Hi
I know that rigid foam is not designed for use in walls between wood studs (and it is more expensive) but my friend that is helping me hates working with the fiberglass bat insulation and prefers the sheets of foam. Is there anything wrong with using it for this purpose?
just seems so far out of the ordinary .do you mean keep cutting pcs until you fill the stud bays?probably be way more expensive than fiberglass.you should stick with more conventional ways to do this instead of experimenting good luck
See if your friend would consider working with Roxul. Less itchy, easy to cut, similar insulating properties to fibreglass.
On a side note, friends are friends but stubborn friends are not always the best help on a job...Do the job the way it should be done with or without the friend. Maybe you could have the friend help seal things after you stuff the insulation yourself.
I did my addition (@1000 sq ft) completely with Roxul - aside from a friend stopping by to help with vaulted ceiling, it was all me and I survived. Very nice to work with IMHO (compared to glass - but as another poster mentioned fiberglass might be better now than last time I tangled wth it. Big box stores having a hard time keeping Roxul in stock last fall - shelves full of other batts - seems to be getting a bit more popular maybe...?.
The reason people don't do this is because the framing is usually never perfect and it would be too easy to get air gaps. Try Johns Manville fiberglass insulation, it is a lot less itchy and has no formaldehyde. Most fiberglass insulations are not nearly as itchy as they were 10 years ago. There are also some insulations out there that are not fiberglass like denim.
I've seen it done in an old building that didn't have sheathing under the old clapboards. It was the best option. Spray foam would have stuck right to the clapboards and prevent circulation behind them. Fiberglass would have probably gotten soaked in a driving rain as would cellulose. So rigid foam was fit between the studs leaving an air space behind the clapboards but no air would get past it.
Yes, it was a special case and was much more expensive than conventional wall insulation.
Let's start with a sgt schultz confession, "I know nothing". Maybe some of the pros can answer this one. One thought that came to mind was are there any affects from layering these boards due to moisture? The thickest I saw was two inches wide, so I am assuming you would double up. Are these treated as faced insulation?
Have you considered spray foam insulation? Even as DIY it's more expensive than fiberglass but probably still cheaper and much more effective than rigid.
In my old 1904 rambler I used rigid styro to insulate an interior wall as a temporary help until I could afford some extensive remodeling.
My case was different though, I ripped out the old wood paneling and cut 3/4 inch styro in between the existing 1X2 firring strips that were nailed to the un insulated concrete block wall. I then installed drywall.
I must admit it made a huge difference in climate control in that room.
The previous post that mentioned layering thin strips of styro being a possible condensation problem might be right.
I would really think about using the newer non fiberlass insulation batts, or maybe offer to take your buddy to a good ball game if he will help with the fiberglass stuff!
Good luck with your project:thumbsup:
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