The history of cellulose insulation
Blow-in type cellulose insulation was already used in the 1970-ies, mostly in North-America, but its use has spread fast all over the world, as it allows faster and sediment-free insulation. In Canada and in the Scandinavian countries people have been facing the need for a long time now, to apply the best quality heat insulation techniques in order to obtain appropriate temperatures in their homes at lower costs both in winter and in summer time. The success story of the technology and of the material started In Europe about 25 years ago, first in Germany, and since then it has been spreading rapidly everywhere in Europe. Today this efficient heat insulation method that can resist the most extreme climate conditions, is spreading more and more widely also in Hungary.
The base material of the cellulose insulation (cellulose insulation)
Cellulose fibres (the natural fibres of wood) are produced from waste daily newspapers by recycling.. The shredded paper is transformed into flakes, then boron and phosphate are added to it to protect it from the attacks of rodents, mould, fire and other harmful effects. This is how recycled newspaper is transformed into an insulation material.
Cellulose insulation (cellulose insulation) to protect against cold winter days
During installation attention shall be paid to ensure that the insulation material is applied with no interstice left empty. The blow-in technology ensures a sediment free and heat-bridge free insulation, i.e. the cellulose insulation applied by blow-in technology shall stay still and fix for several decades. Cellulose insulation (cellulose insulation) can be used: in floor slabs, in between beams, in the attic, in side walls.
Cellulose insulation (cellulose insulation) to protect against hot summer days
The efficiency of heat insulation against warm temperatures is shown by the degree a phase lag. Its value figure gives in hours, by which time later summer warmth shall penetrate from the external side into the internal side of the building. The heat capacity of the insulation material built-in shall increase the value figure of the phase lag. The purpose of he summer heat insulation is to space in time the heat penetration through the roof and through the walls. The daily peak temperature should penetrate into the living quarters only at a time, when external temperature is already as low, so that one can counteract the heat radiation of the internal surfaces by natural airing. Against a 4,6 hour phase lag produced by the cellulose, glass wool offers 0,9 and mineral wool offers only 0,6 hours phase lag.
Advantages of the cellulose based insulation (cellulose insulation)
Efficient heat insulation system
The cellulose based insulation technology is one of those with the best insulation values.
Due to its capacity to be blown in without leaving any empty space it creates a layer with no heat bridge, therefore with a more efficient insulation capacity, than what is offered by wool based insulation. With cellulose insulation (cellulose insulation) the tiniest bands and spaces can be filled up, and the result is an interstice-free and heat bridge free heat insulation layer. Due to its high volume density and its way of felting it does not shrink, it keeps its form, and is without a heat bridge even over the long run. It is capable to absorb up to 30 percent humidity without being compacted, getting shrunk, or losing its insulation capacity. It does not require a damp stop, therefore it is enough to install a damp reducing film on the warm side of the insulation, and the habitual damp stop film can be discarded.
Even the tests of the Denver University of Colorado certify:
Two completely identical lightweight construction houses have been built up in the same environment, in conformity with the requirements.
The frontispiece and the attic of one of the buildings have been treated with blown-in cellulose, and the same of the other building with mineral wool, where their U values have been identical. After 3 weeks of continuous measurements they concluded that the house with the blown-in cellulose has used 26,4% less heating energy, than the building supplied with mineral wool insulation.
Environment friendly cellulose insulation (cellulose insulation)
With the cellulose based insulation technology we can not only save on energy, but we can also protect nature. Even the production process energy need is only a fraction of the production process energy needs of other habitual insulation materials (one-sixth only for polystyrol, and one-third only for glass wool).
Free of harmful substances
This very efficient insulation material is obtained from the recycling of common black newspaper. After shredding the paper is transformed into flakes, that can be easily blown into the cavities by the insulating machine. It is completely natural, harmless to health. Cellulose insulation is not poisonous, it does not contain any such materials or additives that could cause any damage, it has a soft and warm touch.
Time and cost saving
With the help of modern blow-in machines cellulose insulation can be installed very rapidly and without the need to disassemble, during its use no waste is produced, it is characterized by fast installation, and also with storage there are no problems.
The wide usage opportunities of the cellulose insulation (cellulose insulation)
It can be used in a new building, during refurbishing, with low energy requiring and with passive houses, with site-mounted lightweight construction and prefabricated walls, on a slope roof or closing floor slab, intermediary slab, below the subconcrete, in internal and external mounted walls, in frontispiece insulations or in technological shafts.
The advantages of the volume of the cellulose insulation (cellulose insulation)
During the blowing process the base material with the longer fibres undergoes better felting, and this is how one can obtain an insulation with the largest volume-density. In vertical walls the maximum volume density can be as much as 65 kg/m3, which is unique among the choice of heat insulation materials. Its large volume has several advantages: it has a very high heat storage capacity, its heat temperature reduction is 6 to 8 times of that of fibre based materials, therefore it gets warmed up as much slower.
Cellulose based insulation can offer excellent sound insulation (cellulose insulation)
The density of the insulation and its being void-free are an advantage also in this field, its sound insulation capacity is remarkable, a sound reduction as much as 55-58 dB can be achieved.
Reliable fire-protection
Cellulose insulation (cellulose insulation), with a certificate EN B-s2-d0, achieved the best certification among the flammable insulations.
The application methods of the cellulose insulation technology
Loose filling up: It can be mostly used to create a thin floating layer below a subconcrete.
Open blow-in: Void-free insulation, its installation in the closing floor slab or below the subconcrete of the intermediary slab, among the wooden beams.
Blow-in: A well-experienced technology to fill in any voids, that are closed from all sides. In a closed space the paper insulation fibres constitute a size-adjusted, void-free and evenly distributed insulation cushion. The blowing in is executed by a pipe if required.
Blown on the surface: This technology can be applied first on vertical, open, free surfaces, like one side of a partition wall, internal open side of e mounted wall, and second as a sound insulation (sound absorption) layer of ceilings, vaults, and as an internal heat insulation of renderable internal side of the external walls of monuments - without a damp stop layer.
