How (and Why) To Install Rockwool Insulation

Why insulate:

There are many reasons to insulate walls, for heat retention, soundproofing, fire-blocking, and just for fun. I live in sunny San Diego where it rarely gets wet and it never gets truly cold. So while most insulate to keep comfortable in the winter, we&#;re insulating to keep cool in the summer and to reduce the noise of the airplanes overhead as well as the sounds from nearby rooms.

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I used a few different insulation products:

R-15 Bat Insulation: All insulation has an R-value, which is a measure of how well a barrier resists the conductive flow of heat. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation will do to keep the cold air our and the hot air in (or vice versa). Often, to get a really good R-value, the insulation needs to be really thick, or it will get costly like spray foam insulation. The insulation I used is in the sweet spot of being efficient and not crazy expensive - plus it&#;s exactly the required R-value our city code calls for. I installed the R-15 insulation in the exterior walls of the kitchen and bathroom.

Soundproofing Insulation Bats: For the interior walls, we opted to add soundproofing insulation. It isn&#;t really necessary, but hey, while the walls are open, it&#;s the time to do it. We also thought it would be smart to dampen the noises between the kitchen and the bathroom since the toilet is literally on the other side of the stove.

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Foam Sealant: For all the small holes, cracks, and gaps, I sealed them with expanding foam before installing the bat insulation over the top of them. I used a combination of fire-blocking and door foam. I&#;ll explain more below.

Learn more about R-value and insulation in this video.

1. Seal the gaps

Before filling the wall cavities with the insulation bats, I went around with expanding foam to fill the gaps to the outside, into the attic, or into the crawl space. Openings like gaps under the window or next to pipes are big culprits for heat transfer, so I filled them with some foam that sprays out like a really sticky mousse, then grows and hardens into a firm mushroom shape.

You'd also have to find some that was the right thickness - or thinness actually. Stuffing a 4" thick piece into a 2" deep gap won't give you the advertised R value because you've reduced its capacity to retain air between the fibers.

If you've never worked with it before, be prepared for the itch factor while you're installing it. That's those tiny particles getting loose and poking your skin. They're undoubtedly doing the same to your lungs. Like ECU says though, once it's in, so long as you don't have gaps the particles shouldn't get out into the living space of the van. We do sometimes get puffs of air from behind the walls when we close the rear doors, so there's potential in our build for the fibers to migrate. You may be able to seal the walls better than we did, but then you get into the "should I put a vapor barrier on the inside?" question which I won't even START to talk about here.

Having said that, Sportsmobile, Winnebago and Outside Van have all at some point used fiberglass as their insulation of choice. It's cheap and effective.

More here:

Having done demo work on old houses, I can say that rockwool/fiberglass does hold moisture to an extent. It can get pretty soggy if it's left in the rain for a while. The fibers themselves might not soak up moisture, but they can hold it in place which would be bad against a metal wall in a van. Just be sure to seal off those trim attachment points on the side of the van, and vent well while you're cooking/sleeping in the van so condensation doesn't build up.You'd also have to find some that was the right thickness - or thinness actually. Stuffing a 4" thick piece into a 2" deep gap won't give you the advertised R value because you've reduced its capacity to retain air between the fibers.If you've never worked with it before, be prepared for the itch factor while you're installing it. That's those tiny particles getting loose and poking your skin. They're undoubtedly doing the same to your lungs. Like ECU says though, once it's in, so long as you don't have gaps the particles shouldn't get out into the living space of the van. We do sometimes get puffs of air from behind the walls when we close the rear doors, so there's potential in our build for the fibers to migrate. You may be able to seal the walls better than we did, but then you get into the "should I put a vapor barrier on the inside?" question which I won't even START to talk about here.Having said that, Sportsmobile, Winnebago and Outside Van have all at some point used fiberglass as their insulation of choice. It's cheap and effective.More here: http://sprintervanusa.com//06/25/comparing-van-insulation-options/#fiberglass

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