3 Easy-to-Install Green Insulation Options

If you’ve ever struggled with huge, unwieldy bats of fiberglass insulation or forced your way through a crawlspace, wrestling with a hose and trying to blow fluffy white fibers into every corner—all the while wondering what those toxic chemicals and shards of fiberglass are doing to your body—you’ll be relieved to know that there are green alternatives.

Here are three of our favorites for do-it-yourselfers.


Cocoon from U.S. GreenFiber
Cocoon insulation from U.S. GreenFiber is made from about 80 percent recycled newsprint plus about 20 percent ammonium sulfate and/or borate flame retardants. Because the product uses a formaldehyde-free binder, indoor air quality concerns are limited to installation—Cocoon insulation can be blown into horizontal spaces such as attics and crawlspaces or professionally sprayed into wall cavities and attics in new construction.

“Proper installation cannot be stressed highly enough,” says subject editor Bill Burke, a San Francisco architect specializing in green building. He recommends reading the California Energy Commission’s Procedure for Proper Installation of Insulation guidelines.

Virginia homeowner Andrew Brenc rates the job “easy but taxing. Four hours in the attic spraying and I’m ready to sleep, sleep, sleep,” he says. “The stuff sprays in easily enough, and it tends to even out on its own. It is messy as all get-out, however, so I highly recommend at least a fiber barrier mask and a pair of goggles that seal to your skin. You will come out looking like a big fuzzy guy when you are done.”

Get more details from our subject editors’ reviews and find out more about Brenc’s experience—including costs—on the Cocoon profile page in our green directory.


UltraTouch from Bonded Logic
Bonded Logic’s UltraTouch is made of cotton fibers with a foil facing. The cotton is treated with borate flame retardants and fungal inhibitors—it contains no chemical irritants. This formaldehyde-free product is very safe from an indoor air quality perspective.

Says subject editor Dietmar Lorenz, an architectural design and green building consultant in Alameda County, California: “Ultra Touch’s insulation uses cotton, a natural renewable fiber, as the primary source material. Taking into consideration the large volumes of pesticides and water used in cotton farming, the use of virgin fiber would be questionable. However, this cotton insulation is based on approximately 85 percent preconsumer recycled denim, like scraps from blue jeans production, which makes it an environmentally preferable choice.”

“The biggest benefit from the installation side is that there are no glass fibers in the air or on your skin, so you do not need to use gloves or masks, and you don’t end up itching for days afterward,” says builder Peter Kellner. “I would still use the same precautions due to the fire resistant coatings,” he advises, “but this is a definite improvement, especially for the homeowner doing their own work.” Even better, he adds, “It has better acoustic performance and lower vapor transmission than fiberglass.”

Go to the UltraTouch profile page in our green directory for more details about installation and costs.


EasyFit from Johns Manville
This lightweight insulation is made of long, resilient glass fibers bonded with an acrylic rather than formaldehyde-based binder. EasyFit contains a minimum of 20 percent recycled glass.

Subject editor Burke notes that EasyFit insulation is pre-cut, which makes it a good choice for do-it-yourselfers. And it works well in existing buildings because it’s backed with kraft paper rather than a vapor barrier. “In existing, uninsulated buildings, where the wall assembly may permit moisture penetration, kraft paper is preferable to a vapor barrier because it is less likely to trap moisture inside the wall cavity,” he explains.

He recommends reading the Builders Guides available from the Energy and Environmental Building Association before installation. “Airborne fibers of any kind can be an irritant to some individuals,” he says. “When properly installed, with insulation isolated from occupied areas, this should not be an issue with this material. However, personal protective equipment should be worn to protect the eyes, ears, skin, and respiratory system during installation.”

For more information, go to the EasyFit profile page in our green directory.