How safe is a polystyrene Styrofoam board for me to use practically?
I bought an insulation board from a local hardware department superstore, and I have concerns of it blocking my vent. I do have a couple of magnetic vent covers over my vent. However I’m concerned about a few factors. My room get’s very HOT easily. I especially learned this when the sun rises every morning it shines against my room and burns it up into an abysmal inferno. It’s the middle of the dead winter and I’m waking up finding myself soaked in my own sweat. (Gross!) The board has a R of 75 Degrees (F), and like any other Polystyrene material it is combustible and very easily ignitable. I also have concerns of health risk as every-time I move the board out of it’s wedge. Parts of it breaks off and scatters into the air for me to inhale. What are the long term effects of being around such a material? The FDA has approved use for it to a limit, as well as to market it openly to the public. Should I buy a thermal plastic coating to go over the board? The point of the board is to help muffle some sounds when the dogs start barking. (As I need complete silence to work. I’m a work at home over the phone guy) Help.
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Is this a serious question from somebody that speaks English as their first language?
If you have nothing nice to say. Don't say anything at all. =D I'm tempted to say a few things about yourself but I rather not stoop bellow your level.
It is not at all clear what you are asking. Which vent? How was this product installed and where? If your goal is to reduce the noise level of your barky dogs, it's not clear why you're asking this question here since that's pretty off-topic from the subject of green building, and there are far better approached than covering up a hole in hour house with foam boards.
If your insulation board is blocking your vent, don't put the board there.
If you have a board with an R-value of 75, you would be a billionaire selling them.
If your room is an inferno at night when you sleep--I'm not sure what to tell you. Take some clothes off??
If you are trying to block the sound of dogs barking, bring the dog to the humane society. If you still hear the barking, see your doctor. If you still hear the barking, install a solid core door with a bottom threshold and double up your drywall.
If none of this makes sense, re-read your original post and you'll be as confused as the rest of us.
Polystyrene isn't very toxic- it's used as fast-food packaging and hot beverage cups ubiquitously.
75F is the mean temperature at which the R-value is tested, not the R-value itself. R-value is irrelevant for soundproofing. Air tightness it the most critical aspect of soundproofing.
Mark,
I think that the reason this question-and-answer session got off track is that you forgot to tell us what you are doing with the rigid foam.
I'm going to make a guess: Are you installing the rigid foam in on the interior side of your windows?
The reference to a "vent" is confusing. The word "vent" doesn't mean much -- it could be a forced-air system supply register, or a forced-air system return grille, or the exterior termination of a bathroom exhaust fan duct -- hard to say without more information.
If you are designing a removable foam plug for a window, you probably want to cover the rigid foam on all six sides with fabric or thin plywood.
I say its safer then blowing in foam, however,I also agree that the outgassing problem is largely overblown (except for those few who have become chemically-sensitized and have to spend the rest of their lives avoiding the world), but there are many legitimate arguments against the use of a petrochemical, high-embodied energy, non-renewable, non-recyclable, non-permeable, difficult to remove, problematic for renovation, and expensive insulating material. Don't use it!
If its your place, 1.try adding more insulation, because it sounds like there's little to no insulation. 2. There's also paint that can deflect heat. if theres a window on that side, 3. see about a triple pane with a low U value? And, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures the fraction of solar energy transmitted and tells you how well the product blocks heat caused by sunlight. SHGC is measured on a scale of 0 to 1; values typically range from 0.25 to 0.80.
I'm, not sure about the Vent issue? Good luck!
Robert,
This is a 6-month-old thread, and the original poster never returned to clarify the confusions that other readers asked about. So I doubt if your advice will help Mark, the original poster.
In any case, I feel duty-bound to remind GBA readers that if you want to block the flow of heat, don't use paint for that purpose.