Styrofoam Peanuts For Attic Insulation

Osborn a former associate editor replies.

Styrofoam peanuts for attic insulation.

Meps is a rigid board formed by molding polystyrene into boards. Some types of thicker foam board insulation are available but they may need to be special ordered. Board can be combined with other modern types of insulation in order to increase the amount of protection in an attic. Those packing peanuts are not styrofoam but rather polystyrene foam.

Essentially a compressed sheet of packing peanuts expanded polystyrene eps offers the lowest r value of foam insulation types. The lower the value the less the material prevents heat from escaping or infiltrating through the material. Most packing peanuts are made of polystyrene. The studs conduct more heat than the insulation between them.

Insulating an attic usually means you have a lot of room for insulation and you will need high r value so that is why the cheaper options are more popular blown cellulose or blown fiberglass. R value refers to the relative heat transfer of a material. That styrofoam insulation will work but it is not cheap per r value however it gives you a great r value per inch. Insulating boards are just one of the many types of foam insulation.

Consider using spray foam insulation as well to seal smaller cracks and gaps. Meps also called beadboard is made by pouring loose polystyrene beads into a container. Can i use plastic shipping peanuts for insulation in the walls of my 1879 balloon framed house. Polystyrene can be fashioned into various items including shipping materials such as packing peanuts and coffee cups as well as sheets of foam board insulation.

The panels provide a continuous energy efficient surface. Plastic peanuts hold air that helps cushion whatever is being shipped. But the problem with using packing peanuts for attic insulation is that while the individual peanuts may have an r value of about 4 0 per inch the peanuts have large air spaces between them which allows air currents to easily flow through a layer of packing peanuts. The very reason why plastic peanuts work well as packing makes them a bad choice for wall insulation.

This eliminates thermal bridging which is the energy lost through wall studs. The beads are heated and.