Inside Mineral Wool: How It's Made and Why It Matters

Mineral wool, also known as rock wool or stone wool, is a non-metallic, inorganic insulation material made from volcanic rocks such as basalt or diabase. It often includes recycled slag, which is a byproduct of steel production. Manufacturers melt volcanic rocks and other materials at high temperatures. Then, they spin the materials into fibers and form the fibers into batts, boards, or loose-fill mineral wool insulation.

Historically, mineral wool contains tiny mineral slivers, which can irritate the skin and respiratory system. Therefore, installers are advised to wear personal protection equipment (PPE), such as respiratory masks and gloves.

“To minimize upper respiratory tract irritation, measures should be taken to control the exposure. Such measures will be dictated by the work environment and may include appropriate respiratory protective equipment. See OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard.”

Inside Denim Insulation: What Makes It Eco-Friendly and Hassle-Free

Denim or natural cotton fiber insulation is made from recycled denim and cotton fabric. For example, UltraTouch Recycled Denim Insulation comprises 80% post-consumer recycled denim created by repurposing old jeans, jackets, and related cotton-based textiles into innovative insulation.

You can easily lift and manipulate denim insulation and batts without special equipment. Denim insulation does not contain VOCs or pose any potential health risk to installers. You can even handle it with your bare hands without worrying about itchy fibers.

Learn more: Read What is Denim Insulation?

Why Builders Choose Denim Insulation Over Mineral Wool Insulation

Like many builders, you may have chosen mineral wool insulation for high-end and custom projects because it offers better acoustic and thermal protection than fiberglass insulation.

Since fiberglass insulation and mineral wool insulation follow a similar installation process, which recommends installers wear PPE to protect themselves from potential irritants, the choice didn’t significantly affect installation timelines.

What Makes Denim Insulation Easier and Cheaper to Install

UltraTouch Recycled Denim insulation provides premium performance and an easy, itch-free installation process.

No PPE Required

In addition to standard construction site gear, most installers wear additional PPE when working with mineral wool. They generally wear gloves, goggles, long sleeves, and a respirator mask to protect against mineral wool fibers from irritating their skin, eyes, or lungs. The Insulation Institute recommends installers ventilate job sites and choose tools that generate the least amount of dust to reduce your exposure to insulation fibers as well as construction-related dust.  

Mineral Wool Insulation Can Be Harder and Costlier to Install than Denim Insulation

Mineral wool insulation can also be challenging to install because it is dense, heavy, and can be difficult to manipulate. The insulation weighs approximately eight pounds per cubic foot, and a single 2-inch-thick, 4' x 8' mineral insulation board can weigh more than 40 pounds. Large batts of mineral wool can cost more to install because they often require two installers. One person holds the sheet in place, and the other one secures it.

Mineral Wool Boards Lack the Flexibility to Support Custom Jobs

Mineral wool insulation boards may not be suitable for every application. Since mineral boards are only produced in specific sizes, you must cut them to fit around obstacles, electrical boxes, outlets, and irregular spaces.

Mineral insulation can be challenging to maneuver in tight or awkward spaces. You must ensure that the mineral wool rolls or batts fit snugly in the cavities and do not bunch up to prevent air gaps. If you have a custom job that requires irregular insulation shapes, you will spend more time installing insulation because you must cut the mineral wool on the job to fit each cavity.

You Can Install UltraTouch Denim Insulation Quickly and Fit It Nearly Everywhere

Compared to traditional insulation, installing UltraTouch Recycled Denim Insulation can appear simple and hassle-free. UltraTouch is as soft and easy to manage as its source material, blue jeans.

You can install denim insulation wearing short sleeves and handle the lightweight batts with your bare hands without navigating exposure to itch-inducing fibers. Since denim insulation does not contain harmful fibers or VOCs, you can breathe freely. Even though the denim insulation will not irritate your skin, eyes, and lungs, you should still follow industry best practices when working on construction sites. For example, a simple dust mask can protect you against everyday construction site dust and a hard hat against debris.

UltraTouch Easy-Tear Perforations Streamline Installation

You simply lay out the soft, absorbent denim insulation between roof rafters, ceiling joists, and wall studs. You can fit UltraTouch denim insulation snugly between studs and joists without having to staple it to the framing in walls, ceilings, attics, and crawl spaces.

Thanks to its built-in perforations, you can easily tear UltraTouch insulation with your hands and quickly adjust it to fit tightly into even the most irregular cavities. This hassle-free and comfortable process boosts productivity while reducing labor costs and risks.

You can use versatile UltraTouch Denim Insulation in:

• • Exterior Walls – Provides excellent thermal insulation, reducing energy costs.
  • Interior Walls – Enhances soundproofing for bedrooms, offices, and media rooms.
  • Attics & Ceilings – Helps maintain consistent indoor temperatures year-round.
  • Basements & Crawlspaces – Prevents mold with moisture-resistant properties.
  • Floors & Ceilings – Improves thermal performance and reduces sound transfer.

Denim Insulation Beats Mineral Wool Insulation in Soundproofing Tests

Mineral wool insulation received early recognition for its sound-dampening capabilities since its porous, fibrous structure absorbs airborne sound and reduces reverberation.

UltraTouch denim insulation matches mineral wool insulation’s ability to muffle sounds. The dense, denim batts effectively muffle sounds, providing the same noise reduction coefficient (NRC) value as mineral wool.

Therefore, denim insulation absorbs airborne noise and does an outstanding job of keeping room-to-room sound transfer to a minimum. For most residential applications—walls, attics, basements, ceilings—UltraTouch denim provides similar thermal resistance (R-value) to standard insulation.

“Denim insulation can be effective as an insulation material for homes. It has good thermal and acoustic insulating properties, meaning it can help regulate indoor temperatures and reduce noise transmission. RMAX.com.

Denim Insulation Delivers Proven Thermal, Moisture, Pest, and Fire Protection

In addition to being available in multiple R values, UltraTouch protects against water damage, pests, and fire. The denim insulation contains an EPA-approved borate solution with a Class A fire-resistance rating and an EPA-registered fungal inhibitor that resists mold, mildew, and pests.

Sustainability: Denim Insulation Wins in Every Measure

Sustainability did not play a significant role in the manufacturing of traditional insulation, like mineral wool and fiberglass. Although mineral wool contains some recycled materials, it requires an energy-intensive manufacturing process, and a disposal process for old and unused mineral wool that can strain landfills.

Denim insulation is sustainably sourced from recycled jeans, deploys a minimal waste manufacturing process, and diverts tons of waste from landfills.

“Not only is insulation crucial for promoting the energy efficiency of Arizona buildings, but sustainably sourced options with low toxicity and small embodied energy scores can improve eco-friendliness even further. Recycled denim insulation is at the top of these sustainable insulation options. In addition to providing an elite R-value that remains stable over time, the reduced reliance on virgin fabrication sources limits waste reduction and keeps denim insulation ahead of evolving energy codes and green building standards.”

Denim Insulation’s End-to-End Sustainability

Denim insulation represents an ideal choice for builders who face growing pressure to adopt sustainable building materials.

Eco-friendly building materials advance sustainability goals.

Mineral wool insulation contains a fraction of denim insulation's recycled materials, requires a much more energy-intensive manufacturing process, and is not biodegradable.

Recycled denim insulation delivers a toxin-free alternative made from natural elements. UltraTouch manufacturing repurposes every part of collected denim, including zippers and buttons, recycling 750,000 pairs of jeans and five tons of zippers monthly and diverting 20 million pounds of denim from landfills annually.

Denim insulation is 100% Recyclable. Regardless of how old or worn the donated jeans are, they can be recycled into denim insulation if their cotton denim count is 90 percent or more. Denim insulation can also be recycled.

“Cotton Incorporated created the Blue Jeans Go Green™ denim recycling program to create awareness for cotton sustainability. Since then, retailers, colleges, organizations, and individuals have collected over two million pieces of denim, resulting in over 1,000 tons of textile waste diverted from landfills.”

Why Choose Denim Insulation Over Mineral Wool Insulation

UltraTouch denim insulation delivers sustainable, high-quality, safe, easy-to-use, and safe insulation. Denim insulation often proves more cost-effective and faster to install than mineral wool insulation. In addition to selling for a lower price, denim insulation lets you skip PPE and conserve labor since mineral wool often requires more workers to hold, cut, and place insulation.

UltraTouch Recycled Denim Insulation helps you support eco-friendly building by reducing landfill waste and promoting ongoing recycling in this circular process. Customers will appreciate that denim insulation provides better protection against noise and offers the desired quality thermal, moisture, and fire protection.