Poplar as insulation

[Woodworks]

Not doubting it good for a solid wood but still nothing like the values you get from proper insulation materials. Also hard to escape the  inevitable problems with movement and air gaps

[arboriculturist]

41 minutes ago, Squaredy said:

Most insulators work I believe by trapping air.  On this basis I would expect Poplar to be an excellent insulator, but with the advantage that it is not plastic based, so much nicer to handle and install and ultimately highly sustainable. 

 

The image below is Poplar viewed through an electron microscope.  Slight gaps will not be a big issue (I hope) as they will be caulked like a boat hull, so allowing slight movement.

 

What a fantastic idea!

 

Yes it is true that panel type insulation needs to be airtight between sections and I would use something like Cellulose 'Warmcell' sandwiched between, rather than a superficial caulk that just makes a seal but void of insulation between panels. 

Also I would use additional Warmcell panels in the wall construction to supplement the Poplar, due to it's low cost and environmental soundness.

 

Yes,100% fit a dehumidifier, humidity-stat controlled and drain off piped to outside for zero maintenance, Ebac or similar quality unit.

 

None of this needs to cost a fortune.

Looking forward to following progress. ?

Edited May 16, 2020 by arboriculturist

[se7enthdevil]

4 hours ago, Squaredy said:

I still have the brochures I sent for in the early eighties when I was at secondary school, I got the brochures from all the UK manufacturers I could find and pored over them for hours.  I have no idea why really, I had no money or space but there we are!

 

Keep an eye on this thread Steve, you are not too far from me and I daresay there will be invitation evenings for wood people eventually....

very gracious of you sir and something i'd love to be able to take you up on but as a non driver i suspect i'll never be able to see the table in person.

 

as for the insulation why not use a lap joint to reduce the airflow between boards???

 

if they are 3" thick boards then use a 1" step on the side so wind can't whistle between the gaps.

[Squaredy]

18 hours ago, Big J said:

Wales is renowned for rain! 

Such an urban myth....I have just put my sprinkler on in my front garden, partly for the garden, but mainly for the house as in the hot summer of 2018 this corner of my house subsided and I can see big cracks opening up in the soil again!

[Stubby]

26 minutes ago, Squaredy said:

Such an urban myth....I have just put my sprinkler on in my front garden, partly for the garden, but mainly for the house as in the hot summer of 2018 this corner of my house subsided and I can see big cracks opening up in the soil again!

I just googled which part of the UK gets the most rainfall and the first line stated " the mountains of Snowdonia " according to the Met office , and the wettest city is Cardiff .

[Squaredy]

7 minutes ago, Stubby said:

I just googled which part of the UK gets the most rainfall and the first line stated " the mountains of Snowdonia " according to the Met office , and the wettest city is Cardiff .

I always knew Google was crooked!  

 

Actually I very much doubt Cardiff is the wettest city.  Let me have a look....

[Squaredy]

19 minutes ago, Stubby said:

I just googled which part of the UK gets the most rainfall and the first line stated " the mountains of Snowdonia " according to the Met office , and the wettest city is Cardiff .

Well I am struggling to prove you wrong, Cardiff really does have most rain. 

 

Finally us Newport people can be smug about something when compared to our more glamorous neighbours....we get 20% less rainfall than those posh Cardiffifians....

[Squaredy]

Here is the poplar cut and sitting in the sun drying - three cubic metres or so.  At the moment the boards are amazingly heavy - maybe about the same as green oak, even though the logs were sitting in my yard for nearly two years - they are saturated.

 

This is enough 3" pop for the walls and enough 1.5" for the roof.  I know I will still have to kiln it but this weather is giving it a great start.

[trigger_andy]

On 16/05/2020 at 17:18, Squaredy said:

Such an urban myth....I have just put my sprinkler on in my front garden, partly for the garden, but mainly for the house as in the hot summer of 2018 this corner of my house subsided and I can see big cracks opening up in the soil again!

Been dry as a bone in Angus, Scotland as well. For weeks and weeks. Sprinklers on and watering the flowers and veg almost daily. Well the missus is anyway. 

[Ratman]

I’d be putting 100mm insulation in that slab personally, and 180cm-200cm of concrete in the slab itself.
You could even build a cavity in to your slab and timberframe with insulation off that, be spot on and toasty enough for a games room [emoji106]
Any form of heating going in there or not?