Insulation is essential in keeping your family warm while saving energy costs. ROCKWOOL insulation makes an excellent choice for stone walls due to being fireproof and noncombustible – giving your family more time in case of an in-home fire emergency.
Solid stone walls don’t offer much insulation; cold air passes right through and heat escapes quickly. Therefore, adding some form of thermal break – either air or insulation between – could be beneficial.
Mixing Rock Types
Solid masonry walls can be challenging to keep warm during the winter and cool during summer, making life less comfortable in both seasons. By adding insulation in the form of air gaps or between stone layers, insulation can help prevent energy loss and make for more comfortable homes.
Historely, mortared stone wall construction evolved from dry-stack stonework with the advent of cements capable of holding stones together without creating an impenetrable bond between them. Even when using mortar to hold stones together without creating hard bonds between them, care had to be taken in its application as walls were constructed in order not to damage stonework or undermine bedding mortar beds.
There are various methods you can use to insulate a stone wall, from attaching rigid insulation directly to its exterior; framing outer surfaces and then insulating behind, or stacking earthbags filled with an insulating material on its outside and plastering over. Whatever method you select, however, any product chosen must allow sufficient airflow so as to allow your walls to breath while also avoiding moisture buildup.
Preventing Moisture Buildup
Stone is a natural thermal mass material. It absorbs heat before radiating it back through to your home – this can be inefficient without some form of insulation added in.
Insulating stone walls is achievable, yet some techniques reduce breathability of the structure and can allow moisture intrusion, leading to mold and dampness problems in wall cavities.
ROCKWOOL RockClose cavity insulation allows you to prevent moisture transmission and achieve high levels of air tightness – essential features in traditional stone buildings which need good ventilation to avoid decay.
ROCKWOOL ULTIMATE light stone wool insulation provides outstanding fire safety for listed buildings, thanks to its shot-free nature and unique microstructure made up of long interwoven fibers that provides superior air-flow resistance values and sound attenuation properties. Furthermore, its thermal performance matches traditional mineral wool products.
Adding Thermal Mass
Stone’s density and weight make it an effective thermal mass, capable of absorbing and slowly passing on heat energy. While this is beneficial, it also means that walls made of stone may become quite warm during summer days and require cooling methods to stay comfortable.
Insulation should enable your masonry to breathe while keeping heat out during wintertime. Therefore, selecting an effective insulation material is of vital importance. It must allow it to breathe while keeping heat from seeping into it.
ROCKWOOL full-fill cavity batts have been specially created to meet the stringent building regulations of modern buildings. Fully tested to Euro fire class A1, these products ensure superior fire resistance, thermal performance and acoustic benefits for maximum building compliance.
RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB can be easily installed into solid masonry walls as well as timber-framed and cladding constructions, providing low acoustic transmission rates with independently verified acoustic benefits. In addition, its low lambda value ensures superior airtightness and moisture control as well as meeting Euro fire classification A1 requirements for noncombustibility.
Adding Visual Interest
Solid stone walls require airflow – just like any house wall, solid stone walls must allow moisture to escape the wall or evaporate away, so non-breathable insulation such as glass fiber may not be the optimal choice when it comes to insulating stone walls.
Stone wool insulation is the superior choice, made from recyclable materials and classified with an A1 reaction to fire classification; these characteristics make it necessary to comply with Building Regulations on most large or high rise buildings.
ROCKWOOL insulation is an eco-friendly, long-term product engineered specifically to be utilized in OEM applications. Crafted from volcanic rock (basalt and other recycled materials) then bound together into durable yet versatile insulation panels, ROCKWOOL boasts long term sustainability with its sustainable manufacturing processes and versatile applications.
Rock wool insulation is easy to cut, shape, wrap and install – you can learn more about its advantages by visiting our blog post: 3 Practical Benefits of Natural Rock Wool Insulation.