Denim Insulation

[WesGrimes]

Anyone tried denim insulation in their build?
I am thinking of using it on my roof.
It looks like a good option.

[S. Heisley]

Huh? Never heard of it. Can you elaborate or give us a website to look at?

[WesGrimes]

It is available at both Big Boxes. It is affordable, non toxic, and environmentally friendly.
R-13 for 3.5 inches, and is supposed to be a good sound dampener.
I am thinking for my roof, probably not sides because of the thickness.
http://www.bondedlogic.com/construction ... insulation

[S. Heisley]

WOW! That looks like a great product! Thanks for taking me out of the "building vacuum" and into the "light"!

After reading about it, the only question left is: Will it act like a giant sponge if you get a water leak? (Most all trailers eventually get a leak somewhere; and, if the water is held between the wall/ceiling studs/spars in a sponge-like atmosphere, the plywood might deteriorate worse than if you used Styrofoam.) That one might be worth thinking and asking about.

[WesGrimes]

I used the same stuff but it's called Roxul. It's good stuff and it really kills the outside sound which I find to be a plus in a small trailer.

I looked at the Roxul, and it looked good. It is a different material, but looks to have similar characteristics.
From Roxul's website: "Roxul insulation is a rock-based mineral fiber insulation comprised of Basalt rock and Recycled Slag. Basalt is a volcanic rock which is abundant in the earth, and slag is a by-product of the steel and copper industry. The minerals are melted and spun into fibers"

This one is made from recycled blue jeans that has been treated with fire retardant and water repellent.

Water incursion is probably more of an issue with it over Roxul since it is cotton.

My trailer should be waterproof as it has no seams since it is covered in Fiberglas and bondo, so I think I will try it anyways. I will do some water tests on it, and post the results here. Stay tuned...

[mezmo]

FWIW:

Roxul insulation is made from melted and spun rock/mineral
like fiberglass insulation is made from melted and spun glass.

There is also wool insulation now too, used elsewhere, but just
showing up in the US recently. Denim insulation is mainly cotton fiber
I'd assume [didn't have time to read too much in depth on that].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool_insulation
http://www.blackmountaininsulationusa.c ... 4AodASgAMw

I'd have concerns about water absorption too, so we'd/you'd need to
research that factor further for any insulation type, including
foams, since I believe even open cell foams will absorb water in
comparison to closed cell foams - plus you need to look at beadboard
vs extruded methods too for water penetration rates.

My choices would be closed cell foam, then Roxul, then wool.

I wonder if mice would like the 'natural' fiber insulations better
for nesting material if they can get at it?


Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[M C Toyer]

Any concern for the insulation setling from gravity, vibration and up and down motion of the trailer?

[WesGrimes]

I am going to contact the mfg to ask for data on water absorption.

Settling probably is not such an issue. The stuff is glued like one long log. It is not loose at all. I will ask though while I am at it.

If I was a mouse, I would prefer cotton over foam
On the bright side, I am not going to install a mouse door

[Lgboro]

What is the weight of Denim insulation compared to closed cell foam? Might be worth considering too as a tear can get heavy in a hurry if you are really aware of weights. Mine is around 900 lbs( 4 x 9 ) with all the toys and built as light as I could.

[WesGrimes]

What is the weight of Denim insulation compared to closed cell foam? Might be worth considering too as a tear can get heavy in a hurry if you are really aware of weights. Mine is around 900 lbs( 4 x 9 ) with all the toys and built as light as I could.

Their website says 1.2lbs per cubic foot. If my math is right, that would be 0.35 lbs per square foot you are installing (the product is 3.5 inches thick). Lets say you have 100 sq ft installed, that would be 35lbs of insulation. I don't know what the closed cell foam weighs, but it is probably at least 20lbs I would think.

[WesGrimes]

I emailed the manufacturer regarding moisture and settling. Below is their response:

"Wes,

Good afternoon.

Our UltraTouch will absorb moisture/humidity and also release the
moisture/humidity. It is mold/mildew resistant and fire retardant. I don't
have a comparison to fiberglass and/or rockwool but all insulation has to
pass the same moisture test. Our UltraTouch is an oversized batt for a
friction fit and will not settle over time in the wall cavity. The most
common products to settle is loose fill insulation and not batt insulation.

Let me know if you have any other questions or if you need anything else,
thanks.

Best regards,

Jerry Weston
Customer Service/Inside Sales Manager
Bonded Logic, Inc.
24053 S. Arizona Avenue, Suite 151
Chandler, AZ 85248
(480) 812-9114 ext. 12
(480) 812-9633 fax


-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2012 6:04 AM
To:
Subject: Product question

I am very interested in using your product, but I would like to get some
additional information regarding water absorption and settling as compare to
other products like fiberglass and rockwool. Do you have any information
that you can send me for these properties and comparisons?"

[S. Heisley]

It reads like you've done your "homework", Wes.
I look forward to hearing how it works once you have built and camped with this new insulation.

[Shadow Catcher]

Anything that will absorb moisture does not sound like a good idea for insulation that will be between an impermeable roof and what ever is used as interior wall. Any small water leak will be absorbed and stay there. This strikes me as the use of of cellulose insulation in houses did. Time proved that it settled absorbed moisture and was loved by mice.
Foam works fine for sound deadening between two surfaces, is inert and does not absorb water. Looking at older RV's that are disassembled for repair of rot, in most cases fiberglass bats were used, got wet and stayed wet.

[WesGrimes]

Yep, foam is probably the way to go. I just hate being in such a small space with items that off gas. I planed to seal, prime and paint the interior of the shell with hypoallergenic paint prior to insulation. The cotton based product appealed to me because it sounded less toxic than foam.

[aggie79]

Wes,

I built my teardrop so that the interior finishes are vapor permeable. My reasoning for doing so was that I wanted a path for any water to evaporate if water ever penetrated the exterion of my teardrop. As a result I get a lot of off-gassing - or at least I have so far - from the materials and adhesives I used in the construction of my teardrop. My teardrop is stored in my garage and even though I slightly crack the windows and roof vent to let the off-gassing bleed off, you can smell the gasses inside the teardrop while in the garage. When camping we have at least one window and the roof vent open, and the roof vent fan is on low to exhaust the air from inside the teardrop. With this arrangment, I can't smell any of the off-gassing.

Tom