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cannon_gw

Biofoam versus cellulose insulation

cannon
18 years ago

We are trying to decide which type insulation to use. Does anyone know how I can objectively compare biofoam and cellulose. Is there a standardized rating system and if so, how do I obtain this information and apply it to our location in central Arkansas?

Comments (3)

  • RCMJr
    18 years ago

    .

    I'm not familiar with biofoam . . but do know / have cellulose . . got a web site that talks about biofoam ?

    Hard to think that anyone has come up with anything better / more environmentally friendly than cellulose, but if so I'd like to know about it . . . .

    Bob

  • rjoh878646
    18 years ago

    found a link to biofoam. It seems to be made from soybean oil. It is a foam product like iceyne. If you can afford it,I'd go for it.

    Here is a link that might be useful: biofoam

  • RCMJr
    18 years ago

    .

    I'll point out two signifigant differences, at least that I did not see addressed on the Biofoam site.

    Even if it's true that it offers no food value to various vermin, it does NOT say that they won't find it very attractive to live / tunnel in. Same drawback that foam on the outside of a foundation has . . . it too has NO food value, but certainly offers ants and such a perfect building / living environment.

    There is no mention, that I found; regarding it's combustion / flammability. While I would not expect it to be terribly flammable, I'd also expect it to have a fire retardant in it. Did not see anything to that affect, or any flammability rating.

    Wet blown ( walls ) and loose blown ( attic etc ) cellulose offers the same permanence as the foam . . . and a full vapor barrier is very easy / cheap to implement . . yielding the same results as Biofoam. It is also treated with borates which not only are an amazing fire retardant, but are also deadly to vermin while quite harmless to humans but for direct ingestion.

    Being a "new" material; I'd also be a bit wary as there is likely little data for what it does LONG term . . being "organic" as opposed to man-made, many years in real living condtions of temperature and humidity and the effects it will have on the stuff are probably unknown / educated guess.

    While it seems as though it might be a good alternative to other nasty insulations; I'd be concerned about being a guineau pig for something with little real-life track record over time. I'd stick with a tried and true friendly material like cellulose until there's some real-life in the field performance data on it. I have no doubt that the stuff would probably perform pretty well as they claim for a few years . . . it's what it would behave as 10+ years from now that I'd be wondering about. Personally, I would not take the chance and fill my walls with it 'til it's better established / known about in real conditions AND time . . .

    Bob

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