Can Cellulose Insulation help reduce building air-leakage?
Cellulose insulation has been shown to reduce air-leakage through wall and ceilings of buildings. Colorado University found cellulose at least 36 percent better than fiber glass in tightening buildings, which resulted in a 26%+ overall improvement in energy efficiency. Considerable research at the US DOE Oak Ridge National Laboratory shows cellulose insulation is not as subject to convective heat loss. Convection through insulation has been shown to reduce the actual R-values of comparable mineral fiber materials from 20 to 40 percent, in cold weather. (ORNL measured actual values as low as R-12 at nine degrees F for an “R-19” fiber glass installation. However, Oak Ridge found no R-value erosion with cellulose.
