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Insulation Batts - Difference in quality?

(9 posts) (8 voices)

Started 10 years ago by bundy
Latest reply from mat-with-one-t

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bundy
Member

Wondering if anyone has any experience or feedback as to bulk insulation batts and quality of product between manufacturers?

Bradfords and Fletchers who have been on the market for years have what I believe is a good product (albeit relatively expensive) and I now see a lot of imported Glass Wool batts around at half their price. (Possibly a hangover from the Bulk Insulation scheme)

So my query is with all things being equal and the same R ratings is there anything to be wary of in going with an alternate supplier to the big boys?

Posted Thursday 19 Jan 2012 @ 11:00:54 pm from IP #
Greg
Member

I looked at a lot of insulation products from low to high tech. The majority of my wall insulation is rice straw bales ans its brllliant. Not an option for everyone I know. In the roof I used Knauf Insulation batts. I looked at pros and cons of glass vs polyester vs natural wool. I could not aford natural wool and determining which batt is greener by the amount of recycled content is really difficult. The glass batts appear to me to give more insulation (higher R value) per mm of depth so if you have a timber contructed wall you can get more R value in the same space. Roofs are generally not as much of a problem for space but I was turned off the polyester batts when I was told about the byproducts when exposed to flame for some of them. The Knauf seemed the most eco, least dangerous option but I guess time will tell (heck everyone used to think asbestos was ok).
I hoped that long answer helped. The short answer would be that I would go with a name brand whose credentials I have some chance of verifying.

Posted Friday 20 Jan 2012 @ 7:49:29 am from IP #
cool at home
Member

The effectiveness of batts incorporates a range of considerations, but particularly longevity and thermal values. Many batts are hard to replace, and if they are replaced disposal and installation is a big portion of the replacement costs, and batts are not readily disposed of in an environmentally "sound" manner. And of course if a batt doesn't do what you want it to thermally, then it's a waste of precious money and effort... And leads also back to the replacement and new installation costs and difficulties.

For longevity reasons I really like poly batts. If you have the space to get the thickness / R value you want, they offer much better longevity than glass batts. I've seen dramatic differences with different batt types installed in the same home. Glass batts seriously decayed, with loose fibres, little thickness and a vastly reduced R value, next to poly batts that look as intact and thick as the day they were installed. We'll certainly be following these up for our next place... Along with LOADS of reflective insulation (of which I think most Aussie homes have far too little).

Posted Saturday 21 Jan 2012 @ 2:16:31 pm from IP #
bundy
Member

Although Poly Batts appear to last well I have read some nasty things about Flammability. (Although they are supposed to be treated)

I have read (but not seen for myself) When exposed to a naked flame they literally go up in smoke

Not that I am planning to have a fire mind you but still a consideration.

But then it really doesnt answer the Qstn be it Poly or Glass. If I buy a batt with R3.5 name brand V's R3.5 "No name" should I expect any difference in performance?

In theory they should be the same but are they?

Posted Sunday 22 Jan 2012 @ 9:01:11 am from IP #
grantluc
Member

Interesting about the poly batts lasting longer! Now I'm not so sure which way to go any more. I used to specify Tontine because polyester was supposed to be low alergenic and am impressed by the fact its 80 percent recycled. My main problem with glasswool was that I had always had a (perhaps illogical fear) it may cause problems with skin contact. It causes itching when it comes in contact with your skin so what could it be doing to your lungs? After a bit of research I found out that the (best known brands not sure about cheap generic brands) MSDS sheets that claim their glass fibres are bio-soluble so the problem we had with asbestos can never happen as the body breaks the fibres down and dissolve unlike asbestos which keeps shredding into smaller and smaller sharp needles each time you split it. Thinking I had it sorted I have been specifying Bradford glass batts because they had the best R value for walls at r2.7 for a 90mm batt and so I choose the same company for the ceiling insulation for ease of specifying and supply. Since they are now supposed to be harmless, since glass batts are cheaper and slightly thinner for the same R value as polyester they seemed the best choice as I also was a little put off with the chemical composition of the polyester. However if the glass batts degrade and flatten over time (I,m not sure why they would as they are supposed to be just spun melted rock) they would lose their Rvalue as they compress and so the polyester then would come out trumps. Any more stories about life-cycle performance of poly versus glass or mineral fibre insulation would be appreciated, as being an Architect I specify this stuff all the time and i would like to make the best informed decision I can for my clients.

Posted Thursday 26 Jan 2012 @ 9:53:07 pm from IP #
Multi Diver
Member

So how long should glass or poly batts last. I have recently moved house and fortunately the new house does have insulation, however not sure how long they have been up there. Insulation wise they dont feel like they are doing an ab fab job compared to the new bradford batts we installed in the last place. Any thoughts??

Posted Sunday 29 Jan 2012 @ 10:26:11 am from IP #
Annette
Member

Hi
I have used Bradford Soundscreen for walls - you get good R values for the thickness (R 2.5 for 88mm )and they are very stiff and solid.

I was intending to use themfor my raked ceilings too (no roof space) so placed one of these batts between the rafters 2 years ago as an experiment. It is still there - held up just by the friction of the rafters on either side and the stiffness of the batt.

I can't see what could cause the rockwool to deteriorate if you lay them properly and don't walk on them or interfere with them. I'm not familiar with the non soundscreen products from Bradford though.

Posted Friday 16 Mar 2012 @ 1:45:42 am from IP #
YESBOSS
Member

Hi...
i'm currently studying about insulation focusing in polyester.
As we known that recycle PET/polyester could be use for insulation rather than using virgin mat.
What i have found that after doing some laboratory test between virgin polyester vs recycle blended polyester insulation, the R-value for recycle blended insulation mat was greater than virgin mat (hollow + low melt).
Can someone give opinion on this.
PLZ.....

Thanks

Posted Monday 10 Aug 2015 @ 9:00:49 am from IP #
mat-with-one-t
Member

I have used a product called "Rainbow Batts" which I installed about 12 years ago. Not sure if the company still exists? They've been great. Recycled poly, and were just very slightly more expensive than virgin poly….

Posted Tuesday 22 Sep 2015 @ 8:37:22 am from IP #

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