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General: Sheeps Wool

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthorwilde68
    • CommentTimeSep 15th 2012
     
    Hi Folks,

    Just come across the sheeps wool insulation and moth problem on another forum.

    Have just insulated roof space on a 16th century house with this product, is it going to be eaten???

    Any info would be useful.

    Thanks

    Lester
    • CommentAuthorGavin_A
    • CommentTimeSep 15th 2012
     
    it's supposed to be treated to prevent this issue. If untreated, or badly treated, then yes this could be a problem.
    • CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeSep 17th 2012
     
    AIUI, there was a significant problem with early batches of a commercial product. Hopefully now fully overcome. Homemade or product of dubious provenance would be a concern unless properly treated.
  4.  
    Some colleagues apparently had a big moth problem with some of the commercially-made product in their own house. I do not believe they got any compensation for the damage. It did cause me some worry, and a client recently turned down sheep's wool because of concerns (well-founded or not) that they had.
    • CommentAuthorGavin_A
    • CommentTimeSep 17th 2012
     
    oh erm er... *wonders about loft full of sheeps wool insulation*
    • CommentAuthorGavin_A
    • CommentTimeSep 17th 2012
     
    I'm kinda tempted to do the ultimate moth experiment, and open the loft velux and leave the light on for a few weeks, but it feels a bit too much like tempting fate, and it was a good 2 day job to get it installed.
    • CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeSep 18th 2012
     
    Posted By: Gavin_AI'm kinda tempted to do the ultimate moth experiment, and open the loft velux and leave the light on for a few weeks, but it feels a bit too much like tempting fate, and it was a good 2 day job to get it installed.

    If you've got a bit left over, you could just put it outside and see what happens. Might be cheaper!

    Posted By: Nick ParsonsI do not believe they got any compensation for the damage.

    That aspect has put me off the product completely.
  8.  
    But then you dont see many sheep walking around covered in moths! :wink:
  9.  
    I still use it when the client wants it, and the incident I refer to is the only one of which I am aware first-hand.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeSep 18th 2012
     
    Posted By: gustyturbineBut then you dont see many sheep walking around covered in moths!

    There do the maggots come from :wink:
  11.  
    Flies!!!!! :tongue:
    • CommentAuthorwindy lamb
    • CommentTimeSep 18th 2012
     
    I had moths (the larval stage) eat my nylon carpet in the shed. Lucky it wasn't Ackminster!
  13.  
    Nylon?! Is this the synthetic clothes moth? On the other hand we're not sure whether it's moths or the washing machine eating our cotton clothes!
    • CommentAuthorwindy lamb
    • CommentTimeSep 19th 2012
     
    Yes I was surprised as well, but the eggs hatched, grew to pupate and the adults emerged. Saw it with my own two eyes. Perhaps the nylon carpet was better quality than the price suggested!
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeSep 19th 2012
     
    There is a classic social science experiment about this, comfort or food, most pick comfort until absolutely necessary then go looking for food then scurry back to the comfort.
    • CommentAuthorskyewright
    • CommentTimeSep 19th 2012
     
    Posted By: windy lambYes I was surprised as well, but the eggs hatched, grew to pupate and the adults emerged. Saw it with my own two eyes. Perhaps the nylon carpet was better quality than the price suggested!

    Was there maybe something like a jute backing?
    • CommentAuthorfuncrusher
    • CommentTimeSep 19th 2012
     
    Sheep's wool is for sheep, amd when they no longer require it the best eco-use is knitting a warm jumper. For building insulation, where objectives and criteria are quite different from clothing, there are far better materials.
    • CommentAuthorjustdoit
    • CommentTimeSep 20th 2012
     
    I think it's great that there are different types of insulation and people have choices beyond the ones with a lifecycle that can include dependency on mining, and environment impacts on disposal and the ghastly itchy experience of some products . Sheeps' wool (properly boron treated) has it's place in insulation in homes in my view. The plus points for me are that it lasts many years, encourages a breathing approach and does not carry health risks and disposal is easy (if needed). I want to support the rural sector and farming especially in a vulnerable country like ours so reliant on imported food, and insulations made from natural products make that connection.
    I have used other forms of insulation too but the environment wider picture worries me greatly at the end of life of some of these and the secrfecy around their manufacture processes. Must admit I am wearing a wooly jumper whilst I type this.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeSep 20th 2012
     
    ICE says that wool has an EE of between 20.9 and 37.33 MJ/kg while virgin mineral wool is 21.5 MJ/kg.
    I hav eno idea what the density of wool is but mineral wool is but Rockwool is between 23 and 200 kg.m^3. There is an entry for just wool at 140 kg/m^3.
    So it is probably only wool from the lowest sources that is as good as mineral wool.
    And farming is hardly environmentally friendly, possibly worse than mining which is several orders of magnitude smaller if you gauge it by land area.
    • CommentAuthorJamster
    • CommentTimeSep 20th 2012
     
    "And farming is hardly environmentally friendly, possibly worse than mining which is several orders of magnitude smaller if you gauge it by land area"

    Right you are...
    • CommentAuthorwindy lamb
    • CommentTimeSep 21st 2012
     
    Nice one Steamy and Jamster, I've spent the last 10 years restoring traditional hedge rows, hay meadows and marshy grassland but instead I might as well dug the lot up and sold it to B&Q. Sweeping statements like yours help no point of view.

    On the proper subject of sheeps wool - they only started using it as insulation because there was such a low demand for wool (compared to supply). It was costing more to shear than the value of the wool so people started looking for new uses/markets for it. Now, following the reduction in the world sheep population (in the 10s of millions) there is a supply shortage - the price of wool has risen by 200% in the last 2 years. Better to make a wooly jumper than stuff it in the loft- you don't need so much wool per household!
    Now where's my moth balls?
    • CommentAuthorJamster
    • CommentTimeSep 21st 2012
     
    Windy - I'm with you my man - the sarcasm didn't come across very well! Of our various human activities, I'm not sure that sheep farming is the worst of them all...

    We have sheep, we just have planning permission for a new build. I'd love to use our wool if I could in the build or wool in general if possible, but only if it will do the job for a long time. If not, we'll sell it locally or to the WMB, or even use it as a mulch!

    :bigsmile:
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeSep 21st 2012
     
    Posted By: Jamsterthe sarcasm didn't come across very well!
    :bigsmile:
    Worked for me
  24.  
    We have got it all wrong. Build a passive house and bring the sheep in! All the heating you need and keep the jumpers for outside.
  25.  
    How much room does a flock of sheep take? Are they stackable? Once they are in, do you net them off the erstwhile volume?
    • CommentAuthorJamster
    • CommentTimeSep 21st 2012
     
    "How much room does a flock of sheep take?"

    African or Indian?

    Briefly seriously, that's not a new method for those of us in the frozen north. Smells a bit though, and the sheep probably think the same!
    • CommentAuthorwindy lamb
    • CommentTimeSep 21st 2012
     
    Gusty - I think you'd need non slip floors.

    Jamster - sell it to WMB, it's over £1.30kg, used to be 25p/kg not more than 4 years ago. Or learn to spin!
    • CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeSep 21st 2012
     
    Posted By: JamsterSmells a bit though, and the sheep probably think the same!

    That's what the MVHR and clay plaster is all about isn't it? :innocent smirk smiley:

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