When it comes to insulation, there are a few options available to help you keep your home or business more comfortable and energy-efficient during extreme weather. Among these are batts or blankets, which are placed between studs or posts in a structure, then covered over with some type of hard wall surface, such as drywall or paneling. The materials available for these batts include mineral wool and fiberglass as the most common varieties.
A third option that is very popular is blown-in cellulose insulation. This type of insulation requires a blower that uses air pressure to push the material through a hose into an opening in the wall to place the insulation properly. But which of these there options is best for your situation? Here’s a quick look at the benefits and drawbacks of all three types of insulation.
In many ways, mineral wool is a superior insulation product. It has a higher R-value per inch compared to fiberglass, about a 22-37% higher R-value. It contains 70% recycled material, making it a greener product than fiberglass at 20-30% recycled material.. With a density over three times that of fiberglass, mineral wool has superior sound-deadening properties. The stiffer batts don’t tend to flop over as easily as fiberglass, making it easier to put in place, and they don’t require staples or wire to keep them in place. It’s hydrophobic, so it won’t absorb water or encourage the growth of mold and mildew. Mineral wool is also very fire resistant and can act as a fire stop.
However, like many building materials, mineral wool also has its drawbacks. It tends to be more expensive than fiberglass, often between 25-50% higher in cost . Because it is more unusual, it’s not available in as wide a range of sizes as fiberglass and is almost never available in a paper-faced format. Because it’s denser, it’s also heavier, which can make it more ungainly to handle during ceiling installations. Its dense nature requires the use of a serrated bread knife or wood saw to cut batts down to size, and it’s very difficult to find in a loose-fill format.
Here’s a quick overview of the R-value you can expect from different depths of mineral wool batting:
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