[Strawbale] Bubble wrap

[Rob Tom]

On Thu, 05 Oct 2006 10:23:55 -0400, <answers at healthyheating.com> wrote:

> In addition to Don's reference, here's a short list of suggested
> readings if bubble foil is being considered for under slab applications.

In lieu of being able to access the references that have been mentioned, I  
have an idea for a simple prove-it-to-yourself test that anyone can try at  
home.

Take a sheet of the best foil-faced bubble wrap that you can buy and
take a pair of your favourite shorts and use them as a template to trace  
out a pattern on the bubble wrap.

Cut out the pattern and duct-tape it together.

Get nekkid, put on the bubble-wrap shorts and immerse yourself navel deep  
in any open waters you can find in the nearest frozen lake in mid-January.

Remain immersed for, oh, say 3 hours.

If, after emerging from the lake you are not a soprano, then I would say  
that you can be confident that bubble-wrap would be effective as underslab  
insulation.

Any other result (including death from hypothermia) would suggest that  
bubblewrap is not very effective as thermal insulation. It will also  
demonstrate the (in)efficacy of reflective barriers in retarding  
conductive heat flow.

===* ===
Rob Tom
Kanata, Ontario, Canada
<archilogic at chaffyahoo dot ca>
winnow the chaff from my edress in your reply