Stone mineral wool vs other thermal insulation materials

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Stone mineral wool vs other thermal insulation materials

The natural insulation made of mineral spun stone has rapidly increased in popularity in the last few years. However, this is not a new material that has recently found its place in the industry but rather one that has been used since the year 1800.

What is important to mention is the fact that the industry and the market demands as well as the latest technologies have changed a lot in the last couple of years. The focus has been mainly on cheaper materials that could be promoted more efficiently.

Moreover, the stone mineral wool industry has also been influenced by a serious shift towards the industrial sector as well as other appliances in the case of which this material has become the best substitute.

Important factors about stone mineral wool

Furthermore, in the last decade, the energy costs as well as the increase in awareness among the audience in terms of important impacts on health and the environment have led to an increase in interest and demand for the use of this material in the residential sector. Therefore, it is not difficult at all for all of us to notice why it has managed to recover the lost ground so easily.

It features good values of thermal resistance, it is chemically inert and it does not include formaldehyde. Moreover, this material is fireproof, can absorb sounds and the embodied energy is much lower than in the case of petroleum-based products.

Stone mineral wool can be used in all the following critical locations:

• Inner walls
• Exterior walls
• Floors
• The ceiling
• Roofs

Also valuable to mention at this stage is the fact that this material is vapor permeable and although it features both advantages and disadvantages, it can be installed quite easily.

Stone mineral wool is produced from rocks

The color in the case of this material varies from yellow-green to brown. It features a matte texture of wool which is coarse and denser than glass wool due to its main ingredient, namely the rock. It is mainly made of basalt melted through spinning in a centrifuge in which short, multi directional fibers are formed.

Although it is available almost everywhere, mineral wool competes with the expanded polystyrene, the graphite polystyrene and the extruded polystyrene as well as the graphite variant, the cellulose and the mineral wool panels made of rigid foam polyurethane. Therefore, the selling process of phenolic foam panels and other natural materials has become almost nonexistent.

It was recently incorporated in the gaps of a specific type of Porotherm bricks and a layer of aerogel added to create a material with a much better thermal resistance called aero wool. Moreover, the price in this case is quite prohibitive ~ £160 / sqm and the panels can be imported.

Mineral wool vs other insulating materials

Although it is not easy to make a direct comparison, mineral wool is proving to be a strong competitor. Although it is chemically inert and contains no binders close to formaldehyde because these are removed before leaving the factory, it is still recommended to use protective equipment during installations well as for the installation of other types of fibrous insulation.

Mineral wool is classified as non-cancerous for people. Some products that have added mineral oil can create smoke in the presence of fire, but this is not the same danger that accompanies rigid foam products.

According to a report created by specialists in the industry, the global warming potential throughout the life of mineral wool is lower than in the case of foam insulation materials and almost equal to that of glass wool. The only material that obtained a better score in this comparison is cellulose. Moreover, mineral wool fibers allow water to drain without causing damage because they are tucked.

Finally, whatever material you might choose to use for the thermal insulation of your house, make sure you investigate its properties thoroughly.

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