Essential Info About Blown-In Insulation in Kansas City, M

Your Top 10 Blown-In Insulation Questions Answered: Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Blown-In Insulation

As the cost of living increases, more and more Kansas City homeowners are becoming savvy about the ways in which they can make more room in their budget. As you might already know, making several little changes to your daily routine can significantly impact you. Homeowners tend to think that saving money has to be a sacrifice, but this isn’t always the case. If you’re trying to save on your monthly energy bill by lowering your thermostat and wrapping yourself up in thick woolly sweaters and blankets to stay warm, you’re suffering needlessly. There’s a more straightforward solution—boosting your home’s energy efficiency with blown-in insulation.

With the help of a Kansas City insulation company, you can get your existing insulation topped up with blown-in cellulose or fiberglass. Batts and spray foam are also options, but in this article, we’ll focus on the benefits of blown-in insulation in Kansas City. Many homeowners have heard about blown-in insulation but are less familiar with it—as compared to pre-formed rolls—leading to a plethora of questions. Below, we’ll address the ten most common questions we get about our blown-in service.

1. What Is Blown-In Insulation?

Blown-in insulation, also known as loose-fill, is not so much a material as it is a method of installation. It is often juxtaposed with traditional batt insulation—a product that comes pre-formed in strips. Batts, also called rolls, have historically been the product of choice for homeowners looking to do home improvement projects themselves, as well as builders working on new properties. While it’s convenient for fitting in between joists in wall cavities and floors, it must be cut to size. Fitting it into tiny cracks and crevices can be challenging.

In contrast, loose-fill insulation has not been formed into strips or rolls. As the name suggests, it is purchased ‘loose’ and is installed with the help of a blower machine. To use this machine, contractors will place a bag of loose-fill in the blower and attach a blower hose. Holding the hose in their hand, they’ll direct it in the direction they want the product to go and turn on the machine. This gives them maximum control over the location and quantity of product being installed.

2. Are Batts or Blown-In Insulation Better?

Blown-in and batt insulation can both make your home energy efficient. However, they’re best suited to different situations. Typically, you’ll want to use blown-in over rolls when working in tight spaces, such as narrow attic spaces. While it’s possible to use rolls in your attic, irregularly shaped, hard-to-reach areas will be difficult to properly fill. Rolls will need to be precisely cut to shape, and care must be taken not to pack them down too tightly, or they’ll lose some of their R-value (more on this later).

On the other hand, blown-in works wonderfully in small spaces. It’s also perfect for retrofitting a home that already has existing batts. The biggest drawback of blown-in insulation is that it is messy to install. Professional installers have the experience to install loose-fill products efficiently and as mess-free as possible, so it’s generally recommended that you use a blown-in insulation service instead of doing it yourself.

3. What Type of Blown-In Insulation Is Best?

Whereas loose-fill and rolls are essentially product styles with different installation methods, the actual material can either be fiberglass, cellulose, spray foam and mineral wool. These are the main types used in residential and commercial buildings, but of these four, fiberglass and cellulose are by far the most common types of insulation.

Most homeowners are familiar with fiberglass batts, which are the classic cotton candy pink sheets you may see between wall joists in unfinished garages and basements. Fiberglass is made primarily of very fine, spun glass. It is soft enough to touch, but it is highly recommended that you wear gloves and a mask while working with it, as it may cause irritation. Cellulose insulation is mainly made up of recycled material. Different products are made of different materials, but you’ll generally find a high proportion of recycled newspaper and denim in them. To make it flame retardant and pest resistant, it is treated with chemicals such as boric acid.

As mentioned, spray foam insulation may also be used in homes, but this material is not blown in. Using spray foam in conjunction with blown-in insulation in Kansas City is a great method for air sealing, which reduces air leakage and subsequently improves your energy efficiency. 

When it comes to choosing between loose-fill fiberglass and cellulose, you really can’t go wrong with either. Both can boost your home’s energy efficiency, and both provide noticeable sound absorption. The most important factor is that you ensure you use enough of the product to optimally insulate your home, regardless of whether you choose to use fiberglass or cellulose.

4. Can Blown-In Insulation Be Used Everywhere?

Generally speaking, yes—blown-in insulation is suitable for use in almost every area of your home. While batts are often installed in wall cavities in advance of drywall being installed, cavities can also be filled with loose-fill cellulose or fiberglass. Some of the other areas you may want to consider having blown-in insulation in Kansas City include:

• Attic floors
• Crawl spaces
• Exterior walls
• Floor joists
• Ceiling joists
• Other hard-to-reach areas

There are a couple of areas you need to be careful around with not just blown-in products but rolls as well. Although cellulose and fiberglass are designed to be flame resistant, they may still be a fire hazard if placed against recessed lighting and heaters. You should also avoid placing them near any vents, as roof ventilation is important for reducing humidity and promoting good air quality. 

5. Can I Combine Blown-In Insulation and Batts?

Homeowners in Kansas City don’t always realize that over time, insulation can lose some of its ability to provide thermal resistance to their homes. Though it can last for decades, if conditions are not ideal, it can settle and deteriorate, thereby losing some of its effectiveness. To return their homes to the efficiency level that it was at when first built, homeowners sometimes hire a blown-in insulation service provider to top up their existing batts.

Adding additional insulation to improve your home’s performance and increase your energy savings is known as 'retrofitting.' Retrofitting projects may be classified as minor, major or deep, depending on the cost and disruption of the home improvement project. Insulation projects are considered to be a ‘minor’ retrofit due to the relatively low cost of service and the high energy savings.

For most homeowners looking to retrofit their attic or walls, installing additional rolls is not very feasible. Because rolls come pre-made, it may be difficult to customize the thickness. You may end up spending more than you need to get your optimal level of insulation, and additional batts may simply not fit. For this reason, most homeowners choose to retrofit their homes with blown-in insulation in Kansas City.

6. When Is It Worth It To Replace Existing Batts With Blown-In Insulation?

If your insulation isn’t performing as well as you’d like it to, it’s time to invest in blown-in insulation in Kansas City. In most cases, you’ll be able to get a simple insulation upgrade (also known as a retrofit), but in others, you may need batt removal first. Insulation becomes less effective due to the following factors:

• Water damage
• Dust and dirt
• Organic growth
• Pest infestations

You’ll need new insulation after a pest infestation or mold growth, as covering contaminated batts with new insulation will just seal these contaminants in. You may think that, since your batts are up in your attic, you’re not being regularly exposed to these contaminants. In reality, air circulates throughout your home, resulting in you breathing in these contaminants even when you’re on the first floor.

Rest assured that if your insulation experts recommend removing your existing batts, it’s because there is no other option. It’s more cost-effective for the homeowner to have their home retrofitted rather than replacing existing batts, so a reputable insulation company will always assess the feasibility of this solution first.

7. How Long Does Blown-In Insulation Last?

The lifespan of blown-in insulation in Kansas City varies from household to household, but on average, you can expect it to last approximately 25 to 30 years. At this point, it may need to be topped up again. The key to making blown-in products last as long as possible is taking a few careful steps to reduce potential energy loss. Some ways in which this may be done include:

• Layering more blown-in insulation than necessary. After installation, blown-in cellulose and fiberglass begin to settle. It’s not uncommon for it to end up at a height of about 20 percent less than it was when first installed. To mitigate this, insulation professionals will install about 20 percent more than what you need.
• Addressing air leaks. Loose-fill insulation can provide thermal resistance, but it won’t do much for air leaks. Prior to getting a blown-in service, any potential air leaks in your attic should be sealed using spray foam or caulking. This will allow your blown-in insulation to do its job for as long as possible.

8. How Thick Should Blown-In Insulation in Kansas City Be?

It’s common sense that the thicker your insulation is, the more thermal resistant it’ll be. Just like putting on a jacket instead of a cardigan keeps you warmer in the winter, so too does a thicker layer of insulation keep your house warmer. That being said, there is such a thing as excessively insulating your home. Putting in more cellulose or fiberglass than you need is an unnecessary expense. But how do you know how much is the right amount?

Insulation products come with an R-value, which is essentially a measure of thermal resistance per inch of product. The United States is broken down into a series of zones numbered 1 and 7, with Zone 1 regions requiring the lowest R-value and Zone 7 regions requiring the highest. Kansas City falls somewhere within Zones 4 and 5. The suggested R-value for attics within these zones is somewhere between R38 and R60. Crawl spaces, wall cavities and floor joists all have different suggested R-values, so take the time to check how much you'll need for the space you're working on.

To calculate the proper amount for your home, you’ll want to take your desired R-value and divide it by the R-value on the manufacturer's packaging. For example, if you want your attic to have an R-value of 55 and your bag of blown-in insulation says it provides R2.5, you’ll need to divide 55 by 2.5. This will give you a value of 22, which corresponds to 22 inches of thickness. Easy peasy, right? 

9. How Much Does Blown-In Insulation in Kansas City Cost?

The average cost of blown-in insulation in Kansas City depends on the specific product you choose, labor costs and supply chain shortages at the time of service. Blown-in fiberglass insulation and fiberglass rolls tend to be a little less expensive than cellulose, but fiberglass also tends to have a lower R-value than cellulose. In the end, the cost of fiberglass and cellulose are fairly comparable—barring a supply chain disruption that causes the price of one to skyrocket.

At the time of writing, the estimated cost of blown-in insulation in Kansas City was anywhere from $0.50 to $2 per square foot of product. It’s important to take these numbers with a grain of salt, as they fluctuate constantly. Cost ranges posted online may be highly inaccurate, so it’s a good idea to get quotes for your specific project from installation companies themselves.

10. Can I Install Blown-In Insulation in Kansas City Myself?

Technically, yes—but it’s not recommended. A professional insulation company is knowledgeable about building codes, can identify problems with your current set-up that you may not be aware of, is capable of pinpointing air leaks that should be sealed and can accurately calculate the right levels for your home. Though you’ll pay for the cost of labor, keep in mind that properly installed blown-in installation will reduce your energy costs significantly, making the investment worth it in the long run.

Instead of looking for ‘blown-in insulation near me,’ contact the pros at Koala Insulation of North Kansas City for professional installation services. We’ve helped countless Kansas City homeowners optimize their insulation levels and save on their utility bills. To book your free in-person estimate, give our friendly office team a call at 913-348-7789 today!