Help please: cutting styrofoam sheets
 

"Zz Yzx" wrote in message
...
My shop has a steel roll-up "garage" door that faces a blistering sun
for several hrs/day. I'm determined to insulate it. The easiest way
I see is to slap some styrofoam shhet insulation onto it.

I can get 4' X 8' sheets at Big-Box for a good-enouhg price, but need
to trim the sheets down to ~ 44" X 22" to fit into the recesses of the
door.

What's the best way to cut 1-1/2" or 2" styrofoam sheets? I don't
have a "hot wire" cutting tool.

You say that this is for your shop. Is this a commercial shop that will
likely have fire inspections? Foam insulation is a fire hazard if not
covered by a nonflammable covering like dry wall.

You may be better off in the long term to just replace the door with one
that has insulated panels. They are more expensive by far than putting up
foam insulation but the result is much better.

If foam is the way you want to go, why not have the back of the door sprayed
with foam insulation?

Help please: cutting styrofoam sheets
 

"Worn Out Retread" wrote

You say that this is for your shop. Is this a commercial shop that will
likely have fire inspections? Foam insulation is a fire hazard if not
covered by a nonflammable covering like dry wall.

Code required it to be covered, but personally, I don't think it is a fire
hazard at all. The stuff is made with bromides and if you take a flame away
from it, the foam goes out and will not support a fire.

Help please: cutting styrofoam sheets
 

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"Worn Out Retread" wrote

You say that this is for your shop. Is this a commercial shop that
will likely have fire inspections? Foam insulation is a fire hazard
if not covered by a nonflammable covering like dry wall.

Code required it to be covered, but personally, I don't think it is
a fire hazard at all. The stuff is made with bromides and if you take
a flame away from it, the foam goes out and will not support a fire.

And when it burns, it gives off what poisenous gasses?

Help please: cutting styrofoam sheets
 

"Bob F" wrote in message
...
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"Worn Out Retread" wrote

You say that this is for your shop. Is this a commercial shop that
will likely have fire inspections? Foam insulation is a fire hazard
if not covered by a nonflammable covering like dry wall.

Code required it to be covered, but personally, I don't think it is
a fire hazard at all. The stuff is made with bromides and if you take
a flame away from it, the foam goes out and will not support a fire.

And when it burns, it gives off what poisenous gasses?



Nothing more than any other fire. Carbon, soot, water. While you don't want
to breath soot, it is no more poisonous than anything else that would be
burning in the house. Take the flame away and the foam goes out.

Factory Mutual did some testing a few years back. The put a small home or
office sized trash can in the corner of a room such as you may find in your
house. The set it on fire with various wall coverings. One of the methods
was just foam on the wall, no covering at all. The trash can burned, the
wall burned up a few feet where it was supported by the trash can papers,
then it went out. The fake paneling on the wall, however, ignited and
spread to the entire room in short time. Same with some drapes.