Dense-Pack Cellulose
July 12, 2022
Eco-friendly dense pack cellulose insulates brilliantly and lowers your carbon footprint
Looking to make your build more sustainable? Then you're going to want to know more about dense-pack cellulose, an eco-friendly insulation material that's quickly becoming the darling of the sustainable building world. It's increasingly being used for building certifications like NetZero and Passive House because it ticks two very important boxes for green materials:
- It's an excellent insulating material, almost as effective as spray foam. It cuts down on energy use and ensures buildings operate at maximum efficiency.
- It’s a carbon-negative material: dense-pack cellulose is made of 85% recycled newspaper. So not only does it give an existing material a second life, it started out as a tree that made oxygen and removed carbon from the atmosphere. So even with the processing that's required to create newspapers and convert them into insulation, the end material is still either carbon negative or carbon neutral.
“If reducing your carbon footprint is a key goal, dense-pack cellulose is a fantastic choice,” says Bernie, GNI’s Training and Development Specialist. “Any material that was once a living thing is going to immediately reduce that footprint. Compare it to something made of metal, for example: think of everything it takes to make a metal object. Mining the ore, transporting it, then using a ton of energy to melt it down and form it. A lot less energy goes into creating paper, plus you're starting from a carbon-negative place.”
And there's an additional bonus: dense-pack cellulose is one of the least expensive insulation options. When you're already spending a lot to make a building as eco-friendly as possible (sustainability can be expensive), this is a place where you can save money and get an excellent result.
GNI is Ontario's dense-pack cellulose specialist
This material takes knowledge and skill to install. A technician has to know how to set up the machine correctly, understand how to set the right pressure, be able to sense when the right density has been reached, and properly sequence their work with other trades. As a result, not a lot of installation companies offer this option.
GNI is focused on making the building industry greener and more environmentally responsible. We focus on using innovative materials – and training our staff to install them for the best results. Two in-house experts travel all over Ontario to help teams learn the nuances of installing the insulation.
Our team will even do research and development for specific builds, constructing model wall assemblies to ensure insulation is installed correctly and they are confident in the solution. We’re building deep expertise across our branches – and offering our customers more and better green/lower carbon options.
Talk to us about your green project.
As a company, our goal is to do everything we can for the ecological future of our planet. If you're thinking about eco-friendly options for your build, give us a call. “We want to have this conversation with anyone who's interested in following an ecological path with their project,” says Bernie. “Even if they don't choose to work with us, I'll be happy if we give them useful guidance – and help the industry get one step closer to a greener future.”
