Energy Source Builder
Bug Resistant Foam
Perhaps the biggest fear builders have about foam is termites and carpenter ants. When foam foundation insulation extends above grade to the mudsill, the little pests have a habit of tunneling through or behind the foam to get to the building. Since the foam hides the tunnels, the damage can remain unnoticed until it's well along. Some pest control contractors won't guarantee their work on homes with foam perimeter insulation.
A few years ago, AFM Corporation (R-Control) came out with a special borate-treated expanded polystyrene that was supposed to repel termites and carpenter ants. Some builders were worried that the borate would leach out of the foam in service. So, the company hired an independent lab to test its Perform Guard expanded polystyrene, the material in the laboratory and in the field. The lab installed samples below grade then dug them up after 12 and 18 months. There was no evidence of borate loss. Further tests showed while the treated foam may not completely stop termites, it will at least slow them down.
Find R-Control in the Oikos Product Directory.
This article appeared in Energy Source Builder #43 February 1996, |
