Free styrofoam insulation

[Jared Drake]

In our local Big Nickel and Thrifty Nickel there's always an ad for free styrofoam insulation, all you have to do is bring a trailer and tarp. It's 1/4". What would a person use this for?
Jared

[glenn kangiser]

Stack it up for more r value - use it on a wall - staple it to a floor under a crawl space.  Dissolve it in laquer thinner to make a sealer for adobe or earth plaster walls (I still haven't tried this tip from Shelley).

[Jared Drake]

So, use it in conjunction with regular fiberglass insulation? They've been giving this stuff away for years. I've always wondered what the catch is.
Jared

[PEG688]

So, use it in conjunction with regular fiberglass insulation? They've been giving this stuff away for years. I've always wondered what the catch is.
Jared

The catch is very low R value per cost . In this case free so that catch is out but still low R value compared to other insulation. Limited in usefullness, mostly used in the const. field on remodeling jobs to get "some R value " when batts / blown in will not work. IMO on a new build even free it would not be worth the effort except for buried for foundation insulation and then you'd have  to stack it so it was 2 or 4" thick and have to except the hassle / reduced R value as a stacked group of older stuff would not meassure up to the R value of new "FULL THICKNESS" ridged foam I wouldn't think.


YMMV , G/L PEG

[glenn kangiser]

On a permit job there would be no rating for this stuff either - No spec for the inspector to check -

[Miedrn]

Could it be used for sound proofing on interior walls?

[glenn kangiser]

It may help some under the sheetrock but the double offset stud wall is still better in the case of a lot of noise.