Why you might see red when going green…
Sheep wool insulation certainly has some attractive benefits:
- at first thought it appears to be a sustainable option
- it’s a natural product
- allergy friendly (less likely to cause breathing difficulties or skin irritations)
But, what is not widely known is that it requires extensive treatment to ensure it isn’t attractive to moths and mice.
A quick check of Australian supplier websites reveals little about what treatment the wool goes through to ensure its efficacy against vermin infestation yet remain a “natural” product.
We would suggest that if you’re considering sheep wool insulation as a green option, you ask the supplier what the treatment process is. You might be surprised at what the answer is.
As reported in The Telegraph this week, a family in the UK who had sheep’s wool insulation in their walls and ceiling have since spent over £10,000 treating a moth infestation of “biblical proportions”.
And the National Trust in Wales had to remove the sheep wool insulation from a small mansion in North Wales after it too suffered an infestation.
While I could find no reports of infestation here in Australia, we suggest caution and extensive research be undertaken before committing to this type of insulation.
Glass wool insulation batts are still a good compromise when considering insulation options. They are after all made from a combination of wool and up to 80% recycled glass. And they are non-combustible.
Call Roofrite today for a quote on supplying and installing insulation to your property.
Update 21.10.20
As an update to this article, we had a call this week from a homeowner in Sydney. He has a moth infestation in his roof. Around 20 years ago he had the blow in insulation removed and replaced it with sheeps wool insulation. This week he has lifted a couple of batts to find hundred and hundreds of moths underneath it and he has moths flying everywhere. He can clarify this is definitely as much an Australian problem as a UK one.