5 Green Insulation Options For Your New Home

Many Americans are interested in living healthier lives and that includes creating healthier living spaces. Everything from flooring to roofing is made from recycled materials that are eco-friendly. Choosing a green alternative to the traditional pink insulation is a great way to help the environment.

1. Denim: Yes, the scraps from blue jean construction are being turned into insulation. The scraps are spun into an eco-friendly batting that is sold in traditional rolls and is easy to install. Denim insulation may be slightly higher than average, but it is popular. In fact, Levi Strauss & Co. , the grandfather of modern denim, recently re-vamped their world headquarters to include denim insulation.

2. Hemp: The fibers in the Cannabis plant have many uses, including spinning the natural fibers into insulation. The durable product is sold in flat sheets that are easy to cut into your desired size and shape. Hemp is also naturally resistant to pests, like moths and beetles.

3. Soy: Spray foam insulation has a bad reputation, but there are versions that are healthy for you and the environment. Many people fear the cancer-causing chemicals in the regular product, but soy-based version do not carry the same risk. Soy, the wonderful and multi-talented legume, can be transformed into a safe and natural spray insulation that expands to 100 times its normal size to fill every last gap in a wall, leaving it air tight.

4. Wool: Humans having been using wool for one form of insulation or another since they domesticated the sheep. It's a renewable product that can easily be transformed into the rolled batts preferred by do-it-yourselfers. While wool is a great insulator and is naturally flame resistant, it does need to be sprayed with a non-toxic substance to fend off any insects.

5. Castor Oil: Another product that has been around for centuries and is just now working it's way up to our attics is castor oil. Used medicinally since 4,000 B.C., this plant-based oil has great insulating properties when transformed into a natural spray foam insulation. Known in the trade as Icynene, this product works so well at insulating your home that the professionals suggest adding an air exchange system to your home.

While most of today's homes still use fiberglass insulation, greener options are becoming better known and readily available. When insulating your attic, investigate all your options, such as from Leon Muenks Insulation LLC, and make the best choice for your family's home.