Wool Insulation
A product that is quickly emerging with great fanfare into the home market is wool insulation. Most homes have fiberglass batt, blown in cellulose, or in recent years, spray foam insulation. With a closer eye on health and longevity, wool insulation is picking up steam. Today we will explore the attributes of this product.
The manufacture of sheep wool insulation requires 90 percent less energy to manufacture than mineral wool insulation. Wool will last for the life of the building due to the resilience of wool, glass fiber may compact and require topping up after 10 years. Wool is truly sustainable, a yearly clip of wool is available as a by-product of the livestock farming. Wool is a “Carbon sink”, it actually locks up CO2, man-made pollutes CO2 during its manufacture. Very low energy is required in its manufacture, requiring 85 percent less energy compared to man- made products and is biodegradable at the end of its life. Wool insulation is safe to handle, no skin or respiratory problems are caused unlike other traditional forms of insulation. Wool is naturally fire retardant.
Some distinct advantages of wool insulation include the fact that it controls condensation. Wool absorbs and releases moisture yet doesn’t lose it’s thermal performance and can in fact absorb up to 40 percent of its own weight and remain dry, to the touch. Wool actually heats up when absorbing moisture by up to 45 degrees F, this increases the dew point temperature reducing the risk of condensation. It absorbs harmful gasses, e.g. formaldehyde, and then locks them up permanently. Man made insulation emits gases. It is a better insulator compared to glass fiber insulation, requiring 10 percent less thickness to achieve the same insulating factor. Traditional glass fiberglass insulation’s thermal performance deteriorates dramatically when any moisture is present, but wool’s performance is not affected.
Wool insulation improves our air quality by suppressing mold and mildew. The natural keratin present in wool prevents against the spread of mold and mildew. The amino acids in wool also irreversibly bond with formaldehyde, NOₓ and SO2 on a molecular level. It also absorbs sound – wool far exceeds other forms of insulation as an acoustic buffer. Wool insulation also resists fire – wool will not support a flame below 1100F. Wool insulation is about 25-50% more expensive than traditional batt insulation, but very similar in cost to spray foam insulation. It’s definitely worth exploring this option if you have any insulation needs in your future.