Source for 3/4" insulation??

[Rich S]

I just bought some last week at our local Lowes. 3/4 inch thick, foil on one side grey plastic on the other. It was in the lumber dept by the plywood. About 13.00 a sheet. It fit perfect in my sides, I will double it for the top.

[prohandyman]

Does anyone have any experience with the foil skinned styrofoam insulation? Bought quite a bit last week on sale. Seems to cut real nice and installs easily. Don't know how well it insulates though.

[Ira]

Does anyone have any experience with the foil skinned styrofoam insulation? Bought quite a bit last week on sale. Seems to cut real nice and installs easily. Don't know how well it insulates though.

That's what I used, and although its R value isn't supposedly the greatest, when I enter my TD on a HOT summer Florida day, it's COOL in there.

[paddlehead]

Shelly,

I had a similar problem. The local HD's carried the pink Owens Corning insulation in 1" and 2", but not 3/4". They said they could special order for me if I bought 250 sheets!!! The stuff HD normally carries is Foamular 150 (compression strength of 15 PSI and only available 1" and thicker). When I mentioned the problem in getting rigid 3/4" insulation to my local lumber yard (Shurway), they called a distributer and found they could get 3/4" Foamular 250 (25PSI, but same R5/inch insulation value) in any quantity. I got the 250 product in 3/4"x4'x8' sheets.

I didn't have any problems with insulation being too thick in the walls and floor, but I managed to cut my roof spars a bit under 1 1/2", so when I doubled up on the roof insulation it stood above the spars about 1/16". I used some 60 grit sandpaper on a long (≈18" or so) sanding board to take it down to the same level as the spars. It took a few hours of hand sanding, but other than that no big problem.

Good luck,
Don

[NutmegJoe]

Well, I've called local lumberyards and no one has 3/4". They can order it, but I'd have to buy the whole unit of 128 sheets!!

I e-mailed the manufacturer to see if they can let me know where I can get it...I'd even come up to Denver if I have to.

If anyone knows of a source in Colorado...please let me know!

Thanks!

[halfdome, Danny]

I'm assuming you have already made your wall frames. Why not get some true 1/4" plywood and build out your frame to 1" and use the 1" insulation? It would be an easy fix and it would reinforce your joints too boot. Danny

[gerry boucher]

Hi
Here on Cape Cod we have Home Depot LIGHT a small envirofriendly place not to get fencing, vinyl siding, etc. It all has to be special ordered.

To get the stuff you need one must travel to Wareham MA (30 miles) to get the good stuff.

Ah yes Thank you Cape Cod Commission. We also have BJ's Light
No motor oil or antifreeze because it might spill and get into the groundwater. It took Bj's 10 years to get a store built and CCC held them at gunpoint to install various traffic lights and islands all over the cape.
Sorry for the hijack
Gerry

[Joseph]

The white... Styrofoam has a much lower R rating than the pink or blue Polystyrene.

The pink or blue is better. The HIGHER the R rating, the beter insulation it provides.

Yeah, Ira, I gotta argue everything.

Joseph

[NutmegJoe]

Found a lumberyard in Denver that has it in stock!!!

Construction can continue!

I was getting a little nervous there...I'm better now.

[brian_bp]

Finding 3/4 pink foam insulation can be hard. It's not sold everywhere... it's a regional thing.... That from Dow's (maanufacturer??) website.
I used 3/4" styrophoam.. you know...the white stuff that breaks into all these little pebbles........

NutmegJoe is right: the pink stuff is from Owens Corning; Dow makes Styrofoam, which is often blue. Both of these are extruded polystyrene foam; the white pebbly stuff is beads of expanded polystyrene foam moulded (pressed) into a crumbly board, often called "beadboard".

If anyone from Dow hears you calling the pebbly stuff by their trademarked name of Styrofoam, they'll be upset.

Not to hijack but is there a big difference between the pink and the white? Which is better?
Scott

Basically, pink (or blue) = good; white = cheap (but maybe good enough) Mostly this is a matter of strength and durability, but the extruded foam is available in various densities and insulation values (for the same thickness).

The white... Styrofoam has a much lower R rating than the pink or blue Polystyrene.. (I think that's what it's made of..).

Both are polystyrene, but the way the boards are made does affect the insulating value.


From the Dow Styrofoam products, Cladmate may be the only one available in 3/4".

From Owens Corning, it looks like ProPink and the FOAMULAR 250 (mentioned earlier) are options. I think my local Home Depot carries one of these in 3/4", but I'm not sure.

[Elumia]

Has anyone used the polyisosanurate sheets? I know it is foil faced on both sides. I used some 4" in an an attic where I only had 6" and needed R-30. That stuff has really high insulation value/inch. I've seen it here in my local Home Depot along with the white stuff. No pink or blue.

Mark