Natural Insulation

[Hl.house]

I have added Knauf's eko roll http://www.diy.com/departments/knauf-ekoroll-loft-insulation-l728m-w1140mm-t100mm/182146_BQ.prd 100mm in between ceiling joists and a further 200mm top up.
Problem: sensitive family member has started coughing and possibly asthama has flared up. I am worried the same reaction will happen with PIR/PUR boards as a similar reaction was observed when in contact with expanding foam. The said personal also reacts to formaldehyde dye used in jeans, nickel buttons, food additives and preservatives, acrylic and polyester/fleece clothing, lyocel, spandex, soap with fragrances and perfumes...The list is long. This makes things very difficult. Fortunately the person tolerates lambswool very well... probably because of good breathability(according to them).
My ceiling is quite high and I have boarded up the ceiling, will skim it before the person arrives home and keep my fingers crossed. I would avoid using fibreglass/PIR boards for the wall now.
Is there anything like natural wool/any other wall insulation products? How much do they cost? How good are they? Please help. I am ready to spend more if the product is easy to DIY.

 

[tomfe]

Yes wool insulation.
I would have thought after the dust has settled then you'd get no glass/rock fiber in the house.

 

[footprints]

Sheep wool is available I have used it, non itch but quite dusty to work with and expensive. Oh! and your loft smells of sheep for a few months!

I think it was this brand I used. http://www.thermafleece.com/

 

[endecotp]

Wood fibre and hemp also possible.

 

[Hl.house]

Thank you for your replies. Very much appreciated. It seems I have hit a rock with winter on the doorstep.
Can I use wool/wood fibre/hemp for walls?
What thickness as compared to 100mm cellotex.

 

[iwilson16]

Thermafleece is approx the same as rock wool. Both are approx half as effective as PIR. I think the minimum depth of rhermafleece is 100mm. The approx equivalent to 100mm PIR would be approx 200mm.

It's a bugger to cut though, if you need to fit it between joists that are an odd size. Someone here posted a link to a insulation saw a few months back. That's the only thing I could get to actually cut the stuff. Look for my old posts, and follow the thread. But cutting through a rolled up roll of 140mm thermafleece is hard work. Though it does tear quite easily.

Ian

 

[^woody^]

Do the chemical binders, flame retardants, insecticide and mould inhibitors added to the wool insulation give off any irritants?

 

[cjard]

The saw Ian refers to might be a bahco profcut

For insulation alternatives, investigate warmcel and icynene

 

[Doggit]

It's a bugger to cut though, if you need to fit it between joists that are an odd size.

The best thing I've found for cutting rockwool, is the cheap extending blades that you buy in the pound shops. I put a piece of wood on top to squash it, run the blade along, and it cuts dead easy. Not sure if the same trick can be used with wool, but it might work.

 

[Hl.house]

Wikipedia mentioned ' Vacuum Insulated Panels'. What are these? Has anyone tried? Typical questions : cost, durability. DIY installation, suppliers?

 

[tomfe]

They are a premade panel with areogel inside under a vacuum. They are very expensive and you can't cut them, they are normally a bespoke product so are made to order. Think of them as double glazed units.
Have you thought about EPS (polystyrene)?
You have to be careful with any PVC wires as the insulation will melt but it does not give off any fibers and the blowing agent is normally just propane, pentane or methylene. You could age it yourself or buy aged so any left would have gone.

 

[cjard]

The best thing I've found for cutting rockwool, is the cheap extending blades that you buy in the pound shops. I put a piece of wood on top to squash it, run the blade along, and it cuts dead easy. Not sure if the same trick can be used with wool, but it might work.

True, when it's off the roll any Stanley or craft style knife works well. A straightedge to compress the wool helps, as does avoiding dragging knuckles on the wool.

 

[cjard]

Does family member experience coughing fits when visiting other people's houses/commercial buildings? If no then I dare say the experience is only temporary reaction to new material. (It's quite unusual to enter a building these days that doesn't have some form of insulation). Unroll your ekoroll and leave it somewhere well ventilated for a week or two. The only battle you may then have is an ongoing psychological one

 

[Hl.house]

Does family member experience coughing fits when visiting other people's houses/commercial buildings? If no then I dare say the experience is only temporary reaction to new material. (It's quite unusual to enter a building these days that doesn't have some form of insulation). Unroll your ekoroll and leave it somewhere well ventilated for a week or two. The only battle you may then have is an ongoing psychological one

It also depends on the exposure time, I suppose? But the said member always have to carry an inhaler with them.

 

[Hl.house]

They are a premade panel with areogel inside under a vacuum. They are very expensive and you can't cut them, they are normally a bespoke product so are made to order. Think of them as double glazed units.
Have you thought about EPS (polystyrene)?
You have to be careful with any PVC wires as the insulation will melt but it does not give off any fibers and the blowing agent is normally just propane, pentane or methylene. You could age it yourself or buy aged so any left would have gone.

How expensive? Double, three times insulated plasterboards(approx £70 per sheet of 70mm + thickness) or even more?