Threw $500 at a 'green' insulation and my house is still freezing

I figured I'd do the responsible thing last fall and spent about $500 on that fancy recycled denim insulation for my attic in Abq. The sales guy swore it had the same R-value as fiberglass and was way better for air quality. Well, after three months and two big heating bills, I can tell you my place is still drafty as ever. I went up there to check and the stuff had sagged in a few spots, leaving gaps you could see daylight through. My buddy who does renovations says I shoulda just stuck with the standard stuff and saved my cash. I'm pretty frustrated cause I tried to do the right thing and got burned. Has anyone else had a bad experience with the eco-friendly materials around here?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_anthony19d ago

Used to be one of those guys who thought green meant better, but this thread totally flipped my opinion. That denim stuff sounds like it can't handle New Mexico's dry air at all, just shrinks right up. Sticking with fiberglass from now on since it actually stays where you put it.

lucasschmidt19d ago

Man, that sucks. I had a buddy in Santa Fe who did the same thing with that denim stuff last year. He spent a whole weekend putting it in his attic and by February he was complaining about cold spots in his living room. He finally pulled a section and found it had shrunk like a cheap t-shirt, leaving a two inch gap along the joist. He ended up just buying fiberglass batts and laying them right on top to fix it. Did your sales guy mention anything about it settling like that before you bought it?

casey68219d ago

Wait, it actually shrank that much? Two inches is insane. I figured it was supposed to stay put.