Yeah, good point about the foam DIY disasters—I've seen a couple attics where someone got a little too enthusiastic with spray foam and ended up trapping moisture. Not fun dealing with mold remediation afterward. Curious though, have you noticed cellulose holding up better in certain climates or roof types? I've mostly seen it perform well in colder regions, but wondering how it fares long-term in humid or coastal areas...
Yeah, I've definitely seen cellulose insulation hold up pretty well in colder climates, especially when it's installed properly. Had a job last winter where we pulled out some old fiberglass and replaced it with cellulose in an attic up north. The homeowner said they noticed a big difference in comfort and heating bills afterward, so it seems to do its job there.
But humid or coastal areas... that's a bit trickier. I worked on a house near the coast about two years ago that had cellulose insulation put in maybe five or six years prior. At first glance, everything looked fine, but once we started poking around, you could tell moisture had gotten in at some point—probably from wind-driven rain or just the constant humidity. The cellulose had compacted and settled quite a bit, and there were spots where it felt damp to the touch. Didn't see any major mold issues yet, but it was definitely heading that way if left unchecked.
I think the key with cellulose in humid climates is making sure your attic ventilation is spot-on. Ridge vents, soffit vents—everything needs to be working together perfectly to keep air moving and moisture levels down. I've seen attics with great ventilation setups where cellulose held up beautifully for years, even near the ocean. But if there's even one weak spot letting moisture linger... well, things can go south pretty fast.
Honestly though, no insulation type is foolproof everywhere. Spray foam disasters aside (and yeah, I've seen my share of those too), I've found that most insulation problems come down to installation quality and proper attic airflow rather than just the material itself.
Interesting points about cellulose insulation. I manage a property near the coast, and we had similar moisture issues with fiberglass insulation a few years back. Switched to cellulose thinking it'd help, but still noticed some dampness after heavy storms. Turns out our ventilation wasn't as effective as we thought—added some ridge vents and improved airflow, and it's been better since. Seems like airflow really is key, regardless of insulation type...
Yeah, ventilation's definitely a big one. Seen plenty of roofs where folks swapped insulation types hoping it'd fix moisture problems, but without proper airflow, you're just chasing your tail. Ridge vents are usually a solid move—glad it worked out for you.
"Ridge vents are usually a solid move—glad it worked out for you."
Yeah, ridge vents can be great, but they're not always the silver bullet. I put them in myself a couple years back, and honestly didn't see much improvement until I added soffit vents too. Without good intake airflow, ridge vents alone won't cut it. Learned that the hard way after spending more than I'd planned... typical homeowner luck, right? Just throwing that out there for anyone considering ventilation upgrades.
