Denim's decent for sound, yeah, but cellulose isn't exactly useless there either. Had a rental near a busy intersection—blew in cellulose and it cut down noise noticeably. Denim might edge it out, but cellulose is cheaper and easier to install...depends on your priorities.
- Agreed, cellulose can definitely hold its own for noise reduction—especially if you're on a budget.
- Denim's great, but honestly, the installation hassle isn't always worth the slight edge in performance.
- Curious though, did you notice any settling issues with cellulose over time? I've seen it compress a bit after a few years, which can reduce effectiveness.
- Still, for ease and cost-effectiveness, cellulose usually gets my vote...just gotta factor in topping it off down the road.
I had cellulose blown into my attic about five years ago, and yeah, I did notice some settling after a couple of years. Not a huge deal, but enough that I could tell it wasn't quite as fluffy as when it first went in. Honestly though, topping it off wasn't too big of a hassle—just something to keep in mind if you're going that route.
Funny story actually... when we first had it installed, the crew accidentally blew some cellulose into one of our bathroom vents. Didn't realize until a few days later when the fan started sounding like a dying lawnmower. Took me forever to figure out what was going on. Ended up having to climb up there myself and clear it out—lesson learned: double-check your vents before they pack up and leave!
But even with that little hiccup, I'd still recommend cellulose overall. Denim insulation sounds cool in theory (and I love the eco-friendly angle), but I've seen firsthand how tricky it can be to install properly. A friend of mine went with denim for his basement studio—he's a musician and wanted top-notch soundproofing—and he said the installation was an absolute nightmare. Heavy, awkward to handle, and cutting it to fit around pipes and wiring was apparently a real pain.
So yeah, cellulose might settle a bit over time, but it's still my go-to recommendation for most projects. Easy enough to top off every few years, affordable, and honestly pretty effective at noise reduction too. Just make sure your installers know what they're doing—or at least keep an eye on your bathroom vents...
Yeah, cellulose definitely has its quirks, but overall it's pretty solid. Had a similar experience myself—noticed some settling after about three years, but topping it off wasn't too bad. Your bathroom vent story cracked me up though... I had a crew accidentally blow insulation into one of my recessed lights once. Didn't notice until the bulb burned out suspiciously fast and I found a pile of cellulose sitting right on top of it. Fun times.
I looked into denim insulation too, mostly because I liked the eco-friendly aspect, but after hearing a few horror stories about installation, I decided against it. Seems like it's great in theory but just not practical for most DIYers or even some pros.
Anyway, good to hear your experience was mostly positive. Insulation's one of those things that's easy to overlook but makes a huge difference in comfort and energy bills. And hey, at least now you know exactly what a dying lawnmower sounds like coming from your ceiling...
Interesting points about cellulose and denim insulation, but have you considered mineral wool? I've installed it in a few projects lately and found it pretty straightforward—less messy than cellulose, and none of the settling issues you've mentioned. It's also fire-resistant, which is a nice bonus. Curious if anyone else has given it a shot or run into any downsides I haven't noticed yet...
