Key Benefits

ROCKWOOL Stone Wool is part of the mineral wool family of insulation. It is a lofted insulation that is manufactured from Basalt Rock, from a volcano. It is remelted and spun into an insulation product. 94-96% of the product is the stone, with added mineral oils for water repellency. It comes in a wide range of densities (40-175 kg/m3) and thicknesses (25-100mm) to suit all applications on and around the building envelope. The product is totally non-combustible, has excellent acoustic quality and a good R value for thermal performance.

ROCKWOOL Stone Wool is a lofted insulation but has several differences to the other lofted insulation available. Most Glass wool and Polyester insulation products have a particular purpose, to either insulate or provide acoustic performance. Their construction is to be simple to handle and install, being a lofted insulation like a blanket. For this reason, they have lower R values and lower density than ROCKWOOL products. ROCKWOOL’s density is much higher as it is often used in different areas of the building. For example, most Glass wool and Polyester products have a density of between 18 and 25 kg/m3, sometimes up to 30 kg. This compares with the standard ROCKWOOL solutions which often start at 60kg/m3, over twice as dense. In simple terms, it makes the ROCKWOOL into a semi-rigid sheet, easier to handle and less likely to slump. ROCKWOOL has performance in areas including fire performance, R values, acoustics, and water repellency. Fire performance for ROCKWOOL is twice the melting point of other lofted insulation. Glass wool and Polyester has a melting point of around 600° C and ROCKWOOL is more than 1000° C (tested up to 1260° C). R values for ROCKWOOL are higher for the standard lofted insulation products. Other lofted insulation can be specially made denser to get higher R values, which increase cost. ROCKWOOL has this as a standard characteristic. Acoustic performance come with density, so again specially made to have this added performance. ROCKWOOL has inherent water repellency properties which are enhanced with mineral oils meaning it will absorb a small amount of moisture without losing its performance. In contrast, a small amount of water in a Glass wool product will significantly reduce its performance, especially thermally.

The ROCKWOOL products state an NRC (Noise Reduction Co-efficient) which provides a "rating of how much sound an acoustic product can absorb". (How much quieter a product can make your space.) Like a sponge absorbs water, an acoustic product absorbs sound, and the NRC tells us just how much sound those products can soak up. Under the NZBC, the STC (Sound transmission co-efficient) is a "rating of sound isolation of a building wall assembly" The higher the STC rating, the better sound isolation the wall assembly is to achieve. So, the STC is for the whole assembly including internal linings, which an acoustic engineer can assist with.

There are lots of choices, but it is because there are lots of areas of the building where you can use Rockwool. Some versions are better for the acoustic performance, others for their R values, so we are here to demystify the situation and find the right choices for you.

All around the building envelope. The building envelope is a term used for the structure of the building. It encloses and protects the internal part of the building and its occupants like a letter going into an envelope. But instead of fitting the insulation INTO the outside structure or framework, we prefer to look at ENCLOSING the structure with insulation. It’s what we call “OUTSULATION”. Walls, Roofs, Floors and Basements will benefit from positioning the insulation on the outside of the structure. In many cases standard mineral wool and lofted insulation are not suitable for external applications.   Please go to our website where you will find more information on the different Applications on the SOLUTIONS tab.

At the point of manufacture in Europe and Asia, there are strict processes around the material’s components, how they are transported and handled and used in the manufacturing process. This is covered by a range of certification and tests from independent organisations in the countries of manufacture and includes an Environmental Product Declaration.

Thanks to their special properties, Outright’s PIR and ROCKWOOL insulation solutions have a very long service life, while retaining all their energy performance. While we do not have the recycling processes in New Zealand to handle this product, it's long service life and the opportunity to reuse the board, provides a more sustainable product.

The products are safe to use and do not have any physical, chemical, or toxic properties that are harmful. While cutting the PIR, a fine dust can be present, and the necessary Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) should be worn including a mask, protective eye wear and gloves. While cutting and installing the ROCKWOOL, a fine dust and fibres can be present, and the necessary Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) should be worn including a mask, protective eye wear and gloves. It is also recommended to have long sleeves and trousers to protect against the fibres.

No. There is no problem or need to change to more expensive electrical wiring. Outright PIR insulation is a stable product and no off-gassing occurs. This off-gassing process happens in some other rigid board products like polystyrene and affects the sheathing on electrical cabling, leading to shorts and power outages.

We have both Enertherm PIR and ROCKWOOL insulation available. The Enertherm PIR insulation comes in sheets of 2.27 and 2.4 x 1.2 m sheets and is easily cut with a hand saw to the size required It has some of the highest R values for its thickness and provides a barrier to cold air trying to get in. For these projects, the thickness of the insulation is the key to fit into the space available. We have 30 and 40mm thick insulation that can be cut to suit. If there are any gaps in the body of your vehicle, these can be filled with a PUR (polyurethane) spray foam, which is compatible with the PIR insulation boards. ROCKWOOL Stone Wool is a lofted insulation which is much denser than the normal insulation types we are used to, like glass wool and polyester. For these projects, it is available in 25 and 50mm thicknesses using a 60 kg density means that it is semi-rigid, but can be compressed slightly into smaller spaces, making it easier to install. It has higher R values than some of the traditional lofted insulation types, provides acoustic performance and is totally non-combustible, making it a good choice for the small space in a caravan or camper van.

ROCKWOOL Stone Wool products are tested to the highest level of overseas test regimes and are fully compliant for use in NZ. Most of the product is used in commercial buildings over the 3-storey threshold, or buildings of higher importance like hospitals and schools. In these projects, engineering experts would specify ROCKWOOL for its non-combustible performance, and the other characteristics add to the overall performance of the building.