Insulation to Go – Creativity in the Attic

Disposable Foam Food Containers And Packing Peanuts In Attic

Someone got creative with their attic insulation!

Yes, those are foam peanuts and restaurant to-go boxes. Bill Box, a home inspector in our energy rater class this week, found this in an attic on a recent inspection he did.

I suppose it’s better than nothing, but standard insulation materials aren’t that expensive. Even Grade III fiberglass batts in there would probably perform better.

The bigger issue here, though, is fire safety. All that foam would go up quickly if a spark from a poor wiring job got to it.

Disposable foam food containers and packing peanuts in attic
Disposable foam food containers and packing peanuts in attic

You gotta admire the person’s creativity and efforts to recycle, but sometimes it’s best to get some advice from a pro first. (Seems like I’ve said that before.)

 

Allison A. Bailes III, PhD is a speaker, writer, building science consultant, and the founder of Energy Vanguard in Decatur, Georgia. He has a doctorate in physics and writes the Energy Vanguard Blog. He also has a book on building science coming out in the summer of 2022. You can follow him on Twitter at @EnergyVanguard.

 

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This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Resourceful, but man….I don
    Resourceful, but man….I don’t know……what if that stuff caught on fire? I think Styrofoam ,(unless treated) burns like crazy and makes toxic fumes.

  2. It is definitely creative and
    It is definitely creative and probably better than nothing but I can’t imagine fiberglass insulation being very expensive for a space that small. They aren’t doing their utility bill any favors by skimping on something so simple. Thanks for sharing!

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