Rock Wool: Hard To Find

[jbuehler]

So yesterday I decided to take the plunge on buying some rockwool or maybe just seeing it in person to size it up a bit. I went to the three main hardware stores in my area; one local and smart, two big and stupid. You know what I mean about stupid, nobody knows anything beyond a certain point.

The results were interesting: at the two chains stores, nobody had ever heard of the stuff. Both times I replied, "It is some kind of fire ******ant insulation, good for sound proofing also." They looked at me like I was crazy.

The local hardware had the best answer, "Never heard of it." But thankfully some crusty old construction guy in line said, "You can't get it anymore." Than he told me it has basically been beat by a better insulation technology and that it is now overly expensive and difficult to install and thus isn't around. He said it hasn't been around for like 30 years, at least in this area.

So, am I just asking the wrong questions? Or is rockwool harder to find than people here would have you think?

[paultools]

We've been using a product with the brand name Roxul:
ROXUL® The Better Insulation

It is much cheaper that OC 703 and my acoustician says it is as effective (resident design Slutz, please chime in)...
It seems to be readily available at most large builder's supply outlets (NOT Home Depot or Lowe's). We needed some 1' and got it 10 2' X 4' sheets to a bag for less than $50 bucks.

[egan]

If you are in the US there is probably an SPI near you. I found them easy to deal w/ and their prices were good. They carry the OC stuff as well as a variety of mineral wool stuff. They quoted me something like $0.58/sq.ft. for 2"x2'x4' 8lb mineral wool.
Here is the directory of locations:
SPI Service Center Directory - Sales & Service Center Directory
I hope this helps.

[Kiwiburger]

The words "fibre glass insulation" might ring some bells for some people. Or not.

[jchas]

It seems it's a commercial product intended for contractor use only. We buy it all the time for construction at the hospital I work at. I can find out who we buy it from.

[robot gigante]

That's right. You don't buy it at a hardware store, you buy it at a place that sells stuff to contractors.

Find out what the places are in your area that do that and give them a call.

[lasso]

Owens Corning 703 is the stuff you want or Rockwool.

If you can't find that, be sure that the product matches the density of OC / Rockwool. Rockwool (Flexi A Batts ) is around 48 kg/m3 and OC 703 is around 3 pounds / square foot.

Isover, for example comes nowhere close to that. You do the conversion

[johnwayne]

Here is where I got all mine. Owens Corning 703, Roxul Mineral Wool, and Other Acoustic Materials
Get some burlap to wrap it in also. You can put it in wooden frames if you like. I don't think you'll find any cheaper.

I got 24 panels. Make sure and use some as 4" instead of 2". This will do a better of job of trapping the bass. Hope that helps.

[pianodano]

Check at a drywall/ metal stud/acoustic ceiling supply house. We used to use 703 on nearly every apartment job between floors above the resilient channel.

[Trev@Circle]

If you are in the UK Wickes carries it.

[daniel c]

One thing to bear in mind is that bags of Rockwool have a a carcinogenic warning on them. That could be why it is hard to find. Tontine on the other hand is quite safe. But as usual, YMMV.

[orksnork]

i had no problem, as others have stated, finding rockwool by going to a contractor supply. they didn't mind that i wasn't a contractor as I was making a sizable purchase (a few grands worth of shat) and they delivered it to me for 15 bucks.

[krytikal1]

A few years back i purchased some for a studio i was designing, and if i remember correctly they couldn't get the original rockwool anymore due to the carcinogen issue. what i instead got was called "mineral" wool, and had the exact same freq specs as the rock wool.

K

[ari_keys]

I bought this stuff in Toronto, Canada. Sound Attenuation Fire Batt. Its rigid fibreglass and pretty cheap too.

Sound Attenuation Fire Batt

The specs look as good or better than 703. But I'm no acoustics expert.

[lasso]

Originally Posted by daniel c

One thing to bear in mind is that bags of Rockwool have a a carcinogenic warning on them.

It's been canceled for what I know.

[Jbrax]

Its in a Big Green bag Ruxal Acoustic Fire Batt Insulation.

Here is a lik to there site ROXUL® The Better Insulation

[Cujo]

A friend of mine is the insulation guy at a construction supply shop here in the Boston area called Kamco Supply. I get my 703/705 from him
http://www.kamcoboston.com/

If you want his name PM me.