I get the mineral wool itch, but honestly, it’s still my go-to for cold spots where condensation’s a real problem. The foil tape helps, but I’ve seen foam sleeves still drip if the humidity spikes—especially on older pipes. Sometimes I’ll double up with a vapor barrier wrap over the foam. Not perfect, but it cuts down on the sweating quite a bit. Just my two cents...
I’ve always wondered if mineral wool holds up better than foam in really humid basements. I keep hearing about the itch, but I haven’t used it much myself—just the standard foam sleeves and sometimes that sticky vapor barrier tape. Step-by-step, do you wrap the vapor barrier right over the foam or does it go between the pipe and insulation? And does it actually stop the sweating, or just slow it down a bit? I feel like every old house throws a curveball with condensation...
Mineral wool is tough, but man, the itch is real—like wrestling a cactus in a sweater. Honestly, I’m not convinced it’s better than foam for pipes in a damp basement. Foam sleeves are just easier to work with, and they hug the pipe tighter. As for vapor barrier, I always wrap it over the insulation, not between. If you put it against the pipe, you’re basically trapping moisture right where you don’t want it. Still, nothing’s perfect—if your basement’s super humid, you’ll slow down the sweating, but stopping it completely? That’s a unicorn. Every old house seems to have its own weird microclimate...
I’ve had my share of battles with mineral wool—those fibers get everywhere, and no matter how careful you are, you end up itching for days. I’ll give it credit for fire resistance, but in basements with chronic damp, I lean toward closed-cell foam too. It’s just less hassle, especially when you’re crawling around old joists. Vapor barrier placement is one of those things people get wrong all the time... I’ve seen pipes rot from condensation trapped under plastic. You’re right: in a humid basement, you’re just buying time, not solving the problem. Every house is its own beast.
Closed-cell foam’s definitely easier to deal with—less mess, fewer regrets the next day. But I’ve seen it trap moisture behind old stone walls, too, if you’re not careful. Curious how you handle pipe insulation when you’re working in a basement that swings between damp and dry depending on the season? I see folks just wrap and forget, but sometimes that just makes things worse...
