Osborn a former associate editor replies.
Can packing peanuts be used as insulation.
Anyone have any thoughts about this.
The very reason why plastic peanuts work well as packing makes them a bad choice for wall insulation.
From packaging peanuts that protect merchandise while in transit to insulation in homes and more it is useful in numerous situations.
We found millions of packing peanuts loose in the attic presumably intended to function as insulation.
Just put your cold drinks in a tub full of polystyrene peanuts and let them serve as insulation.
Styrofoam is an extremely versatile material that can be used for numerous applications.
Use packing peanuts to make a quick and easy diy cooler.
Unfortunately this material is non biodegradable and terrible for the environment.
In a wall cavity they would offer little resistance to air movement so they would be of limited r value.
Most packing peanuts are made of polystyrene.
I m not convinced that it s effective or even safe.
But the problem with using packing peanuts for attic insulation is that while the individual peanuts may have an r value of about 4 0 per inch the peanuts have large air spaces between them which allows air currents to easily flow through a layer of packing peanuts.
By preventing heat loss packing peanuts make lovely insulators.
Has anyone ever seen this before.
It also provides good insulation to keep products hot or cold while in transit.
The r value of polystyrene is about 4 0 per inch.
Styrofoam is designed from air bubbles that are trapped to prevent heat energy from escaping.