Havelock wool availability question

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Daleford

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I understand that Havelock wool is the top choice for van insulation. However, why is it always the Havelock brand name? Does no other company package sheep wool for sale? Further to this.... If it is simply sheep wool could I not buy it direct from a sheep farm?
 
I understand that Havelock wool is the top choice for van insulation. However, why is it always the Havelock brand name? Does no other company package sheep wool for sale? Further to this.... If it is simply sheep wool could I not buy it direct from a sheep farm?
you can buy wool from sheep farms but it is it not going be in useable condittion. It will be very filthy including having pee and poop on it, dirt from the ground they sleep on, grass sticks. insects in it etc. Plus it will be all matted up rather than soft and fluffy. Fleeces have to be washed to remove dirt and the stink and water protective natural animal body oils. Then “carded” with wire brushes to untangle all the knots and matts. It would take you many months worth of tedious, stinky, itchy, hand labor to process enough wool to insulate a van. Where would you store those filthy fleeces? Where would you wash and dry them? Then store those cleaned materials while you do the carding process? City dwellers are often at a complete mental disconnect as to how much work is involved to process “natural materials” into a ready to use product. But at least now you have a better understanding of one part of the value of the product production cost. Be thankful you can buy it in a ready to install state.
 
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you can buy wool from sheep farms but it is it not going be in useable condittion. It will be very filthy including having pee and poop on it, dirt from the ground they sleep on, grass sticks. insects in it etc. Plus it will be all matted up rather than soft and fluffy. Fleeces have to be washed to remove dirt and the stink and water protective natural animal body oils. Then “carded” with wire brushes to untangle all the knots and matts. It would take you many months worth of tedious, stinky, itchy, hand labor to process enough wool to insulate a van. Where would you store those filthy fleeces? Where would you wash and dry them? Then store those cleaned materials while you do the carding process? City dwellers are often at a complete mental disconnect as to how much work is involved to process “natural materials” into a ready to use product. But at least now you have a better understanding of one part of the value of the product production cost. Be thankful you can buy it in a ready to install state.
Great info and thanks.
 
I understand that Havelock wool is the top choice for van insulation. However, why is it always the Havelock brand name? Does no other company package sheep wool for sale? Further to this.... If it is simply sheep wool could I not buy it direct from a sheep farm?
There are other companies selling it, but It appears Havelock does the most advertising. Keep looking. I found a couple doing a search for "companies that sell wool building insulation"
 
Wool may provide some insulative effect when damp or wet but it DOES hold moisture.
Many people I think confuse the two.
Damp material against metal in the long term is no bueno.
Id use thinsulate.
Its expensive up front but over the life of the vehicle it is minimal.
 
Wool may provide some insulative effect when damp or wet but it DOES hold moisture.
Many people I think confuse the two.
Damp material against metal in the long term is no bueno.
Id use thinsulate.
Its expensive up front but over the life of the vehicle it is minimal.
There are issues with wool, but I didn't want to look it up. If I had the money and needed to insulate a van, I would use that stuff NASA uses. It uses air as insulation. I'll find a link

This link is from 2011. Now aerogel insulation is used in building construction. You can find deals on it at eBay, but it is still pricey .

https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/aerogels-thinner-lighter-stronger/#
 
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I would use that stuff NASA uses. It uses air as insulation.
I think all the insulations that are used in air, use air for insulation. Certainly wool and rock-wool, cellulose, fiberlgass, foams, etc. Except for the radiation foils that don't work very well except in space. The insulations I designed for space were many-layered sheets of mylar plated with gold (or sometimes aluminum), separated by light nylon scrim.

I wouldn't look to NASA for the best thing to use in a van... they have very different requirements and budgets. In a small space, air exchange is a big heat load, thermal bridging, windows, etc.

The wool absorbs moisture, but if you aren't giving it chance to then dry out, I doubt you will have a good result.

If you seal it very well, the pink XPS foam sheets they sell at HD would probably work well, as they don't transmit or absorb moisture. Glue them on and seal any gaps.

Water condenses wherever there is a surface below the dew point. An insulation that passes air will have water condensing on the inside of the outer wall.
 
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I think all the insulations that are used in air, use air for insulation. Certainly wool and rock-wool, cellulose, fiberlgass, foams, etc. Except for the radiation foils that don't work very well except in space. The insulations I designed for space were many-layered sheets of mylar plated with gold (or sometimes aluminum), separated by light nylon scrim.

I wouldn't look to NASA for the best thing to use in a van... they have very different requirements and budgets. In a small space, air exchange is a big heat load, thermal bridging, windows, etc.

The wool absorbs moisture, but if you aren't giving it chance to then dry out, I doubt you will have a good result.

If you seal it very well, the pink XPS foam sheets they sell at HD would probably work well, as they don't transmit or absorb moisture. Glue them on and seal any gaps.

Water condenses wherever there is a surface below the dew point. An insulation that passes air will have water condensing on the inside of the outer wall.
It is very thin and has a much higher R rating than any other type of insulation. And, the price keeps coming down. Especially since builders have been using it .
 
It is very thin and has a much higher R rating than any other type of insulation.
It's very little better... thermal conductivity is listed as .021 W/m-K vs .024 for XPS foam... ~15% improvement for the same thickness.

It's also porous which means you'll get condensation and it will absorb water.
 
It's very little better... thermal conductivity is listed as .021 W/m-K vs .024 for XPS foam... ~15% improvement for the same thickness.

It's also porous which means you'll get condensation and it will absorb water.
Get out, lol. I'm siding with NASA🚀
 
Why not use fiberglass insulation as it's mostly made of sand?


That's just one more thing we are running out of. Yep, sand.

I think behind air and water, it's one of our most valuable resources and believe it or not, sand smuggling is a thing.

Whooda thunk it.

Oops...off topic...back to wool!
 
We have lots of sand in Michigan. I knew a guy that him & his brother came from Kentucky with a small,old oil drilling rig.They did pretty well & got a contract to drill in Sleeping Bear Dunes which caused so much controversy the state paid the 1 million dollars+ TO MOT DRILL!
 
Great info and thanks.
Not a problem. I learned all about processing raw wool fleeces in college. One of my art class electives was Weaving. We were required to create yarn from scratch out of a sheep fleece but also to understand the physical characteristic properties of the fibers as well as the processing. Plus various methods of spinning. A combination of art, design, cultures, history, mechanics, physics, chemistry etc. It was after all “higher education”, not just an easy “A” craft class.
 
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