Cob: Questions about wool

Tue May 20 09:06:20 CDT 2003

Hello Everyone,

I am trying to complete my research as to whether or not to use raw wool in
my ceiling. I would very much like to hear from people using wool as to
whether it has been worth it and what problems they have encountered and how
they overcame it.

I have access to sufficient wool that is currently being stored in a wool
warehouse in plastic perforated wool tubes. Some of my initial research is:

a. Corresponded with Jan Stern's mom Rita in South Africa. They placed wool
into garbage bags with a cup of borax. She no longer lives in the house but
after five years no insects have penetrated the bags and no borax has
spilled out. She was not able or willing to open the bags which is what I
really wanted to see the condition of the wool sitting in plastic bags-not
breathing so to speak.

b. spoke with the wool cooperative manager and he is skeptical about the
wool not being consumed by moths as they get moths in their warehouses and
bees nest in it. In speaking with a wool grower she felt that flies would
not be interested in wool sheared from the animal, unless they are after the
manure embedded which by the smell of the sample wool I have it manure has
some presence there. I heard a story from a friend who stayed in a cob
cottage over night and he woke up to tons of flies and he was told it was
from the wool.

c. In speaking with another wool grower she says she doesn't have moth
problems and some wasps have entered the bags that are open. She hangs her
bags from her rafters in a barn. She feels part of her solution is the cool
Wisconsin winters help.

I am wondering whether raw wool will be embedded with moth larve? I was told
you can kill critters by exposing them to 130 degree heat or extreeme cold
temperatures. Cleaning the wool isn't an option for me....too much wool, too
much work big time.

d. I spoke with an Irishman who put washed wool into his attic and was quite
please. No mention of bugs, he did treat it with borax. Another wooll grower
thought that by not washing the wool and keeping the lanolin percentage high
it would help keep away moths.

I had a thought of placing the wool inbetween my trusses and then placing
typar/tyvek over the wool and stapling this material to the sides of the
trusses and slanting it toward drain vents. Place extra fine bug screening
over the vents and make sure the ridge vent openings were screened as well,
since we would have air space above the typar for venting. My thought was
this could act like a bag keeping bugs out. This wool has quite an odor too
it so I imagine it to be a powerful attractant to bugs. The other purpose of
the typar would be to catch any condensation that may form on my plywood
sheathing and send it to a drain.

I have also thought of using tight weave burlap bags instead of plastic
bags. Bags in general make me nervous as I wonder how difficult it would be
to get an effective insulation coverage. I imagine I would need to have them
be relatively thin and overlapping each other.

Thats the extent of my research and I need further info from you all to help
me conclude some things. Too wool or not too wool! I am on digest and often
working too long so please forgive if I don't get back right off.
Chuck in Wisconsin.

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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=630132613-20052003>Hello 
Everyone,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=630132613-20052003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=630132613-20052003>I am trying to 
complete my research as to whether or not to use raw wool in my ceiling. I would 
very much like to hear from people using wool as to whether it has been worth it 
and what problems they have encountered and how they overcame 
it.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=630132613-20052003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=630132613-20052003>I have access to 
sufficient wool that is currently being stored in a wool warehouse in plastic 
perforated wool tubes. Some of my initial research is:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=630132613-20052003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=630132613-20052003>a. Corresponded with 
Jan Stern's mom Rita in South Africa. They placed wool into garbage bags with a 
cup of borax. She no longer lives in the house but after five years no insects 
have penetrated the bags and no borax has spilled out. She was not able or 
willing to open the bags which is what I really wanted to see the condition of 
the wool sitting in plastic bags-not breathing so to speak. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=630132613-20052003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=630132613-20052003>b. spoke with the 
wool cooperative manager and he is skeptical about the wool not being consumed 
by moths as they get moths in their warehouses and bees nest in it. In speaking 
with a wool grower she felt that flies would not be interested in wool sheared 
from the animal, unless they are after the manure embedded which by the smell of 
the sample wool I have it manure has some presence there. I heard a story from a 
friend who stayed in a cob cottage over night and he woke up to tons of flies 
and he was told it was from the wool. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=630132613-20052003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=630132613-20052003>c. In speaking with 
another wool grower she says she doesn't have moth problems and some wasps 
have entered the bags that are open. She hangs her bags from her rafters in a 
barn. She feels part of her solution is the cool Wisconsin winters 
help.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=630132613-20052003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=630132613-20052003>I am wondering 
whether raw wool will be embedded with moth larve? I was told you can kill 
critters by exposing them to 130 degree heat or extreeme cold temperatures. 
Cleaning the wool isn't an option for me....too much wool, too much work big 
time.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=630132613-20052003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=630132613-20052003>d. I spoke with an 
Irishman who put washed wool into his attic and was quite please. No mention of 
bugs, he did treat it with borax. Another wooll grower thought that by not 
washing the wool and keeping the lanolin percentage high it would help keep 
away moths.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=630132613-20052003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=630132613-20052003>I had a thought of 
placing the wool inbetween my trusses and then placing typar/tyvek over the wool 
and stapling this material to the sides of the trusses and slanting it toward 
drain vents. Place extra fine bug screening over the vents and make sure the 
ridge vent openings were screened as well, since we would have air space above 
the typar for venting. My thought was this could act like a bag keeping bugs 
out. This wool has quite an odor too it so I imagine it to be a powerful 
attractant to bugs. The other purpose of the typar would be to catch any 
condensation that may form on my plywood sheathing and send it to a 
drain.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=630132613-20052003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=630132613-20052003>I have also thought 
of using tight weave burlap bags instead of plastic bags. Bags in general make 
me nervous as I wonder how difficult it would be to get an effective insulation 
coverage. I imagine I would need to have them be relatively thin and overlapping 
each other. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN 
class=630132613-20052003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=630132613-20052003>Thats the extent of 
my research and I need further info from you all to help me conclude some 
things. Too wool or not too wool! I am on digest and often working too long so 
please forgive if I don't get back right off.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=630132613-20052003>Chuck in 
Wisconsin.</SPAN></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>