Adding insulation is one of the most important steps you can take to improve the energy performance of your home and thus lessen its environmental impact. When selecting an insulation material, the most important environmental consideration is its performance and suitability for your application. SDI Insulation's experienced staff will guide you through choosing the right insulation for your residential or commercial applications. Following is an overview of the types of insulation we offer at SDI:

Fiber Glass Insulation

Fiber glass insulation is made of silica sand and recycled glass, both abundant resources. The EPA requires that 10 percent of materials used come from recycled sources, either post-consumer or post-industrial, and some products contain up to 40 percent.

Concerning health risks, when installed properly there is little danger of inhaling fibers, which are throat, eye and skin irritants. Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) still requires cancer warning labels on fiberglass insulation products, the American Lung Association states that glass fibers are not linked to increased cancer risk, even among glass fiber manufacturing workers.

SDI uses CertainTeed Standard Fiber Glass Building Insulation, which has been certified by Greenguard as low-emitting products that emit half of what the EPA considers elevated formaldehyde levels.

Foam Insulation

Spray foam can be used as an insulating and air sealing product for wall and ceiling cavities. The insulation is sprayed, via special equipment, into wall cavities and expands to fill all the nooks and crannies in a wall cavity. Excess foam is scraped off the studs to form a uniform wall cavity. Because it expands into tight areas, sprayed foam is ideal for insulating steel framing and around outlets. By acting as a wind and air barrier, it often eliminates the need for separate air-tightness detailing, which can increase energy efficiency and allow downsizing of the heating and cooling system equipment. Sprayed foam insulation does not shrink, sag, settle, or biodegrade.

There are two types of spray foam: open-cell (isocyanurate) and closed cell (polyurethane). The closed cell foams typically have a higher R-value than open-cell foam, as well as traditional batt insulation.

Many sprayed foams are environmentally friendly. Most of them do not contain HCFCs that are harmful to Earth's ozone layer, or off gas formaldehyde, a potentially harmful volatile organic compound.

Cellulose Insulation

Cellulose insulation is made primarily from recycled paper. About 75 percent of the material used to make cellulose insulation is post-consumer waste paper. Manufacturing cellulose insulation involves a fraction of the energy use and associated pollution involved in mineral wool and fiberglass insulation manufacture.

Cellulose insulation is blown into wall and ceiling cavities as well as onto attic surfaces, though to stick to attic ceilings it must be held in by netting or sprayed on wet with an acrylic binder to prevent settling. Like all sprayed or blown insulations, it can be installed into wall cavities through a series of small holes in the wall, causing little disturbance during remodeling. It is not suitable for application below grade (below or at the perimeter of the foundation) or in other locations where it would be exposed to moisture.