I used a few bales. First, it is very expensive at about $6 a cubic foot here. As Charmaine says, it stinks like a cat box. That does decrease upon drying.
The panels I cast had a tendency to crumble, no tensile strength to speak of. When you hit one of these panels you get a dull thud instead of a nice ringing knock that sounds like wood with normal pc. I have one bale that I never used, been sitting in the back of my truck for over a year. Nope, didn't like it!
The only advantage that I see is that it does mix easily. Way too many disadvantages to counter that, though.
spaceman
On 7/17/2013 1:10 PM, Charmaine Taylor wrote:
I got some free broken bales of the blow in type..Cocoon brand, they are treated with fire retarder and stink like urine when wet, very acrid, ...smell goes away once dry, also gives no 'omph" or bulk like shredded paper does. so there is no tensile strength with paper fibers going every direction..
It IS good when mixed with plaster of paris or clay or lime for a wall plaster tho. very smooth and goes on nice with a trowel over most surfaces.the paper is so microscopically shredded it is like cotton candy,
when dry and blown it it traps air, and offer good insulation just not for casting PC blocks,,,in my experience.
if I had some free i''d add it to a real papercrete mix, just to use it up.
like to hear if some has made a successful PC product with it.
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Charmaine
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