Healthy Material Consideration - Insulation

As you know, a big part of our brand is being conscious of a couple key things: mold prevention strategies and healthy materials that minimize the amount of VOCs.

Once of the key areas that can emit VOCs is actually insulation. And not just spray foam. But even regular batt insulation. So this can be a real challenge to overcome, especially as there are specific requirements for how intense the insulation is for different areas of the house (R value).

In internal spaces, when budget allows, there's two options that we'll typical use. Either RockWool or Hemp Insulation. RockWool is pretty good, but still has some chemical components that can off-gas a little. Natural Hemp Insulation doesn't, but it's both more expensive and less R-Value. Both also can offer some sound proofing as well - which is a nice added bonus.

For external spaces, where you need thicker insulation, it's a little trickier. RockWool can work, but typically for higher R Values, is expensive. Hemp won't be great on an external space, as it doesn't do that well with moisture.

For the attic, where the R value require is the highest, this can be toughest. Often times spray foam is the best option for the attic roof. If you're going to spray foam, the attic is the easiest place to do it. And you can make a point to accelerate off-gassing.