SHEEP WOOL BUILDING INSULATION
by Jill Fehrenbacher
It is often new developments in technology that give rise to improvements in efficiency and environmental sustainability. Sometimes, however, the biggest innovations come from simply looking at old materials with new eyes. Case in point is Thermafleece - a patented sheep’s wool insulation material for buildings. People have know for thousands of years that sheep’s wool has excellent insulation qualities. We’ve been making garments out of wool for centuries, so why has no one thought to use sheep’s wool in buildings until now? Given that the standard insulation choice is toxic, cancer-causing fiberglass, I can’t imagine why one would not want to use sheep’s wool instead. Plus, how can you resist the cuteness of these sheep?
Thermafleece is made by an company called Second Nature, which is based in northern England. From the picture they appear to be a family?run farm business, which automatically gives them bonus points in my eyes. I wish we could all buy this stuff and support small farmers who are making use of a renewable, eco-friendly product. Unfortunately for Americans, Sheep’s wool doesn’t seem to be too easy to come by in the US. Thermafleece is only sold in the UK, and most of the companies producing sheep wool insulation seem to be either in the UK or in New Zealand (where sheeps abound). For North Americans, Canadian Good Sheperd is one company producing sheep’s wool insulation.
Here are all the reasons why you should buy sheep wool insulation:
* It is breathable and it can absorb moisture with no loss of thermal efficiency. This is one reason why it is so effective at keeping buildings warm in winter.
* During warm conditions it releases moisture which actually helps with the cooling effect.
* It is environmentally-friendly. Its production takes a fraction of the energy required to produce glass fibre insulation.
* Unlike fiberglass insulation, it is completely safe to handle.
* It has a life expectancy of more than 50 years and is recyclable
For further information check out:
http://www.sheepwoolinsulation.ie/press.htm
http://www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk/ins-thermperf.php
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[…] As you all know, having good insulation is critical to having an energy efficient house, and proper insulation can save you loads of money with your heating and cooling bills. What you may not know, however, is that most mainstream, commercially-available insulation is pretty nasty stuff that you probably don’t want anywhere near the air you breathe all day. Materials like fiberglass and polystyrene may be efficient insulators (and are cheaper than natural insulators like wool and cotton) but the effects on human health and the environment may not be worth the cost savings. Many people believe that nasty chemical insulation (the kind that is in most people’s houses) can contribute to cancer, asthma, and a whole host of other health problems. That’s why we highly recommend checking out some of the newest types of eco-friendly insulation, such as recycled denim, wool, icynene, and nanogel. […]