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Cathryn
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 13926
Location: Ceredigion
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 Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 10:28 am Post subject: Sheeps wool insulation |
 
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How is it made? In that I think there is a mill relatively near here (it wasn't the one that closed down was it  ) that processes raw fleece for my weaving friends. And that we have endless amounts of the raw ingredient. I have tried googling but only get up the companies selling it.
How much processing does it need? (Old Welsh quilts were stuffed with sheeps wool and I have had examples that used it completely unwashed, lumps an' all.   Several cold water machine washes sort it out for modern squeamishness.) |
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Gervase
Joined: 17 Nov 2004
Posts: 7554
Location: Ceredigion, West Wales
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 10:32 am Post subject: |
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It's a simple process, but the companies that do it do it on a large scale. The fleece is washed to remove gunge and lanolin, soaked in a borax solution to proof it against insect attack, dried, then combed out, felted and pressed into batts which are cut to shape.
The cheapest supplier is Black Mountain, a new company based near Brecon. |
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Cathryn
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 13926
Location: Ceredigion
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 10:36 am Post subject: |
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I read your earlier thread about this. Just wondered if there was a way of doing it slightly cheaper using our own wool. And I liked the idea of using the wool off the farm to insulate the house. Shame, it sounds too big a scale is needed. Companies that do it for weavers wouldn't do the borax bit would they? |
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Gervase
Joined: 17 Nov 2004
Posts: 7554
Location: Ceredigion, West Wales
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 10:40 am Post subject: |
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I imagine a lot of the work could be done in an old bath outside, provided you had plenty of water and good drains. Drying the stuff would be a nightmare, though.
In the past people did use raw wool to insulate above dairies and pantries. As in, kempy stuff straight off the sheep and not fit for spinning, with no treatment at all. You'd be amazed at how much wool is needed to make insulation, though. |
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Cathryn
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 13926
Location: Ceredigion
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 10:42 am Post subject: |
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Q. I am looking into using unwashed sheeps wool to insulate the loft of my new cob house. I have a source of clean wool treated with a pyrethriod dip which should stop insect attack. Also the natural lanolin in the wool should keep it dry. It looks like a larger version of the Rockwool used for blowing and is very resilient. When crushed and released it springs back to its original size. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience.
A.
The only thing that worries me about your proposal is the sheep dip. Untreated wool, if you can get it, would be a better choice and if you are worried about insect attack in your roof then you could spray it with a solution of borax which you could make up yourself. Most of the companies advertising paints in this magazine sell boron salts which you can mix with water. This is similar to what CAT (www.cat.org) did for their new AtIEC building and the building reg officers were happy. I’ve just used (as sheared) sheeps wool on my renovation and I used it in conjunction with cellulose fibre. The sheeps wool was used in areas of concern such as gable ends and near water tanks where there is a slight risk of moisture from the stonework etc which could soak into the cellulose whereas the wool should resist it without harm. However, I have recently heard a rumour that lanolin can rot so that may need some looking into!
Gervase, I have just picked up this question from the Green Press site. What do you think? Perhaps I will ring CAT next week. |
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Cathryn
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 13926
Location: Ceredigion
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 10:44 am Post subject: |
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Double posted. He has a lot of sheep and in that there hasn't been any lagging for decades maybe this could be done over years. Have to look into it a bit and consider the relative costs. Thank you. |
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VSS
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2390
Location: Llyn Peninsula, North Wales
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 10:45 am Post subject: |
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the amazon nails chappie who was here last week said that you can use raw fleeces for insulation so long as they are in a sealed place eg btween floorboards and an underfloor - tongue and grooved boarded.
Plenty of raw fleeces to be had an very cheap too when compared to the processed prepared sheeps wool insulation. |
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Cathryn
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 13926
Location: Ceredigion
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 10:47 am Post subject: |
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Hmm I will remember that, thanks. Have you used it? (Amazon nails chappie?) |
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resistance is fertile
Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 1534
Location: The heart of North Devon
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 10:54 am Post subject: |
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Cathryn, I have pM'D you. |
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robin wood
Joined: 07 Jan 2009
Posts: 149
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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Very interesting thread. I was helping my neighbor load woolsacks last year when they were getting £8 a sack and thinking "this would be great insulation" I think the price has gone up a bit since but ti is still cheap and local.
All the talk here is about stopping insect attack is there any fire risk? is the processed stuff treated with anything to reduce its flammability or not? |
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resistance is fertile
Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 1534
Location: The heart of North Devon
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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I think the Borax treatment is intended to do both.
As I have told Cathryn though, even commercial wool insulation needs careful research IMHO |
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RichardW
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 6155
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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| resistance is fertile wrote: |
I think the Borax treatment is intended to do both.
As I have told Cathryn though, even commercial wool insulation needs careful research IMHO |
Can you tell us all?
Yes Borax is also a fire retardant.
| Gervase wrote: |
The cheapest supplier is Black Mountain, a new company based near Brecon. |
I think you mean in Denbigshire?
Black Mountain Insulation Ltd,
Expressway 3,
Tir Llwyd Industrial Estate,
Rhyl, Denbighshire, LL18 5JA
Richard |
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resistance is fertile
Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 1534
Location: The heart of North Devon
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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last time I expressed concerns, and cited some past issues. on the internet I got into trouble.
The concept seems great and I am assured that problems are being resolved with new treatments, apparently.
I have no wish to cause any loss or upset to wool insulation companies, or moth killing companies for that matter 
, |
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RichardW
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 6155
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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| VSS wrote: |
the amazon nails chappie who was here last week said that you can use raw fleeces for insulation so long as they are in a sealed place eg btween floorboards and an underfloor - tongue and grooved boarded.
Plenty of raw fleeces to be had an very cheap too when compared to the processed prepared sheeps wool insulation. |
Raw as is straight of the sheep's back or raw as in washed but not treated?
What would the going rate be for a wool sack?
I estimate that 1 wool sack would be about 1/2 cubic meter of insulation. Would anyone like to give an opinion on that?
Richard |
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Boudica
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 09 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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So what would be he problem with my washing and carding some of my wool and using the bats as insulation, wool is allready fire retardent (you try burning it), it has to be better than buying rockwool surely  |
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