If you don't use electrical equipment, socket boxes and switches, then you can seal the entire wall. Of course, if you haven't studied it before, then after you see this, I will take you to understand how these insulation materials combine together, and if made into a high-performance wall. This includes insulation values, installation and air sealing issues. Let mineral wool continue to perform better in other aspects, which is why we prefer this material.
Rock wool board has moisture-proof performance, that is, hydrophobic. If glass fiber insulation material gets wet, then you will eventually get a piece of wet glass wool, with no insulation value to speak of. On the other hand, mineral wool will not get wet, because it's like we directly pour water on rock, it's only the surface that gets damp. In fact, water droplets will roll off the surface of mineral wool. If the wall cavity gets wet, this will promote drainage and drying, rather than holding water like a sponge. So, which would you rather have on your wall?
A major problem with rock wool solving thermal bridging issues and improving wall performance is thermal bridging through wall studs. The way to overcome this problem is to install insulation on the exterior of the wall, continuously protecting the bolts from the cold. Of course, the problem here is that rigid foam insulation is a more common method. However, foam creates vapor retarders, and what you don't want is a wall with vapor retarders on both sides. Therefore, the better method has always been to make walls with external foam insulation materials. The foam must be thick enough to keep the dew point within the depth of the foam to prevent condensation in the wall cavity. Building codes can only make general recommendations for these configurations. Weather beyond design limits may cause condensation. Highly humid indoor conditions can cause condensation.
My point is that walls are not elastic designs, and they require practice. Walls with traditional configurations can work under all conditions, even if temperature or internal humidity exceeds design values. And the only thing we need to pay attention to is that if there is air conditioning at home, then using a smart steam control board is very important, as mentioned above. These variable permeability membranes will ensure that the wall performs well when the steam distribution in the wall reverses during the cooling season. The configuration of mineral wool can replace foam as external insulation material. These are very dense fiber boards whose strength is sufficient to support wall panels and cladding materials installed on them in a manner similar to foam. The difference: mineral wool is breathable, which means you can insulate on the outside without trapping moisture in the wall. In addition, the insulation value of these dense mineral wool boards is close to the performance of foam. Usually, for XPS foam, you will get about R-5 per inch. Mineral wool will provide R-4.6 per inch. And due to the hydrophobic properties of mineral wool, it will not absorb moisture at this location, and will actually promote drainage and drying of the rain screen wall panel cavity. Foam insulation brings other problems, such as dilemmas in waterproofing practices, and questionable reliance on tape as a long-term weather barrier.
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