A: Today’s cellulose is very different from cellulose used in the past. Nowadays, cellulose is fiberized, which means it allows for more coverage and lower settled densities. Done Right Home Improvement guarantees that the cellulose is densely packed in your walls at more than twice its settled density. This means that once the wall is filled it can’t settle because there is nowhere for the cellulose to settle into.

A: While fiberglass is cheaper than cellulose, fiberglass will cost you more money in the long run. For example, cellulose is 40% more effective than fiberglass, which means a 40% savings on your heating or cooling bill. Fiberglass installation may cost $2,000 and cellulose $4,000, which saves you $2,000 for the initial installation. However, if the energy costs for a home insulated with fiberglass is $3,000 a year, then the same home insulated with cellulose would cost $1,800 a year. In 10 years, a home insulated with fiberglass (counting installation) might cost the homeowner $32,000. The same home insulated with cellulose would cost $22,000. The savings from cellulose are obvious. Also, cellulose insulation may save you even more money when you consider you could install a smaller furnace or air-conditioning unit.

A: No. In fact, cellulose protects your home from fire. Cellulose is made from recycled newspaper, but borates are added during the manufacturing process. Borates are minerals that keep the cellulose from catching fire. If you apply flame to cellulose the outside will char and keep the insulation underneath from catching fire. A person may actually hold a piece of cellulose and hold a torch to the top without burning their hand. The same experiment with fiberglass would leave the person with a very badly burned hand. Borates also ward off pests such as carpenter ants and termites.

A: This varies from home to home, but Done Right Home Improvement will usually insulate the walls of a home in 2 to 3 days. Done Right packs the walls densely to ensure drafts won’t get through. Wall insulation costs on average from $2,000 to $4,000. Attic insulation takes from 1 to 1.5 days. There is a lot of prep work required before the insulation may be blown into the home. Insulation dams are needed to keep the insulation from getting to hot areas. Hot areas include chimneys, attic hatches, bathroom fans, etc. Done Right also installs soffit vents and cardboard rulers in the attic so the homeowner knows they are getting what they paid for. Attic insulation costs between $1,500 to $2,500.

A: Besides recycling old newspaper, cellulose does not require a lot of energy to make. For instance, it takes approximately 750 btu’s (British Thermal Units) of energy to make one pound of cellulose. It takes approximately 12,000 btu’s to make one pound of fiberglass and an unbelievable 30,000 btu’s to make one pound of foam insulation. The less energy used to make a product, the less pollution generated during the manufacturing process. When it comes to insulation, cellulose is as green as you can get.