Our MOUNTAIN of Insulation is Getting Smaller..

Got some insulation coming up? Use our spreadsheet to make calculating ROCKWOOL quantities way easier:
www.masondixon...
Huge thanks to ROCKWOOL for partnering with us on this project!
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[@MasonDixonAcres]

Got some insulation coming up? We made a spreadsheet to make calculating ROCKWOOL quantities way easier: www.masondixonacres.com/products/insulation-calculator

[@codyplant4788]

Alex you are correct. The orange 3M fire stop caulk is an easier product to use in my opinion. It does seem to be way more flexible. You can also use the fire stop putty pads. The grey stuff is really crumbly. I am sure it is intumescent so it expands when exposed to flame.

[@L46C3]

Another tip - I found that a 6 inch joint compound tapping knife helps. Use it to compress one side of the batt as you apply pressure. For instance - joist bay or rim joist - if you're right handed (hold knife) insert the left side of the batt into the cavity. Before pushing the right side in lay the knife (full batt depth) on the exposed side, apply pressure or compress the batt slightly to the left and you'll see it slides right in. If the top and or the bottom is hanging up on 2x's wood splinters, slide the knife into place and lift up the bottom or top of the batt, compress slightly, and snug into place. This will eliminate the dust blowback also. The knife works great on the I joist ceiling too. Use it like a shoehorn!

[@MasonDixonAcres]

That's a neat trick, never thought of it! Thanks for sharing 👌🏼

[@brianrippel3190]

What made you choose Rockwool over closed cell spray foam insulation? Starting a build in Kansas and weighing my options for insulation.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Not a big fan of spray foam for several reasons - VOCs, environmental impact from blowing agents, worse in fire situations, not reusable or recyclable, shrinkage can open gaps over time, expensive, relies on someone else's attention to detail (see MR Post Frame's flash and batt nightmare), moisture problems in roof decks if ventilation is not well detailed, and it locks everything in the walls in place making any potential future work more difficult. Closed cell does have the benefit of high R-value per inch, but that's negated in walls since you can't fill the full cavity. The built-in air sealing is also pretty easily overcome with a few tubes of sealant, and in our case we'll be using Majrex as well. Pros and cons to everything, but that's what makes building interesting and why architects have a job 😄

[@jbrukardt]

Are you able to talk at all about your sourcing for that much rockwool at all? Been trying to get a bunch for a new build coming up for interior wall insulation for soundproofing, but most folks wont sell to non-contractors. I'm in the same general region as you, albeit a bit south

[@MasonDixonAcres]

First try this site and call your local sales rep who can hook you up with source of supply: www.rockwool.com/north-america/contact/#FindaSalesRepresentative If that fails, email [e-mail]

[@2ndmileproductions]

Check with a local lumber yard. I am in Maine but you can pick it up at 3 different lumber yards in the area

[@septenaryshrub2587]

If anyone can't recognize that Linkin Park song without looking it up, I don't want to be friends with them.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Glad someone got that reference 🙌🏼

[@michaelm3255]

Great Stuff makes a fire block version. It does not seem to dry up or get brittle. The expansion helps it to fill holes.

[@derektowery8884]

The only good thing about the 3M fire sealants is that they expand if there is a fire to seal the cavity. But I agree, they always crack. I did fire sealants in the union for several years in Las Vegas.

[@Jaker788]

Actually the one he showed does not expand, it is not an intumescent fire stop, it's just an inflammable fire block that's primarily titanium dioxide and some other inert stuff with water as a flowable carrier. To get the stuff that expands, you have to buy the 3M intumescent fire STOP calk, not fire BLOCK. Intumescent means it expands with fire to help stop fire spread. There are also intumescent paints and whatnot.

[@jonathanpark7658]

Did you consider using some of the rock wool sound insulation for the 'loud' areas like garage and utility room? To try and keep things quiet.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Yep! Had enough for two layers above the workshop and utility room. The interior walls around those rooms are also insulated

[@tylerbarrett6652]

IDK... I think it's RR Buildings that tests how tight their buildings are all the time. They spend a lot of time on it. I was always just a little concerned about a LACK of air circulation. I'm not sure that I want it so tight that I run out of oxygen while I'm sleeping or something. If I lose a few dollars due to climate control, well... that's okay. But then... I've often been worried about the wrong things... or worried about stuff that's very unlikely. I never did the actual math on it. So... thanks for diving deep into this one and sharing what you've learned.

[@tylerbarrett6652]

I'm looking forward to when you upload the sheetrocking... you gotta get it all behind all that stuff - and you got a lot of stuff to get behind.

[@MasonDixonAcres]

Build tight and ventilate right! Just like a person, a house should get its air in a controlled way through lungs (ERV/HRV) and not skin (random gaps in exterior). In my opinion, every builder that cares about their final product should be getting a blower door test done, the best builders own their own to test at various stages.

[@tylerbarrett6652]

@@MasonDixonAcres Yeah... I've just owned some vehicles that blare an alarm at you if you forget to take in some outside air.... and so I remember that I want at least SOME fresh outside air... lol.

[@jonathanpark7658]

CO2 and Gas monitors if you have natural gas or propane are literally life savers. I have several different types of sensors around the house. Cheap insurance. I've never seen a vehicle that had alarms about internal lack of oxygen. A house has a lot of oxygen in it so I'd guess that it's an increase in CO2 that causes the issue as well as the increase in other harmful gases.

[@TheRecon614]

@@tylerbarrett6652 Your point is totally valid, but I would recommend watching the video they did on their ERV. In short, the ERV is the lungs of the building and allows the home to "breathe", but in a controlled manner. Instead of your house sucking air in from the outside (through random gaps in the wall cavities) which might be humid, musty, or low air quality, the ERV brings in fresh air to mix with the "stale" air so that they home air is fresh 24/7 with minimal loss of heating and cooling energy. Any modern build/custom/high end build worth anything will have a similar system to what these guys are installing.