Questionable Insulation

Anyone familiar with this type of insulation? Literally feels and looks like pillow/upholstery stuffing. Please advise.


You got to be kidding me all you old schoolers are still asleep. Ha.

Jerry, it looks like permeably encapsulated fiberglass over top of cellulose insulation from here in N. MI…they used to call it itch-proof…no worries. Unless, you want to recommend more r-value for the attic where ever you are located.

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Three years in business and over 900 inspections and I have never seen this stuff. Does not seem to be a good option for an attic. Seems more suitable for wall insulating practices.

That was the typical use but homeowners do a lot of things differently than intended, eh?

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what Larry said…

There will be more things in the future that you haven’t seen. It’s just part of the job.

I look forward to it.

For sure. Not a popular choice here I’m seeing.

Larry Craig was right. It is a type sold to homeowners to claim no itch…Problem with this aplication, the plastic will act as a vapor barrier and you should never put a vapor barrio over existing insulation. Water condenses and becomes trapped. Mold and or rot can result.
Not uncommon to see DYI retrofits like this. or kraft batts over old insulation. I will see a lot of time in crawlspaces where kraft faced batts are placed paper down “cuz you can easily staple to the joists”…again traps moisture and paper burns really nicely clear across the entire home.

If you are referring to my comment Larry, it looks like permeably encapsulated fiberglass…see the holes in the plastic?

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Where it’s siting raised up off the attic floor, it’s not going to do much for insulating value.
Gaps and cracks are where it’s at for insulating performance, not the type of material.

The permeable encapsulation is probably HELPFUL in the attic, as it will slow air flow through the fiberglass.

Better detailing on install, and this should have been just fine.

https://www.certainteed.com/building-insulation/products/easytouch/

I always love when they advertise this to homeowners showing someone in an attic that is stick framed with enough room to play basketball…The Classic Commercial being “The Pink Panther” up there just rolling it out across the attic like throwing a bowling ball down the lanes…Crap…I’ve never seen attic spaces like this… In all reality it is less expensive per Sq. Ft. to have a real insulation contractor Blow in the insulation. And Blown insulation does not have the gaps that batts will have around pipes, wires and scissor trusses (ie Real World Attic spaces).

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True in many industries. I remember as a kid looking at farm tilling catalogs showing a flat rock free laser flat field and remarking it looked nothing like any field I could see outside the window…

Yet that said the OP’s attic looks like the Panther of Pink would fit fine…

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