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One of the troubles of extruded polystyrene foam (EPS) or why this insulation turns into a sieve

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Each building material has drawbacks that should be taken into account before using it. All of these disadvantages are often well known. But there are those that come to light during the operation of a structure or structure and become a complete surprise. About why extruded polystyrene foam (EPS, XPS) can stop working over time, our interlocutor Sergey will tell.

Nothing foreshadowed problems ...

It is said that ants do not settle in extruded polystyrene foam. They also say that chickens are milked in Moscow. "Experts" unanimously say that EPS, first of all, is not edible for ants; and secondly, these insects will never settle in it, since only woodworms can gnaw it, and they, by their specialty, are interested exclusively in wood. Nothing like this!

I also believed that ants do not equip dwellings in this type of insulation until I began to shift the insulated blind area on one object. After dismantling, all the EPPS removed from the ground was carefully folded, so that it could then be reused in a new blind area. Why not? The material is not deformed, without damage, and besides, it is not afraid of moisture and frost - what will happen to it?

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However, I noticed small dots at the bottom of the sheets. I looked closer - and these are holes. Broke one sheet, and there is a sieve of the passages. The EPPS leaf has simply turned into a comfortable anthill. From the whole heap, I found about five more sheets in which the ants made moves. Here we can safely state that insects have nullified the thermal insulation qualities and strength characteristics of this material. With such damage, the insulation stops working.

Some information and conclusion

I started looking for information on the Internet. There are few materials on this topic and they all look like custom-made ones, since they present information about anthills in the EPSS as nothing more than a myth, which they themselves dispel. There are many contradictions in these articles and videos: at first, they state that these materials are not housing for ants; but then they themselves and stipulate - they write that the EPS in the blind area is closed by other materials and is not an AVAILABLE housing for ants. That is, according to their logic, if the ants gain access to the EPS, they will still settle there. And they also write that carpenter ants do not eat polystyrene and its analogues, but simply gnaw through its passages. But that doesn't make it any easier. Whether they eat it or just gnaw through the moves, the result is still the same - from their activity holes appear in the material.

In fact, ants thrive in both regular Styrofoam and extruded Styrofoam. Almost any species of these insects can easily gnaw both PPS and other similar materials. There they equip comfortable warm nests and live happily ever after. That is, they can just as well penetrate the walls of the house and turn the EPS or PPS into a sieve in a few years. If you can protect yourself from mice with a special net, then what about ants?

Consequences of the "work" of ants in foam
Consequences of the "work" of ants in foam

I, of course, will not name brands, manufacturers, make loud statements and some kind of anti-advertising. I have not done any research on this topic and have no right to roll a barrel on someone. But I can confirm the very fact of the presence of anthills in these materials. Some reviews say that ants do not live in the EPS of some producers, but live in others. I can not say anything about the taste preferences of insects, so I will leave this without comment.

How to prevent ants from entering EPS and PPS?

On the Internet, there are three tips how to protect these types of insulation from ants.

  1. Cover the sheets with a special mesh (this is expensive).
  2. Cover the sheets with thick paint (sounds strange).
  3. Treat the insulation with a solution of copper sulfate.

What do you think about this? Write in the comments!

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