Wool blend for facilities’ insulation
THE Gore District Council is going local and natural.
The council is showcasing a natural woolblend insulation product in its new Gore Library and James Cumming Community Centre.
Terra Lana’s natural wool blend is being used in the ceiling and exterior walls, while the company’s Chatterblock+ acoustic insulation product will be fitted in the interior walls. There will also be woollen carpets in areas with light foot traffic.
Council chief executive Stephen Parry said the project team opted for woolblend insulation over traditional fibreglass products to support the wool industry.
‘‘We copped some criticism from local sheep farmers for not using wool in our new office block, so taking that on the chin, we looked at how we could do better in the librarycommunity centre project,’’ Mr Parry said.
While the wool blend product costs about 12% more than fibreglass insulation and takes longer to install, it has several advantages.
Signal Management construction manager Nick Jones said the wool blend was safer to work with.
‘‘Our team do not have to wear personal protective equipment or masks when installing this product because there are no dust or fibreglass particles.’’
It was made from recycled and natural materials and created a healthier environment by absorbing atmospheric moisture and toxins. About 340 bales or 2100sq m had been installed in the new building, Mr Jones said.
All offcuts from the site were sent back to the manufacturer and recycled into new insulation, he said.
The ceiling and wall insulation was a mix of clean and recycled fibre from textile mills and new sheep’s wool. It was blended with a polyester fibre and thermally bonded.