But one green and innovative insulation alternative comes from our closets: denim.
Fire retardant due to additives, denim insulation is made from 85-percent recycled cotton.
Denim insulation is available in batt or loose fill form.
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Denim insulation is also used to make soundproofing materials.
What Denim Insulation Is
Denim insulation is house insulation made from recycled jeans denim.
Denim insulation can be used in walls, ceilings, floors,attics, andcrawl spaces.
Denim insulation carries R-value ratings comparable with fiberglass and cellulose insulation.
Denim Insulation vs. Fiberglass Insulation
Cotton
R-3.5 per sq.
Denim is very dense, which makes it good for soundproofing.
But it is difficult to separate and to fluff up.
Fiberglass easily fluffs and separates.
Fiberglass insulation gives off glass fibers, which irritate the skin and can hamper breathing.
Not all denim insulation is dust-free.
You do need to use a dust mask when handling denim insulation.
Cellulose insulation easily fluffs and separates.
Denim insulation, by contrast, is dense and doesn’t pull apart well.
The higher the R-value number, the better the material is at limiting thermal conductivity.
you might handle denim insulation with your bare hands.
For fiberglass insulation, its always best to wear a tight-fitting half-face respirator or at least a N95 mask.
Denim insulation is an 85-percent post-consumer recycled material.
All of the materials were previously used.
Not only does denim insulation use recycled materials, denim insulation itself can be recycled, post-use.
Few, if any, other types of insulation can claim this.
Unless it is in pristine condition, used fiberglass insulation cannot be reused.
It must be landfilled.
One pallet of R-13 denim insulation, covering a total of 16,740 square inches, costs about $824.
One pallet of comparably sized R-13 fiberglass insulation costs about $750.
Because denim insulation comes in dense mats, it can be more difficult to cut than fiberglass insulation.
you could pull off hunks, but just not as easily as it is with fiberglass insulation.
It is becoming ever easier to find denim insulation in home centers.
But you could’t always count on it.
Even when you do find denim insulation, it may be in limited quantities or by special order only.
Or the opposite might be the case: You may be required to order it in large quantities only.
Islam, Shafiqul, et al.
“Microstructure and performance characteristics of acoustic insulation materials from post-consumer recycled denim fabrics.
“Journal of Industrial Textiles(2020): 1528083720940746.
Asdrubali, Francesco, Francesco D’Alessandro, and Samuele Schiavoni.
“A review of unconventional sustainable building insulation materials.
“Sustainable Materials and Technologies4 (2015): 1-17.
