Saturday, April 28, 2012

[papercreters] PC Insulation

Ref. my December '11 post inquiring about slip forming, I'm ready to start insulating my attached garage with PC. This is non-living space and my goal is to reduce the summer and winter temperature extremes in my garage. I live near Cincinnati OH where we have 2 heating days for every 1 cooling day. January's average low is 19F and July's average high is 91F.

But rather than worry about potential water damage caused by the run-off from slip forming, I'm leaning toward pouring 4' x 16" blocks the traditional way then placing them between the wall studs.

My thinking is that if I pour a 16" wide block, allowing for the usual shrinkage, it should make for a snug fit in the 14.5" space between the studs. My plan is to use the same technique in the overhead attic space between the joists.

Here's my questions for the group:

(1) What's the suggested PC mix for non-load bearing PC? I'm looking for good R-values, yet bug & termite resistant, blocks.

(2) To reduce the amount of cutting and sanding required, I was thinking about pressing the boards between the studs before they're fully dried, say 2-3 days after pouring the mix into the molds. Do you think this method would work?

As always, any additional suggestions are welcome!

Thanks!

Dan

PS: One month later my paper (crete-less) weed mats around my shrubs are holding up well. The only weed growth has been in the gaps where the paper mat has pulled back from the landscape blocks. Even after a week of no rain, the mats are damp to the touch. So they're holding in the moisture quite well.









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