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Insulation Experts ??

Posted By: bass10

Insulation Experts ?? - 08/10/18 04:31 PM

Guys I am not a builder and learning as I go on my cabin build. I have started a cabin with a small foundation crawl space. I took some of the left over morter and filled in some of the blocks down to the footer and some were already filled with the bolts. I am putting green board styrofoam on the outside down to the footer as well as the inside before I vapor barrier it and scratch coat. A buddy stopped by and said if I wanted to further insulate the foundation theres a product out made of plastic resin that I could pour down the cavity. So this got me thinking could I fill each remaining block with Styrofoam packing peanuts? Would this help any at all or hurt any at all or a total waste of time?
Posted By: white17

Re: Insulation Experts ?? - 08/10/18 04:54 PM

It MIGHT help but may be so slight that it isn't measurable. I suspect that if you have foam board inside and out..that the dead air space inside the blocks is just as good as filling them with peanuts or ghost poo.
Posted By: hippie

Re: Insulation Experts ?? - 08/10/18 05:13 PM

I'm not a builder either, but am thinking like White17.

I built my own garage and on the front wall i filled the blocks with concrete incase someone bumped into it with a car.

That wall is alot colder to touch than the side walls that are without anything in them.
A dead-air space is pretty good, under a vaccume is even better.
Posted By: NEYotetrapper

Re: Insulation Experts ?? - 08/10/18 05:21 PM

Peanuts will provide little benefit.
Posted By: bass10

Re: Insulation Experts ?? - 08/10/18 06:51 PM

Thanks guys I was thinking the same as the air may actually be a better insulator?
Posted By: cotton

Re: Insulation Experts ?? - 08/10/18 08:16 PM

what white17 said wink
Posted By: Lugnut

Re: Insulation Experts ?? - 08/10/18 10:08 PM

Korfil makes polystyrene inserts for standard size CMU's that offer about R5 per inch . You buy the insulated CMU's with the inserts already installed. I have laid them occasionally. That doesn't help you since your block are already laid.

I have more often have filled cores with perlite which is commonly used as insulation in CMU's. With an 8" standard block you can bump your R value from 1.96 to 3.26, R2.08 to R3.82 with 10" block and R2.14 to R4.32 with 12".

It costs about $5.00 per 4 cu. ft. bag.

I agree with White, I don't think packing peanuts would make very good insulation. Some of the newer ones are even biodegradable. The polystyrene boards are a good choice for your application.



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