Hey guys, I need your expertise.  I live in northwestern Louisiana.  My home is pier and beam construction.  The floors get cold in the winter and my wife is complaining.  I would like to take the foam used to make a sips panel and rip the foam panel into strips to fit in the bay created by the floor joists.  I need to know what type of foam would be best?  Do I need to use any kind of vapor barrier?  I think 6in thick would be plenty.  Any advice is much appreciated.  Thank you all in advance.

Posted By netcombo69 on 25 Jan 2012 04:19 PM
Hey guys, I need your expertise.  I live in northwestern Louisiana.  My home is pier and beam construction.  The floors get cold in the winter and my wife is complaining.  I would like to take the foam used to make a sips panel and rip the foam panel into strips to fit in the bay created by the floor joists.  I need to know what type of foam would be best?  Do I need to use any kind of vapor barrier?  I think 6in thick would be plenty.  Any advice is much appreciated.  Thank you all in advance.

Why don't you just buy 6" foam all cut to the exact size you need it

Two closest EPS molders to you are in Arkansas.........

Drew Foam, Inc. 1093 Hwy 278 East Monticello, AR 71655 Phone: 870-367-6245 [email protected]

Progressive Foam Technologies 707 Robbins St. Conway, Arkansas 72034 Phone: 501-327-2024 www.progressivefoam.com

Noark foam in North Little Rock will also custom mold/cut EPS for you. They made my termite resistant borated EPS foam for under my basement slab.

http://www.noarkrcontrol.com/

6" of EPS foam under your floor is probably over-kill for your area.  4" would probably be more than sufficient.  2" is probably enough.

Is your crawl space vented or sealed?  Do you have a vapor barrier on the ground?

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I will need to cut the foam on site because I doubt the framers got the spacing between joists perfect each time. I do not want to be under the house trying to shape a piece to fit. I envisioned being under the house calling out the numbers, having a helper rip it off and hand it to me under the house. Everyone has mentioned EPS, is that the type of foam I need to request. Arkie6- my slab is vented, it is about 18 inches from the ground to the bottom of the floor. It does have a heavy plastic vapor barrier on the ground. However, the vapor barrier is 70 years old and over the years it has been torn or removed. Most is intact.