Benefits

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation completely fills gaps and voids around irregular objects such as wiring, plumbing and framing materials in attics and walls.

Our insulation plays a crucial role in the building enclosure system. It is critical that all thermal insulation be in full continuous contact with the pressure barrier so as to prevent thermal bypass. The air barrier is the pressure plane commonly made of drywall that separates the conditioned areas of the building from the unconditioned areas. WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation adheres to these guidelines to produce an effective thermal boundary.

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation provides:

No gaps from insulation covering too short or too narrow an area in a stud cavity.
No voids in thermal boundary to allow unwanted heat gain during the summer and heat loss during the winter. Typical problem areas are knee walls, stairs on exterior walls, vaulted ceilings, tubs or tub and shower enclosures, and utility shafts.
No compression due to insulation not being allowed to remain at its full thickness.

To check the quality of your installed thermal value in an attic application, verify the calculation of the amount of insulation that should be installed in the attic. Secondly, verify that the correct amount of insulation has been installed. There should be no obvious mounds of insulation or uninsulated areas above conditioned space. The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) requires insulation depth markers (attic rulers) be placed every 300 sq. ft. The insulation must be at a specified level indicated by the attic ruler and the surrounding material must be reasonably close to the same level. The Federal Trade Commission requires that installed insulation must have an R-value that is at least 90% of the manufacturer’s claimed value.

The simplest way to meet the desired R-value is to fasten attic rulers to truss webs or other framing members every eight feet. Assuming trusses are used, a ruler should be fastened to every fourth 24" on center truss or every sixth 16" on center truss. The rulers should always face the attic access and be visible to code officials to verify the claimed insulation level.

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation demonstrates its effectiveness in reducing air infiltration over fiber glass insulation in walls. The reasons are as simple as WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation:

Is two to three times more dense so it effectively blocks air better than lightweight fiber glass batts.
Completely fills cavities, eliminating voids and gaps, which are common with batt installations that can lead to convective heat loss.

Numerous university studies have favorably compared the performance of cellulose insulation to fiber glass. In 1990, the University of Colorado - Denver compared cellulose and fiber glass batt insulation in identical structures during the winter heating season. They found that the house insulated with cellulose insulation was 38% tighter and required 26% less energy.

Likewise, a Princeton University study at the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies measured the air leakage of common residential insulation in older uninsulated homes and in a laboratory setting. In their field tests, walls retrofitted with cellulose insulation, showed a reduction in air leakage of over 40%. The study further states, "Cellulose wall insulation retrofits may have a major potential impact on house ventilation and indoor air quality." In the lab tests on typical attic retrofit configurations, 6" of cellulose was blown over fiber glass batts and dropped air leakage by 33%. Leakage dropped 27% when cellulose was applied over fiber glass blowing wool.

Convection is the transfer of heat by means of air current. Natural convection results as air warms, becomes less dense and rises. Cooler air replaces this air. Then this air warms and the process continues, thereby forming a convection current.

Studies by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Building Technologies at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory confirmed that natural convection occurs within loose-fill fiber glass. The fiber glass specimens tested "revealed that as the temperature differential increased, apparent conductive resistance (R-value) of the insulation decreased by as much as half the estimated nominal thermal resistance of the insulation. Loose-fill cellulose, initial testing indicates, allows no such convective patterns to develop. R-values increased as the temperature difference across the cellulose increased - the opposite effect that the fiber glass exhibited. The researchers concluded that the cellulose tested did not allow convective losses as the fiber glass had."

An article dated October 1991 in Energy Design Update included information on tests performed at the University of Illinois and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). These showed that loose-fill fiber glass R-value decreased when temperatures dropped below 30˚F. "Below that point, the heat loss increased geometrically with temperature difference, indicating a loss of effective R-value. At a temperature of 10˚F, the effective R-value dropped over 50%." The loss of R-value was due to convection (air movement) in and through the insulation.

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation will meet or exceed their R-Values under actual field condition temperatures ranging from -60°C to +23°C. This warranty applies as long as you own your home and is installed by a contractor licensed by Can-Cell Industries. the contractor warrants that WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation has been installed in accordance with all of the manufacturer's requirements and with the R-Value as listed on the Attic Card and Written Guarantee.

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation forms a monolithic blanket of protection - blocking air infiltration and convection currents that are both primary causes of energy loss. Imagine heating your home in the winter or cooling your home in the summer ... and then leaving the front door open. If you add up all the possible air leaks in a typical home - cracks at the joints in the frame; small spaces around windows and doors; areas around pipes, ducts, vents and electrical outlets - it can have the same effect as an open door or window. When batt insulation is cut or forced to fit around irregular shapes, gaps can result that enable air to pass right through. That's called air infiltration or air leakage, and it can account for as much as a third of heat loss in a home.

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation, however, is blown or sprayed into place, preventing gaps and stopping air leaks better because of the way it's applied. And WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation is two to three times more dense than comparable fiberglass batts. That means heated air can't transfer through dense WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation as easily as it does through typically installed fiberglass.

Installing insulation properly is the first step in making sure your home is more comfortable and energy efficient.

One important component of any home is the pressure barrier. The pressure barrier is defined as a continuous plane that separates the conditioned area of the building from the unconditioned area. Drywall is the most common pressure barrier in construction today.

Insulation should always be in direct contact with the pressure barrier of the building. This standard of effective thermal installation means that the insulation has no gaps, no voids, no compression, no misalignment and no wind intrusion.

The R-value of WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation, or its ability to stop heat transfer, remains consistent through a greater temperature and application range, keeping heat in during the winter, and out during the summer.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission developed an insulation rating mechanism to help end the false and misleading claims about insulation that once abounded. Called R-value, this rating is based on a laboratory measurement, the R-factor, which reflects a material's ability to stop or slow heat transfer. When you're shopping for insulation or talking to your builder, understanding R-value can help you make intelligent choices about insulation. But, in the real world environment of your side walls and attic, there are variables that change how that insulation will perform.

For one thing, R-value changes with extreme temperatures. So attic insulation rated R-38 will perform at a different R-value at 20°F below zero. Why is this an important distinction? The effective R-values of both WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation and fiberglass may change under very cold temperatures.

While loose-fill fiberglass can lose as much as half its R-value at 20°F below zero, WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation continues to perform at a more consistent R-value.

So R-value is a useful measurement of thermal resistance, but it's important to remember that R-value is just one piece of the equation. If a house isn't properly sealed and there are gaps in the insulation, a high R-value isn't going to keep that home comfortable. Heat seeks cold spots in much the same way that water runs down a drain, or rain finds its way to a hole in the roof. It doesn't matter if the rest of the roof is performing to specification if water finds the one hole. Because it forms a seamless protective blanket, WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation effectively fills those gaps.

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation can increase a wall's fire resistance by 22-57%. Cellulose insulation is non-toxic, and Can-Cell Industries guarantees its products for the life of your house.

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation has been proven to increase a wall's fire resistance 22-57% and exceeds the tough fire safety standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. In laboratory fire resistance tests of wall assemblies and full-scale building demonstrations, structures with WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation out performed fiberglass and uninsulated structures by 22-57%. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Underwriters Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy have all documented the permanency of fire retardants in cellulose insulation.

The boric acid flame retardant used in WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation is infused in the natural fibers of the cellulose. During a fire, the retardant melts and holds the heat until the cellulose fibers char. The cellulose then becomes a layer of carbon protection, because the charred fibers won't burn. The density of WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation prevents the passage of flames and hot gasses, so fire does not spread as readily into WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation -installed walls or ceilings, and WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation restricts the amount of oxygen available to support combustion.

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation has a Class 1/A rating (FSC 25) for flame spread, and a smoke development rating of less than 50 when tested in accordance with ASTM E84. Because of the fire retardant application, WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation has been proven more effective in actual fire situations in maintaining the structural members of a home.

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation lasts

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation has been tested by Underwriter's Laboratory according to ASTM standard C739 to be non-corrosive to steel, copper and aluminum, as well as resistant to fungi. Can-Cell Industries guarantees its products for the life of the structure. If installed according to manufacturer's instructions, the insulation will be free from defects and will not deteriorate under normal and proper use.

Can-Cell Industries Commitment

We firmly believe that no other insulation manufacturer can match our commitment to our product. We guarantee that WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation, properly installed, will retain its thermal resistance, fire retardant and non-corrosive characteristics; provide sound control; and continue to meet current national building code standards for the life of the structure.

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation resists moisture, reduces noise, and preserves natural resources.

Protect your home from moisture buildup

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation fibers have a natural ability to handle moisture. Moisture vapor in the air is absorbed and released depending upon the relative humidity of the surrounding air.

Protect your home's peace and quiet

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation has a Noise Reduction Coefficient of 0.90 (90% of sound energy absorbed). It is so effective at keeping outside noises out, that it is used as an enhanced sound control material for homes located in airport flight paths!

Protect your home planet

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation is a non-toxic natural product made from 85% recycled paper fiber, reducing landfill waste. Each 40 sq. ft. bag contains the equivalent of about 46 Sunday newspapers. It is processed by electrically-driven mills that consume relatively little energy when operating, and which can be shut down completely at the end of the production day. This lowers energy consumption, allowing GreenFiber to manufacture to meet customer demand.

Install WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ loose-fill attic insulation yourself, or have stabilized insulation installed by a WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation professional.

WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation may be used in walls and attics of residential or commercial structures. It may be used in cathedral or vaulted or flat ceilings, crawl spaces, basements and as insulation under floors. WeatherShield™ and WallBar™ Insulation may be blown in horizontal applications such as attics and crawl spaces, and professionally sprayed into wall cavities and attics in new construction.