Showerthought: Builders keep asking for denim insulation now

Lately, I've seen a lot more jobs where they want denim insulation instead of the usual stuff. It started with a project for a family who wanted their home to be super green. Since then, I've done four houses with it, and each owner said they heard it was better for the planet. Putting it in is not hard, but you have to watch out because it's heavier than fiberglass. One time, we had to add extra support in a wall to hold it up right. I think people like that it's made from old jeans, so it feels good to use. It's making me learn new ways to work with different materials.

3 comments

3 Comments

elizabethg141mo ago

Wonder if it changes how a house sounds inside... like, does it block noise better or worse than the pink stuff? Fire safety ratings would make me nervous with all that cotton.

beth_sanchez1mo ago

Imagine your house wearing a t-shirt during a fire test, @elizabethg14.

sanchez.beth1mo ago

That fire test comment from @beth_sanchez got me. My place is so drafty the insulation is probably just vintage band t-shirts and regret. I did help a friend stuff some denim batts in his ceiling once. The noise thing is real, it's way quieter than fiberglass, but we spent the whole day sneezing blue dust. Felt like we'd insulated the place with a cough.