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Bob is joined by Mikde Hobson of Westchester Insulation as the crew prepares one of the Mashpee houses for insulation installation. Hobson explains that this is a patented insulation system that uses special fabric stapled and drawn tight across any cavity that needs to be insulated. The crew works with pneumatic staplers to get the fabric in place across all the walls and the joists of the cathedral ceiling. The fabric is not intended as a moisture barrier of any kind and is just there to hold the insulation in place and prevent it from settling. Hobson shows Bob the white fiberglass that will be blown into the cavities. It is white because it is a virgin product, completely free of treatments, binders, or chemicals. Certainteed and Johns Manville both produce fiberglass insulation that is suitable for the Blow-In-Blanket installation. Once all cavities have been enclosed, the insulation contractor cuts a slit in the fabric and inserts a hose through which the fiberglass is blown. The cavity is filled to a density of two pounds per cubic foot which is visible to the eye by a slight bulge in the fabric. At this density, an R-value of 15 is achieved in two-by-four cavities like walls. In attics and ceiling cavities that are two-by-six, an R-value of 38 can be achieved. This insulation is inert and will not support moisture, mold, animals, or insects. It also serves as a sound insulator and can be blown in around drain lines, in interior partitions, and around tubs and showers. Blo-In-Blanket insulation is suitable for new construction or retrofit applications where it is blown in through the sheathing from the outside or through interior drywall to fill wall cavities. Blow-In-Blanket insulation costs about 50 to 60 percent more to install than traditional batt insulation, but offers such energy efficiency that it pays for itself within two to four years.

Bob talks with Nick Beasley about insulating his 100-year-old home. Insulation contractorsare installing Pro Pink blown-in fiberglss insulation from Owens Corning. Joe Arrigo from Owens Corning talks about installing insulation in an old house where conventional batt insulation is often not suitable for odd spaces. To remedy this problem, a piece of fabric is stapled in place and then loose fiberglass is piped in through a hose into the space behind the fabric. This spray-in, loose-fill insulation is effective and will translate into big savings in heating costs next winter.

The roof of the new addition is being insulated to retain all the heat generated from the radiant heating system. Paul Johnson of Alpine Insulators reviews the installation process. The first step involves installing netting that is breathable so air can escape once the cellulose is installed. The netting is fire-retardant and stapled in place to hold dense-packed cellulose in place. Bales of cellulose are emptied into a machine located in an on-site truck that shreds the cellulose before pumping it at high pressure into the cavities of the roof. In this case, the insulation cost about $2.25 a square foot. Cellulose is a great thermal insulator and sound attenuator. In the interior partion wall where the bathroom will be located, cellulose will be installed directly against the drywall. Bill Hulstrunk of National Fiber reviews some of the properties of cellulose insulation, which has been around since about 1920 and used extensively since 1970 in both new and existing construction. Borates are added to make the cellulose fire-retardant, and mold and insect resistant. Because of the added borates, a propane torch can be put to the cellulose without igniting it. In a field test, a penny can be put on top of the cellulose and melted without the heat penetrating the material. These borates are naturally occurring and the cellulose itself is made of 83 percent recycled content, making this type of insulation an environmentally conscious, "green" choice. The cellulose in this house is being used in an unvented application. Because the material is packed very tightly, it reduces the chance that warm, moist air will penetrate the cavity and create mold growth.