Aerogel can be bought in sheets that make it easy to install. While this ultra light-weight material is pricey at around $2 a square foot, it could make up for its cost in energy savings.

• Denim

Cotton is both natural and renewable, making it very eco-friendly. Recycled blue jeans and denim fabric is rolled into batts like fiberglass, but unlike fiberglass, it does not contain hazardous materials. As an added bonus, it doesn't cause respiratory irritation, and it's an effective insect repellent! Cotton insulation can cost twice as much as fiberglass, but you're significantly reducing waste going to the landfill. Bonus points if you are a person who turns in their worn-out denim jeans for recycling! There might be a store near you which supports this program.

• ThermaCork

ThermCork is made from the outer bark of oak trees and is renewable, natural, and biodegradable. Once produced, this material actually has a negative carbon footprint! Cork reduces energy consumption and will last far longer than most other materials. It's also hypoallergenic, free of toxins, and offers to reduce noise.

• Polystyrene

Polystyrene is a type of plastic foam. Although not traditionally green, polystyrene can be considered green because the R-value and air sealing performance is so high that it significantly reduces energy use. It comes in both foam board (which can also add structural integrity to walls) and spray foam.

• Cellulose

Made from recycled newsprint and other types of paper that would end up in a landfill (releasing harmful greenhouse gasses as it decomposes), cellulose is one of the safest types of insulation to install. If all the paper waste put into landfills were converted to cellulose, it would reduce carbon emissions by eight million tons. That's the equivalent of taking every car in New Mexico and Nevada off the road! If you're looking to minimize the toxins in your home, cellulose is the perfect material. (It happens to be our favorite insulation product, providing amazing bang for your buck.)

• Icynene

Made from Castor Oil, Icynene is a spray foam that expands about 100Xs it's volume when sprayed onto a surface or into a wall. It's an excellent material for sealing leaks and drafts and also works to help cancel noise. Because it's sealing power is so strong, if you choose Icynene, you'll need to install a ventilation system, including an air exchanger in a cold climate like Wisconsin. While this is an expensive choice, costing three times as much as fiberglass, you can make back your investment with 30 to 50% lower energy bills year after year.

Make the Smart Choice of Eco-friendly Insulation for Your Next Home Remodeling

Upgrading your home's insulation to an eco-friendly material is a smart investment that can work to insulate your home better, reduce energy use, and improve your home's indoor air quality. Plus, in today's market, green materials can add value to your house should you ever decide to sell. If you choose to work with us, there’s a good chance you’ll have eco-friendly dense-pack cellulose insulation installed in your home.

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 11/27/2019.

If you're planning a home remodeling in the greater Madison, Wisconsin area, give the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at call at (608) 8436-5963 or schedule an in-person meeting. We're experts on all of the latest home improvement materials, including eco-friendly insulation. Let us show you how using natural materials is better for your family's health, can lower your energy costs considerably, and add value to your home!