Technology

Types of Insulation Material for Buildings

Name: Types of Insulation Material for Buildings
Creator: Community curated
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Fiberglass batts, spray foam, cellulose, mineral wool, aerogel — which insulation material traps heat best while being safest to install?

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Source:Community curated

Updated:3/7/2026

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Insulation Material↕	R-Value per Inch↕	Form / Application↕	Fire Resistance↕	Known For↕
Fiberglass Batts	R-3.0 to R-3.7	Pre-cut batts and rolls	Non-combustible (Class A)	The pink cotton-candy-looking rolls found in 90% of American attics — invented by Owens Corning in 1938, cheap and widely available, the itchy insulation that makes you regret not wearing long sleeves in the attic, effective but loses performance when compressed or wet
Closed-Cell Spray Foam	R-6.0 to R-7.0	Spray-applied, expands on contact	Requires thermal barrier (drywall)	The highest R-value per inch of any common insulation — expands to fill every crack and crevice creating both insulation and an air barrier simultaneously, adds structural rigidity to walls, the premium choice for tight building envelopes, satisfying to watch it expand like shaving cream
Open-Cell Spray Foam	R-3.5 to R-3.8	Spray-applied, expands on contact	Requires thermal barrier (drywall)	A softer, spongier spray foam that expands dramatically to fill cavities — excellent sound absorption compared to closed-cell, lower cost, acts as an air barrier but not a vapor barrier, the more forgiving spray foam that's easier to trim and work with after application
Cellulose (Blown-In)	R-3.2 to R-3.8	Loose fill, blown into cavities	Treated with borate fire retardant	Recycled newspaper ground up and treated with fire retardant — the greenest insulation available made from 85% post-consumer content, blown into walls and attics to fill every nook, the satisfying irony that yesterday's news becomes tomorrow's energy savings, excellent acoustic dampening
Mineral Wool (Rockwool / Stone Wool)	R-3.3 to R-4.2	Batts, boards, loose fill	Non-combustible up to 2,150°F	Made from molten basalt rock spun into fibers — superior fire resistance that can withstand temperatures that would melt fiberglass, excellent sound absorption, hydrophobic so it sheds water, the choice for fire-rated assemblies and soundproofing, increasingly preferred over fiberglass for its dual performance
Rigid Foam Board (EPS)	R-3.6 to R-4.2	Rigid panels	Combustible, requires thermal barrier	Expanded polystyrene — the same material as coffee cups but engineered as insulation board, lightweight, moisture-resistant, the workhorse for insulating foundations and below-grade walls, cheap and effective but the beads squeak horrifyingly when cut with a knife
Rigid Foam Board (XPS)	R-5.0	Rigid panels (typically blue or pink)	Combustible, requires thermal barrier	Extruded polystyrene — the blue or pink boards that scream 'construction site' — higher R-value and moisture resistance than EPS, the standard for below-grade foundation insulation where contact with soil is unavoidable, Owens Corning's pink and Dow's blue boards are iconic
Rigid Foam Board (Polyiso)	R-5.7 to R-6.5	Foil-faced rigid panels	Combustible, requires thermal barrier	The highest R-value per inch of any rigid board insulation — foil facing acts as a radiant barrier, the standard for commercial flat roof insulation, loses R-value in extreme cold which is its Achilles' heel, the insulation contractors reach for when every inch of wall thickness counts
Sheep's Wool Insulation	R-3.5 to R-3.8	Batts, rolls, loose fill	Naturally self-extinguishing	An ancient material rediscovered for modern green building — wool naturally absorbs and releases moisture without losing insulating performance, self-extinguishing because keratin requires more oxygen to burn than air provides, no itch, no chemical irritants, the gentlest insulation to install
Aerogel Insulation	R-10.0 to R-10.3	Thin blankets, boards, particles	Non-combustible	The world's lightest solid material — 99.8% air by volume, originally developed by NASA for space suits and Mars rovers, the absolute highest R-value per inch of any insulation on Earth, translucent versions let light through while insulating, prohibitively expensive for most buildings but extraordinary in performance
Cotton Denim Insulation	R-3.4 to R-3.7	Batts	Treated with borate fire retardant	Made from recycled blue jeans — literally old Levi's ground up and formed into insulation batts, no itch, safe to handle bare-handed, excellent acoustic performance, the feel-good insulation choice where your old denim keeps your house warm, slightly more expensive than fiberglass but infinitely more pleasant to install
Vermiculite Loose Fill	R-2.1 to R-2.5	Granular loose fill, poured	Non-combustible	A mineral that expands like popcorn when heated — poured into wall cavities and attics, fireproof and lightweight, but tragically associated with asbestos contamination from the Libby, Montana mine that supplied 70% of the US market, existing vermiculite insulation should be tested before disturbing
Hempcrete (Hemp-Lime)	R-2.0 to R-2.5	Cast-in-place or block	Fire-resistant (lime coating)	Hemp fibers mixed with lime binder that creates a breathable, carbon-negative wall system — the plant absorbs more CO2 growing than the lime emits during curing, naturally mold and pest resistant, used in European renovation for centuries, the poster child for regenerative building materials
Perlite Loose Fill	R-2.5 to R-3.0	Granular loose fill, poured	Non-combustible	Volcanic glass popped like popcorn at 1,600°F into lightweight white granules — poured into masonry block cores and wall cavities, completely fireproof, will not rot or attract pests, the insulation you can pour like sand, used in cryogenic applications because it works at any temperature
Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIPs)	R-25 to R-50	Pre-fabricated sealed panels	Non-combustible core	The thermos flask principle applied to buildings — a microporous core sealed in an airtight envelope with the air evacuated, R-values 5-10 times higher than any other insulation at the same thickness, one puncture destroys the vacuum and the panel, used where extreme thinness is required like historic renovations