I first learned of the superior benefits of Rockwool from you, Matt. Yes, Rockwool is more expensive than fiberglass, but the superior R-value, water repellant benefits, sound properties, and fire blocking benefits make it hands down the better option. I have insulated my first house completely with Rockwool, and I will never put fiberglass insulation in my house projects ever. Thanks Matt!

The difference between 80 db and 40 db is 10000x. Not half. Awesome product.

I am an audio engineer - for anyone who doesn't know, 2" insulation absorbs down to about 500Hz, 4" thick down to about 125Hz. If you use acoustic panels with an air gap behind them or as baffles, you double the efficiency of the absorption generally speaking. Safe n Sound 3" works pretty well, but double that up to 6" to start absorbing frequencies under 100Hz. Their product is 3" thick usually going in a 4" stud bay and the air gap helps absorb more sound, however it is a trade off because 4" of insulation absorbs to lower frequencies.

In iowa where I live spray foam is hugely popular. 2” thick is most common. This leaves a huge open cavity in the walls where the wiring is. Electrical fires spread super fast and mixed with the fumes from the foam causes huge problems. After my neighbors shop burnt down due to that very thing I insulated my new post frame shop with Rockwool. So glad I did.

I've Switched out my Pink to Rockwood back in 2016! Dropped my Utility Bill by 1/3!

Love the channel, guys! Clarification on dB scaling - the decibel scale is logarithmic, so for every reduction by 3dB, THAT'S "half as loud." A reduction of 10dB means 1/10th as loud. The reduction noted from 80dB to 34dB would be 0.000025 "as loud."

That sound absorption demonstration was impressive. This would be incredibly beneficial for a home office space. If not every room.

When we were getting work done on the house--new havoc and abatement of old ducting--we realized our blown-in insulation was about 3" deep. That was it. We wanted our 30 year old romex gone (the old knob-and-tube wasn't connected anymore). For that, we wanted the pitiful insulation gone--had it vacuumed out. We put pieces of subfloor up in the attic so the electricians could move around up there, and made sure they put in some lighting, as there's a lot of room up there. Once they were done, we needed to re-insulate. My husband saw your channel and other sources touting Rockwool. Our local Home Depot put it on sale, so we were getting pallets-full at decent prices. We weren't so worried about hitting R39. We laid down R15 between the joists, shoving it in to very narrow spaces and building it up to the right depth, and up the side gables. No need for baffles as no overhang, which is not uncommon in our neighborhood. A second layer of R12 went on, perpendicular to the first, over all areas where the subfloor pieces were not going to stay. At the edges of everything went a third layer of R12. On a 100F+ day, our interior ceiling went from 98F (no insulation) to 78-80F (with insulation). One area only got one layer so far, because of work that had to be done, is about 85F. It is far easier to cool down a house that is 80F than one that is almost 100F. And it was EASY to instal! And Rockwool had a monthly drawing for "best review"--which I won! $200!

50 years ago my family was blowing Rock Wooll into houses attics and walls. Great stuff. Never had one problem with it. My dad did presentations where he melted a copper penny in his hand packed with Rock Wool.

I have just finished, even moved in , to my new timber framed house and was so reassured by this video as we fitted Rockwool inside and outside of the whole structure, including the roof . The wind is howling outside yet inside is a sea of tranquility . we used rigid outside then silicone colour coat rendering on top . I taped every seam , edge and joint to keep it airtight and we live without heating . I used 100mm XPS under the wood floors to keep us off the slab , so no underfloor heating needed. I struggled to get builders to understand the theory , now they want to know how to do it and would I fit an off grid system for their clients ! Rockwool is such an amazing insulator I even filled the interior walls with it and it helped create a peaceful interior .

Lebanon, Tennessee. My own DIY home improvement project for 2022. I removed the blown in insulation from my attic. Some places didn't even have any insulation or very little. Then I air sealed all of the penetrations with spray foam. Then I used Rockwool R30 insulation batts, and a second layer of the batts perpendicular to the ceiling joists. In effect I should have an R60 now for my attic. I can already tell a greatly improved comfort feeling within my house. Now that the summer months are here, lets see how the utility bills are for A/C. I'm really enjoying the Rockwool insulation!!!! Thank you Matt!

I worked with a number of Rockwool manufacturers over the years. Some made fireproof acoustic ceiling tiles (regular paper based tiles are not used in commercial environments) some made Rockwool batts. Interesting process, waste slag from metal melting processes is melted along with additives to control viscosity and melt/transition temperature in a shaft furnace (induction will not work for non conductive materials like it will for melting metals) and the molten product is fed to a spinning wheel (think cotton candy machine). The melt is spun off and has a leading shot head and a long tail which is blown into a large room or container, the shot upon cooling usually breaks off, falls to the bottom and is recycled to be melted once more. The Rockwool is gathered and processing into batts. The acoustic tile process involves adding color,usually whiteners and a clay based binder pressed out like dough, given a desired surface finish, cut to dimension then baked in a continuous oven. This process was how I knew it from over a decade ago, it may have evolved to optimize the process over the years.

I have used Rockwool here in Norway for the last 20+ years as a carpenter. Great product and fire safety. Great video Matt.

Matt, love your approach to informing the masses. Together with Travis you connect us with a full gamut of feature benefits. Your enthusiasm for these type of events and keen eye for curation help us learn so in a conversational way that bypasses a sales pitch. Here's to hoping the algorithm spreads more of these type of videos and you get more exposure! Thanks for the expert level content.

Great chemistry between you guys. Explanations never skip a beat. Thanks for a great presentation. I will be installing rockwool in my van for the awesome insulation, safety (fire resistant) and, of course, sound proofing.

Great info and glad to see Travis representing KC again like he does at the builder symposium at BLVD Brewery the last few years. It’s good to see builders who genuinely have an interest in better building science, construction techniques, and an overall better home!

I've been using Rockwool for about the past decade to (slowly!) replace the insulation in my house. I put it everywhere, and I love it. Easy install, blocks fire, holds itself in place, deadens sound, superior insulation, won't compress like glass insulation, no off-gassing like foam. It's an awesome material. If I were building a new house, Rockwool would be everywhere.

Love this stuff, as a homeowner, and far from an expert, this stuff is so awesome to work with. Ease of cutting and fitting and installation. I have bats like this in my furnace room roof for just some sound dampening. And because it doesnt have fibres coming off, it can stay there unfinished

just put rockwool in my garage. Its gonna be a fabrication shop so I was really worried about fire resistance. Covered it in sheetrock and after watching this video I feel I made the right choice! Thanks for these videos!

Great video! *Rockwool is the best investment in my home to date! 🥰 One of my major goals for our home is to be as energy-efficient as possible, to the point of being energy independent. Our yearly climate can range from 120f in mid-summer to 20f in mid-winter. Heating and cooling costs are rising fast and are becoming a major expense. Simply replacing the fiberglass insulation in the attic with Rockwool insulation has reduced my heating/cooling costs and energy consumption dramatically! I've also recently completed a 300 sq. ft. room addition/office space in the garage using Rockwool in the walls and attic. I have also noticed the improved noise reduction! *Rockwool has been a game-changer in my home! 😎

My goodness, Rockwell answers so many of the problems that come with using older types of insulation. Rockwell will probably be the insulation I use in the remodel of my house.

Awesome Video! Just the information I need for a huge project in my own home. Thanks Matt! Great info, I truly appreciate it!👍

Hi Matt, it is great to see a channel like yours dealing with well insulated long lasting buildings. I live in Japan and it was a major headache trying to find builders who were competent in using the materials and techniques that you present. I had to hire an architect to design my house, because none of the the housing construction firms knew or were willing to use anything but the standard Japanese system which hasn't changed much in over 100 years. I hope you can convince more people to put in a little more up front for the long term benefits it will bring. Best of luck. Karel

This product rocks. I've used this in my floors, walls ceilings and the heat and noise disappeared. plus I like the idea that a electrical short in the walls would essentially snuff the flames. Another bonus I notice no bugs migrating from the floors or walls. Rock on

In my opinion rock wool is best insulation ever invented

Matt, great video with the Rockwool plant. I have been using Rockwool since 2008 when we had to special order it from Home Depot in Arizona for our home. That is when we learned how much better it performs than our 1987 Centex home's paper faced batt... after that I got Rockwool into a property for a Phoenix area Catholic charity. Next we will be using Comfortboard on our first exteriors in Metro Houston. When allowed, I spec/ buy Rockwool for projects I work on.

I was introduced to this product via marketing and promotions. I live close to a Highway, too close. Because I had to take the place down to the studs, I opted to got with this product for both exterior and interior walls, it made a profound difference. I see the traffic and feel the large vehicles, but I don't hear them anymore unless I'm in the garage.

I worked as a S&H warehouse position in an insulation supply company. We supplied. Rockwool & I loved it! Best insulation ever, I didn't get itchy, I could lay all over it - OK unlike fiberglas! I learned it was superior to fire unlike fiberglas! I fell in love with rockwool. Now 40yrs later I learn it's bug proof - just amazing+!

Killer content. I’ve been using rockwool for a little bit and there are so many benefits. Easy to cut, easy to work with, and far superior over traditional fiberglass.

Cool video - I built a plywood box to cover my emergency generator and lined it with 4 inches of Rockwool. The Rockwool fireproofs it and helps it run much quieter.

Love it . I also now only use and recommend Rock wool . I love the open flow insulation system . Building in climates that are hot in the summer and cold in winter , open flow is the only way that a complete open vapor flow without condensation problems . Lime and builders sand mix for renders is another great way for exterior finishes . It can be coated onto a expanded metal mesh .

I've just installed 100mm of RW45 (UK spec, u-value 0.035) in between 175mm timber joists on my new flat roof extension. It's a warm roof construction with 120mm PIR for thermal insulation (yes has a VCL) and is covered in a 2mm poly membrane. The difference the Rockwool has made is truly spectacular. It's so good I wish I didn't have to cover. We're using the room before it's finished and after a few hours of letting dust settle feels great and breathable as Matt explained. Really great product.

Rockwool is also used in hydroponics. Same company. However, the horticulture version is made in The Netherlands.

What a great video. Mineral wool is the better insulation choice. It doesnt burn. It isn't ruined by water exposure. It is sound deadening. Bugs and rodents hate it.

Matt, I can't believe you came to West Virginia and didn't stop by for a tour of our build! I've tried to apply "all reasonable" Build Show techniques to our on-a-budget-in-2022 BarnBuild. That's OK, I understand. Thanks for all the info over the years!

I use this all over my studio. Love it.

Wow really great suff Matt. Thanks for the info

Awesome stuff Matt, thanks for the info! 😃👍🏻👊🏻

Love the details, especially that basement interior

Interesting! Thanks for the material review

Quality insights as always, thanks!

just had an ADU (granny flat) buit. i installed rockwool safe and sound in the bedroom/living room wall myself to counter television noise. SUPER easy DIY product. i regret not specifying it for the rest of the build.

My new home will actually use Rockwool!

Thanks a lot, love the details

Incredible! I sure could use this in my 1910 farm house.

Hi, many thanks!! it was really a completely didactic video. Many thanks

Great video. I own a 70 year old home in the PNW. There isn't any insulation in the wall cavities. I'm going to install new siding and at the same time remove the sheathing, insulate from the outside, reinstall the sheathing and install the new siding. I'll be using Rockwool to insulate it.

Another great informative video Matt! Would love to know more about the Fiberglass Z Girt product mentioned in this video as well as the black faced comfortboard. Thanks.

I’d love to replace current insulation with Rockwool. @Matt Risinger any chance you might make a video for DIYers with existing homes (not a new build), on just how to make insulation and moisture barrier upgrade, without ripping off the roof? Including information and options for various parts of the country would be amazing.

i love rockwool. it's difficult to find many rockwool products in my area but there are 2 products here so far, 2x4 walls 16" OC and the comfort wool that is a little thinner, about maybe 3 inches thick or 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 inches thick. i hope they start carrying more locally. only available around here at lowes far as i know.

Great Video.. I bought this product based off your reviews on it , Thanks

Interesting , Thank You. I need to get some

I have plans to close the envelope of my attic soon, and one of the issues constantly coming up is moisture buildup under the sheathing, and that fiberglass insulation will prevent air movement from drying out that sheathing. sounds like rockwool is the answer to that problem.

Excellent, I learned a lot. Sure makes me push foam to a smaller roll.

This was good. Rockwool rules.

An important dampening mechanism of the safe and sound in the "maze" is the sound attenuation on the surface of the insulation; killing the echo (like an anechoic chamber). Once the wall is covered with sheetrock that mechanism is eliminated and the main benefit is sound dampening through the wall.

Mice WILL burrow into it. Blew my mind. Bastards tunneled in my newly refreshed small addition up a 7ft wall and across an 11ft length of ceiling. They tunneled better than Guzman. Still a big fan of this over fibreglass. DIY tip. I run my electrical at the same length as the bat lengths if possible.

I had no idea the value and benefits of rockwool until I started watching these videos. I'm currently finishing out my second story, starting from just a bare floor that was never finished out during the initial build. It took a bit of time to get the rock wool batts, they are a special order item at the blue home store and impossible to get at the orange store. I believe there is about a three fold difference in price between fiberglass and rockwool! It installs just as easily in real life as these videos make it look. Last week I placed my sheetrock order from a local building supplier, and knowing I would need more insulation down the road, I asked the supplier if they carried it... He responded that I was probably in the 1% of people in the area that used it. It's hard to figure out when someone is giving genuine advice and recommendations, or if they are just repeating the status quo.

I’m glad the US is finally catching up to the rest of the world. Was using rock wool in recording studios….. decades ago.

On a job 2 years ago and all the interior insulation was stored outside in winter for reasons unknown to me. By the time we needed to insulate we lost 10s of thousands of dollars of fiberglass insulation and only had to throw away 2 bag of Rockwool because they were full of mud

Matt: love your expertise! Question: Should my attic space over my attached garage be blocked off/walled from my home attic space to prevent the hot air from being over my living space? The space over the garage is uninsulated. The rest of the attic over living space is blow in insulation. I have soffit vents and ridge vents throughout the garage and home. The garage roof faces South and "cooks" in the summer. I live in Georgia.

I found rockwool to keeps out radiant heat much better than less dense fiberglass. It does come at a cost in my area but installing it you can tell the difference.

I live in Abilene where we just had over 10k acres burn in the hills. Our 1968 house ( I remodeled with Rockwool from watching you back in 2017/18) was about a mile away from one that started a month prior to this last big fire. One lady who is a nurse lived in her family’s house that was passed down and it all got burned without insurance. I’d love to talk with you Matt if you ever come to Abilene. I’d love to help her out but I’m not in the position to do so financially.

I have to agree that this is the only home insulation on the market today. Regular fiberglass insulation should be outlawed. Cutting in around electrical outlets alone makes this so much more efficient as well as wiring in the walls, ect. The cutting of this insulation with a knife alone makes installation much easier, the particles do not hang in the air, and as you install it, you can hear the noise level drop. It is more expensive, but you are actually getting the return on your investment, very rare in today's world. I really can't say anything else other than the fact that it is harder to get, but it is worth the extra effort. Finding it at Lowe's or Home Depot is not easy. Find an old lumber yard in your town that still works hard for your business and have them order it in for you. You will be amazed by this product if you use it. And thank you Matt for educating us on this product, I would have never come upon it without your videos.

You talk about this protects against wildfires. This also gives it the added benefit of being protected from neighbor houses on fire. A lot of neighborhood fires spread to multiple homes because of being densely packed.

Helpful info!

Did my entire house with ROXUL way back in 2009. Fiberglass is peasant insulation. Have a look at how much better it stays in the wall cavity 10 years later too...no slumping.

Thanks for the great video. I have a 100 year old English Tudor revival in the blue ridge mountains of North Carolina. We are wondering if we should use rock wool in the attic space above the coach house. We have a slate roof which is original and wonder if we should place the rock wool in the cavities between the roof rafters and also should we place an air vent against the roof sheathing first and then install the rock wool?

We have cold snowy winters. What is the best way to install Rockwool taking into account the dew point? Inside the house or between the front decoration and main wall?

I live in Northern Illinois, building our retirement house with a GC. If we use 5.5 Comfortbatt in the exterior walls (2x6, 16oc) with 1/2 zip sheathing, do we still need insulation board on the exterior wall and do we need a vapor barrier on the inside? I think in this video you indicate no vapor barrier is needed? Thanks, love your "delivery" of the content!

I've put Rockwool (nee Roxul) in my attic and most of my basement. Living on a busy and noisy corner, heading downstairs to the den, in the basement, traffic and sirens have disappeared. Plus, the den warmed up significantly also. I'm a happy camper. Just wish I had the funds and patience to open all the main level exterior walls and replace the beige 50s-60s insulation. Sadly, it would be cheaper and easier to add insulated aluminum siding, which I'd hate.

@Matt. I was wondering if you would do a video on the efficiency and energy usage of your house compared to your old house.

I just got through doing a Rockwool between the wall stud remodel. I put so much Rockwool into the remodel?,a 1900 ft.² 3-bedroom was finished out at 950 ft.² We put insulation on the back of our insulation and then insulated that for good measure... Can never have enough insulation...

Hi. I live in Florida and own a home that has radiant barrier OSB installed by the builder. D.R. Horton smart home. I was wondering if adding more radiant barrier to the rafters will help cool the attic even more. Eaves and ridge vents.

I put this in my shop walls. But I've been trying for the last six months to get some for the attic. I can't find it anywhere. When will I be able to have heat and cooling in my shop? Maybe next year I guess.

Another good vid Matt, I'm getting ready to start a new home build, is there any new ideas on how to complete the outdoor finishes to openings. ( windows, and doors ) thanks

In Matt’s first wall model for residences, doesn’t having continuous plywood sheathing keep the continuous rock wool layer from drying to the interior and keep the batts in the stud bays from drying to the outside? I am sure the perm rate might allow moisture to move through it, but drying thru plywood?? Or am I missing a basic rule of moisture movement?

At 12:44 - for using as a sound absorption panel, what is the model/product # and do they come in a 2x4 foot size? Lastly can you buy those at Home Depot or Lowes?

GREAT VIDEOS GUYS! Love me some good #buildingscience

Love it. But the products are hard to get in Canada.

I never thought about I joist webbing being more combustible. I'm going to recommend Rockwool to my clients.

Enjoy your video's and have learned valuable information on my builds. Like the idea of Rockwool but I'm having trouble finding a supplier in the middle Tennessee. Any suggestions?

I'm remodeling my home in Minnesota & looking to add continuous insulation to the exterior to help seal up the home & better the acoustics. In the video you talk about adding a bug screen. What the best bug screen material that you recommend?

Matt: how about retro fitting texas (Hill country) garages? Do you have a recommendation for an installer?

Matt, I’ve been watching your videos on attic insulation. I live north of Austin in Temple. I have a 12 on 12 pitch roof with high ceilings in the attic. I’m not completely sold on spray foam, so this Rockwool insulation could be a good option. Would you recommend this product over spray foam for this area. Also, I was looking at this as a possible DIY. Thanks for the videos!

A house built with this system is gonna be super efficient! Crazy, but definitely gonna make the build more expensive!

Maybe not a relevant question but I have a cdx roof on my house. Roofers installed waterproof peel and stick underlay on top. And the builder wants to spray foam+ rockwool the cavity. It's an I joist roof. Are there any concerns for rot or mold if both sides of cdx are effectively vapor proof. Roof is non vented. Let me know

OK, I am now sold on Rockwool. Especially, because I own an old house.

Rockwool awesome~

I have been wanting to learn about below grade rockwool, especially exterior.

Matt what would need to be done to retrofit a soffit vented attic to conditioned using rockwool? Any recommendations in San antonio?

In a humid climate, does the vapor open characteristic lead to substantially more latent load for the air conditioner or dehumidifier to remove? Or, is that vapor pathway small compared to other vapor pathways even in a well air-sealed house?

Matt, I hope you are reviewing this video, my question for you or anyone with knowledge. I am remodeling a 1973 house with rock wool, 50 years old no bugs or wood damage. This rock wool has paper and then they installed plastic before the sheet rock. I’ve opened up the outer walls for the remodel. Should I remove the old stuff and replace with new, had thought about spray foaming the walls, however you have educated me with the rock wool. There is a little paper damage from moisture, not moldy but a little change in color. Thanks in KY

I just about came unstuck with that display of the Comfort Board over wood studs. I am building a vacation house in the WUI above Las Vegas - cold/dry climate. I did a LOT of research because nobody in the County building department had any idea about 1) full basement, 2) unvented attic, 3) fire-resistant construction. The house is next to a deep/steep ravine with mountain fir and pine trees and low, dry vegetation. Coming from SoCal, I truly understand about fire. I specified all fireproof and fire resistant materials on the outside. Where they are not fireproof, like the glulam beams, they get covered with fiber cement board to match the Hardie siding. Walls are covered with OSB sheeting [NOBODY has any idea about ZIP panels, not engineer or building department], ZIP-taped sheeting seams, Tyvek [builder put up to keep dry while waiting for the 7 month backorder of my Comfort Board]. Then we put up 1x nailers with Hardieplank over them to finish the outside. I felt pretty good to see that first display of the wall system. That is exactly what I ended up with through my research.

It's bazaar, rockwool is available in my area in NY but I can't get ahold of comfort board. There are a ton of modern building materials that just aren't around

I worked n a house were the rock wool settled n the studded walls about 2/3 inches at the top plate. I’m wondering it might be a good ideal to put a little adhesive on the wool or wall

Great video , one question, I live in Pennsylvania, if I put Rockwool r23 in attic floor cavity and cover with wood board , do I need vapor barrier under Rockwool insulation? Rockwool does not make faced batt insulation. How can I use Rockwool insulation in attic insulation? I m really appreciate. I can’t find the answers

Matt maybe it’s cause I’m 29 and almost there myself if not already am but I’m loving the gray in the hair

It used to be readily available at the local big box store but no more. Couldn’t get in 2022 and currently 2-3 month back order.

Love the stuff. Wish it was cheaper though.