Styrofoam attic insulation

[Mark P]

First time I’ve found (what appears to be recycled) polystyrene (styrofoam) with some pieces of expanding foam mixed in and used as attic insulation. Anyone seen this before?

Click to Enlarge

48.96 KB

[hausdok]

Yeah,

Every once in a while I'll find a home with stuff that looks like cutoffs and bits and pieces of airplane insulation shoveled into an attic. I've always assumed that it was salvaged out of a dumpster outside of one of the Boeing plants.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[kurt]

Yes, on a few occasions. Someone found some foam, and decided to exercise their right to work on their house without doing even the tiniest bit of research.

It's all part of that thing of folks feeling genetically predisposed to "understanding" their abodes because they watch HGTV.

[hausdok]

Yes, on a few occasions. Someone found some foam, and decided to exercise their right to work on their house without doing even the tiniest bit of research.

It's all part of that thing of folks feeling genetically predisposed to "understanding" their abodes because they watch HGTV.

Or Mike Holmes.

Had a couple a week or so ago that told me that they absolutely love to watch Holmes on Homes. They were shocked when I told them that most home inspectors I know think that Mike Holmes is an opportunistic hack.

Once I pointed out that, unlike us, his clients already own the homes that are being inspected, and give him permission to do invasive inspections; and that we don't appreciate the fact that he usually trashes us after he's had the opportunity to open up areas and go to extremes we'd never be allowed to go, they understood where I was coming from.

You're right though, TV has made this stuff appear way too simple. Sometimes I find homes where there are a half a dozen half-finished projects where I can see that the homeowner had jumped in with both feet, only to find that he'd become mired in mud. Instead of learning from that and finishing the task; they leave it unfinished and start another. I really hate to do homes like that.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Les]

In our area we have two unique insulation materials and any number of weirdo materials.

The unique are blocks of white asbestos (approx 10"x10"x24") from demolished auto plants and smoke stacks and scrap styrofoam from waste stream at Dart Plastic factory(s). Several decades ago the rage was the stuffing from auto seats (soft foam and ticking). Fair amount of houses have bare shredded cellulose.

[caryseidner]

I found all of these foam products in the same attic.[:-party]

Click to Enlarge

45.99 KB

Click to Enlarge

39.35 KB

Click to Enlarge

46.19 KB

I think the homeowner worked at UPS. If only he had laid it evenly...

[kurt]

Yeah, the egg carton thing........that's always cracked me up, no yolk).

Insert rim shot here.......

[AHI in AR]

The egg cartons aren't eggsactly thick enough (groan) to do much good, are they?

[Les]

Egg cartons make wonderful insulation! Eat the eggs, sit in chair for couple of months, develope fat layer, stay warm!

I have seen couple dozen houses with them; mostly on walls.

[kurt]

I've also found them to be extremely useful at generating methane. Have 'em for breakfast, zip up the Carharts to hold all the warmth in, and enjoy the day!

[Tom Raymond]

Try a dry suit, then you could save the gas to run the inspectormobile.[:-propell