Styrofoam? No, it isn't woodworking, but it is a workshop question.
Our garage is completely dedicated as a workshop. When the recent
cold snap was forecasted, I realized that it was going to be
difficult to keep it above freezing in there.
As it happens, the garage panels have convenient slots that allowed
me to insert approx 1.5" of styrofoam insulation into them. That
would be 1" of the white stuff and .5" of the blue stuff.
It worked great - with the outside temperature at 5 degrees F it was
no effort to keep the shop at 55F with a very small electric heater.
Now having done all of that, I don't like the big blue checkerboard
effect. There are 16 panels approx 19"x46". I would like to paint
them white but have not tried painting styrofoam before.
On test pieces I have tried latex primer and Krylon spray primer
with latex over it. As I expected, the latex primer scrapes off
easily. The Krylon spray primer adhered very well, but I don't enjoy
the thoughts of spray painting that huge of an expanse...
Ideas?
~Pike~
Pike wrote:
> "Wood Butcher" <[email protected]> writes:
>
> > The answer seems so obvious that I probably don't understand
> > the problem correctly.
> >
> > Put the blue stuff behind the white stuff.
>
> I guess I left out too many details. :)
>
> To get the cut to size panels of insulation into the door panels
> I had to flex them mightily. I put the white stuff in first because
> it was thicker and more brittle. I then put the blue stuff in after
that
> as was easier to flex.
>
> If you looked at the door panels from the end they would look like:
>
> [___________]
>
> (turned horizontal, exterior facing down, interior facing up)
>
> There is probably a standard method for insulating garage doors -
> I just don't know what it is. :)
>
> ~Pike~
Most insulation kits from the factories have a thin light weight vinyl
backer glued to the insulation to give it a clean look. Some commercial
doors have a thin (30 or 24 ga) steel interior cover panel but
something like that would probably add enough weight that you would
probably need to change the springs to compesate. On the residential
kits they also use plastic angles to dress up the gap between the
insulation & the vertical hinge stiles where the insulation can't go
under them.
Doordoc
www.DoorsAndOpeners.com
"Pike" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> Styrofoam? No, it isn't woodworking, but it is a workshop question.
> As it happens, the garage panels have convenient slots that allowed
> me to insert approx 1.5" of styrofoam insulation into them. That
> would be 1" of the white stuff and .5" of the blue stuff.
Garage panels? Is this a metal building?
The blue stuff is Styrofoam. That is Dow Chemcial's register trade name for
extruded polystyrene foam.
The white stuff is expandable polystyrene board that could have been made by
anyone.
>
> On test pieces I have tried latex primer and Krylon spray primer
> with latex over it. As I expected, the latex primer scrapes off
> easily. The Krylon spray primer adhered very well, but I don't enjoy
> the thoughts of spray painting that huge of an expanse...
>
> Ideas?
I assume you are painting only the blue and not the white. Any latex or
acrylic paint should work. You don't plan to scrape the walls do you? Avoid
anything with ketones as it will dissolve the styrene. The best method is
to cover it with a non-flammable plastic vapor barrier (it is white) and
then sheetrock. It will stay cleaner, meets fire code, and looks finished.
Alternatively, you can take out the blue, put in Georgia Pacific stuff that
is yellow ;)
Jay Pique <[email protected]> writes:
> On 02 Jan 2005 15:51:34 -0600, Pike <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >
> > Styrofoam?
>
> It's a pain in the ass, I'll tell you that. We've installed a bunch
> of styrofoam crown moulding recently, and it's shit. The joints don't
> mesh and it won't take paint. It's passable from the floor, but it
> just feels chintsy to me.
I went the Krylon spray sandable primer route (about 30 minutes
ago). I'm still a bit dizzy from the fumes... I need another can to
finish it up. A couple of days after that I will roller latex primer
over it.
~Pike~
"Wood Butcher" <[email protected]> writes:
> The answer seems so obvious that I probably don't understand
> the problem correctly.
>
> Put the blue stuff behind the white stuff.
I guess I left out too many details. :)
To get the cut to size panels of insulation into the door panels
I had to flex them mightily. I put the white stuff in first because
it was thicker and more brittle. I then put the blue stuff in after that
as was easier to flex.
If you looked at the door panels from the end they would look like:
[___________]
(turned horizontal, exterior facing down, interior facing up)
There is probably a standard method for insulating garage doors -
I just don't know what it is. :)
~Pike~
"Pike" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> My apologies... I didn't have my glasses on and left out the word
> "door". Garage door panels.
>
>
> I have been trying to visualize
> using sheetmetal as a flame barrier but haven't got it worked out yet.
>
You could always contact the door maker and they may have the proper sized
panels that they normally use on the doors. I'm sure that is an expensive
option though.
You can buy aluminum that is pre-painted white. It comes in rolls and is
easily cut by scoring and breaking. Any place that carries siding supplies
should have it. You could buy a roll of flashing material too if you don't
mind the natural look of aluminum.
"Leon" <[email protected]> writes:
> Always test first. I have some spray paints melt Styrofoam.
Indeed, almost any solvent will. I used some scraps for my original
test. I get by without the spray primer melting the insulation for
two reasons. a: the blue insulation has a very thin plastic skin
adhered to it that is a little more resistant to solvents. b: I am
spraying a very light coat that dries instantly.
~Pike~
Ah, yes. I understand now.
I had a similar problem when I lived in Tucson. The
summer sun striking the uninsulated door caused it to
hit 160+° and radiate into the garage like an infrared
heater.
My solution was to trim the styrofoam inserts so they
would go into the pockets with just a bit of bending.
They fit somewhat loosely when they were in place but
never fell out and performed just fine even though there
was a small uninsulated space at the top edge of each
panel. I thought about using white duct tape to seal up
the edges but never got around to it.
Art
"Pike" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Wood Butcher" <[email protected]> writes:
>
> > The answer seems so obvious that I probably don't understand
> > the problem correctly.
> >
> > Put the blue stuff behind the white stuff.
>
> I guess I left out too many details. :)
>
> To get the cut to size panels of insulation into the door panels
> I had to flex them mightily. I put the white stuff in first because
> it was thicker and more brittle. I then put the blue stuff in after that
> as was easier to flex.
>
> If you looked at the door panels from the end they would look like:
>
> [___________]
>
> (turned horizontal, exterior facing down, interior facing up)
>
> There is probably a standard method for insulating garage doors -
> I just don't know what it is. :)
>
> ~Pike~
>
>
>
>
"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> writes:
> "Pike" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >
> > Styrofoam? No, it isn't woodworking, but it is a workshop question.
>
> > As it happens, the garage panels have convenient slots that allowed
> > me to insert approx 1.5" of styrofoam insulation into them. That
> > would be 1" of the white stuff and .5" of the blue stuff.
>
> Garage panels? Is this a metal building?
My apologies... I didn't have my glasses on and left out the word
"door". Garage door panels.
> I assume you are painting only the blue and not the white.
Yup.
> Any latex or acrylic paint should work. You don't plan to scrape
> the walls do you?
Nope. But swinging boards around, etc.
> Avoid anything with ketones as it will dissolve the styrene. The
> best method is > to cover it with a non-flammable plastic vapor
> barrier (it is white) and > then sheetrock. It will stay cleaner,
> meets fire code, and looks finished.
Yeah but I left out the data point that it is an overhead door, so
sheetrock doesn't quite work out for me. I have been trying to visualize
using sheetmetal as a flame barrier but haven't got it worked out yet.
> Alternatively, you can take out the blue, put in Georgia Pacific stuff that
> is yellow ;)
Almost did that to begin with but didn't feel it would stay in place
the first time the door was opened.
~Pike~
On 02 Jan 2005 15:51:34 -0600, Pike <[email protected]>
wrote:
>
> Styrofoam?
It's a pain in the ass, I'll tell you that. We've installed a bunch
of styrofoam crown moulding recently, and it's shit. The joints don't
mesh and it won't take paint. It's passable from the floor, but it
just feels chintsy to me.
JP
*************
Putty and paint.
The answer seems so obvious that I probably don't understand
the problem correctly.
Put the blue stuff behind the white stuff.
Art
"Pike" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Styrofoam? No, it isn't woodworking, but it is a workshop question.
>
> Our garage is completely dedicated as a workshop. When the recent
> cold snap was forecasted, I realized that it was going to be
> difficult to keep it above freezing in there.
>
> As it happens, the garage panels have convenient slots that allowed
> me to insert approx 1.5" of styrofoam insulation into them. That
> would be 1" of the white stuff and .5" of the blue stuff.
>
> It worked great - with the outside temperature at 5 degrees F it was
> no effort to keep the shop at 55F with a very small electric heater.
>
> Now having done all of that, I don't like the big blue checkerboard
> effect. There are 16 panels approx 19"x46". I would like to paint
> them white but have not tried painting styrofoam before.
>
> On test pieces I have tried latex primer and Krylon spray primer
> with latex over it. As I expected, the latex primer scrapes off
> easily. The Krylon spray primer adhered very well, but I don't enjoy
> the thoughts of spray painting that huge of an expanse...
>
> Ideas?
>
> ~Pike~
>