Abstract: Fibrous mat, e.g. glass fiber, having a sheet facing on one face is wound in continuous lengths with minimum tension, compression, shear and working during the winding and with a large open center. The coils are compressed by a straight line compression generally normal to the major face of the mat and packaged with greater compression than heretofore acceptable in view of the recovery of insulation thickness upon installation. Nearly complete recovery is experienced. Further, stresses on the coiled material during compression and packaging are insufficient to destroy the longitudinal integrity even when it is skip chopped in a manner which separates more readily than prior skip chopped strip.