Why stone wool insulation offers alternative for home construction, remodels

Due to modern advances in technology, the products used in the building material supply are evolving to provide more than just one benefit to the contractor and homeowner.

Plywood, for example, can now be bought with protective covering to take the place of felts, and lumber can be pressure treated with borate to stop termites. Instead of buying a product for just one application, seek out versatility in products that can provide labor and additional product savings.

It’s different than traditional fiberglass insulation in that it doesn’t use a kraft-face paper backing to staple into studs in the wall, but rather uses friction to remain in place.

Additionally, unlike fiberglass and cellulose insulations in the attic, stone wool insulation has virtually no shrinkage or rot issues. Bugs, varmints and other critters cannot feed off it.

Rockwool is among the leading manufacturers of stone insulation in the world, with manufacturing facilities in North America that have made the product more accessible, especially in Florida.

The company makes a home insulation that is branded as Rockwool Safe’n’Sound, which does so much more than just providing insulation to the project. There are some key long-term benefits, especially for senior homeowners in Florida, that make it worth the additional 30% to 40% investment over normal insulation.

Products like these provide, in most cases, par and above par R-values for the contractor, and that truly depends on the application on the project. Long-term, the R-value maintains itself for the life of the project because it doesn’t shrink. As the years go by, such products should provide greater savings in heating and cooling costs.

Steel wool makes all the difference

Steel wool may provide outstanding fire protection and can withstand heat up to 2150oF.  Paired with fire-rated drywall and other products, a homeowner or contractor can achieve 1-hour fire ratings, which can save lives during house fires.

The biggest benefit for seniors is that this insulation provides significant sound absorption. When coupled with a solid interior door, such product can provide calm in a home with a senior who has difficulty hearing and tends to turn up the volume on their electronics.

If you are continuously telling your spouse to turn the television down from a bedroom, steel wool insulation may be the answer. For homeowners who live very close to neighbors on zero lot lines, this could be the difference in restful nights of sleep.

Rockwool's product, for one, is also moisture resistant. If the product gets wet due to flooding in the house or a leak in the roof, it can be dried out and it is very resistant to mold and mildew. Steel wool insulation by the nature of its ingredients can’t absorb moisture, which is unlike other insulations because once they get wet, there is normally no alternative but the trash.

When making decisions on your next construction projects, look closely at products that can provide more than just one solution and add to the value proposition of your project.

Don Magruder is the CEO of Ro-Mac Lumber & Supply, Inc., and he is also the host of the “Around the House” Show which can be seen at AroundtheHouse.TV.

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Stone wool insulation: What to know before buying for your home