Better! Sheep wool insulation is 10% more efficient than man-made products like mineral wool.
We believe it is the most sustainable insulation product available commercially. Sheep are shorn yearly for their wool at the appropriate time of year, and the wool that Black Mountain uses is usually the coarsest and darkest available-the insulation is thus essentially made from a waste product. Also, only a fraction of the energy required to make man-made insulation is required to make sheep wool insulation.
No. Unlike fiberglass, mineral wool and rigid foam etc., sheep wool insulation does not require any protective clothing.
Very! Rolls are easy to handle, and the flexible nature of the material makes the fitting process simple.
Yes. The wool is treated with Borax, a non-toxic natural mineral used for this purpose in many natural materials.
No, it only singes and chars. This is why, in the past, wool was used for flash fire protection for firemen.
Wool can absorb up to 40% of its own weight in moisture and still remain dry. As it absorbs moisture it warms up, reducing the risk of condensation. Conversely, as the moisture evaporates from the wool it cools down. Less energy is required for heating and cooling. Sheep wool insulation is not susceptible to mold like man-made products.
Significantly longer than many commercially available man-made materials. Wool insulation retains its loft and performance for 50 years and beyond-compare to man-made products that require "topping" every ten years.
Sheep wool is denser than fiberglass, and performs particularly well in dampening airborne sound.
Older properties often don't have vapor barriers. Man-made insulation is thus even more susceptible to condensation, resulting in mold, timber rot etc. Sheep wool's natural moisture wicking properties make it the ideal solution to this problem.