Having moaned about the lack of protection of my xtratherm during the house build, I now find that the garage build insulated with 100mm rockwool is randomly unprotected, protected with sacking, protected with DPC.  So it has got wet in the recent horrible weather.

 

Person A tells me it will dry out

Person B tells me it never dries out

 

Given this is an unheated garage of 70m2 I can't see how the insulation in the wall can dry out.

 

Questions:

Whats the normal accepted practice (and ideally what is best practice) for looking after the rockwool type insulation during a build?  

Will it really dry out?

 

Thanks

 

It's quite vapour permeable stuff so I would expect that once it stops getting wet, it will dry out given a clear pathway for the water, and sufficient time. In other words, it depends on where the rockwool is, i.e. is it enclosed between fairly impermeable materials?

If its saturated I would suggest replacing it. Perhaps best if you contact Rockwool for their comments.

 

Ian

 

 

Located in a 100mm cavity between brick and blocks. Will see advice

I feel your pain.  I had similar issues with my builders, who thought I was being overly pedantic.

 

If Rockwool Technical (who are very good, BTW) suggest replacement, perhaps the builders should contribute to replacement costs?? 

2 minutes ago, readiescards said:

Located in a 100mm cavity between brick and blocks. Will see advice

 

That sounds like far from ideal conditions for drying out

Hope you get some good advice from the manufacturer.

Quick Google brings up many links for growing cannabis in wet Rockwool, seems it holds water well without actually absorbing it.

 

Will call Rockwool technical

 

A previous rental property, when we got it back from the tenant, I found there was a leak in the roof above the bathroom (would have been nice if the tenant had told us the roof was leaking and dripping into the bath)

 

I emptied that bit of the loft of the sodden insulation and just laid it out in a bedroom, expecting it to be scrap. But in the couple of weeks it took me to fix the leak and re board the bathroom ceiling, the insulation had all dried out, so i put the old insulation back.