Mineral wool, stone wool, rock wool—an insulation with many names but at the core, it is comprised of melted rocks that are spun into fiber. If you ever get the opportunity to visit a mineral wool manufacturing facility, you’ll get to see the equivalent of liquid hot magma spun like cotton candy into an adaptable material used in everything from insulation, sound-deadening ceiling tiles, fire protection, and even heat shields for the aerospace industry.
Energy codes are calling for increased use of continuous insulation. Though there are many types of insulations that achieve a higher R-value per inch, including XPS and Polyiso, mineral wool is growing in popularity as a suitable layer of exterior continuous insulation due to its combination of thermal, acoustical, and fire protection performance.