Totally agree with your points on mineral wool. I switched over during a recent attic renovation, and yeah, the install was a bit of a wrestling match—especially around those awkward corners. But once done, the difference was noticeable right away. The house felt quieter, warmer, and just...more premium somehow. Definitely worth the extra effort and cost, in my opinion. Glad to hear others are seeing similar results.
"the install was a bit of a wrestling match—especially around those awkward corners."
You're not kidding about the wrestling match part. I considered mineral wool too, but ended up sticking with fiberglass batts purely for budget reasons. Yeah, it was itchy and annoying to install, but honestly, with gloves and a mask, it wasn't as terrible as some make it out to be. The savings were significant enough to justify the hassle, at least for me. Still, hearing how much quieter your place got does make me wonder if I missed out...
• Fiberglass definitely gets a bad rap—it's itchy, sure, but manageable if you're geared up right.
• Mineral wool is awesome for soundproofing though; I've used it in a few builds and clients always comment on how quiet things get.
• But honestly, don't sweat it too much... fiberglass still does the job pretty well for insulation purposes.
• Maybe next time you tackle a smaller project, give mineral wool a shot and see how you like working with it.
I remember my first run-in with fiberglass insulation... man, talk about itchy. I thought I'd geared up enough—long sleeves, gloves, mask—but somehow it still found its way onto my skin. Took me a good couple of showers to feel normal again. But you're right, once you get the hang of suiting up properly, it's not so bad.
Funny you mention mineral wool though. A buddy of mine swears by it after he redid his basement studio. He said the difference in sound was night and day compared to fiberglass. I haven't personally tried it yet, but your post has me curious now. Maybe I'll give it a shot next time I'm insulating something smaller like my garage workshop.
Honestly though, fiberglass does get unfairly demonized sometimes. Sure, it's itchy and annoying, but it's affordable and gets the job done pretty reliably. My attic's been insulated with the pink stuff for years now, and despite the initial discomfort installing it, I've had zero issues since then.
Anyway, good luck with your attic project—sounds like you're handling it just fine. And hey, at least you'll have a good story to tell afterward... every homeowner needs a few battle scars from DIY projects, right?
Mineral wool's definitely worth a shot if you're looking to cut down on noise. Helped a friend redo his home theater room last year, and we went with mineral wool panels instead of fiberglass. The difference was pretty noticeable—less echo, clearer sound, and honestly, it was easier to handle too. Still itchy, but nowhere near as bad as fiberglass.
That said, fiberglass isn't the devil some folks make it out to be. I've insulated plenty of attics and crawl spaces with the pink stuff over the years, and once you figure out how to seal yourself up properly (taping sleeves to gloves helps a ton), it's manageable. One trick I learned early on: cold showers first. Hot water opens your pores and makes the itch worse—cold water rinses off the fibers without driving them deeper into your skin.
Anyway, sounds like you've got a good handle on things already. DIY insulation projects always leave you with a story or two...and maybe a newfound appreciation for professionals who do this every day.
