space-age insulation

[PerryPizza]

Has anyone tried the silver 'tinfoil-bubblewrap' insulation?... I've got loads of it sitting around and I'm considering using it in my oven construction. The oven is being built inside a wall so no-one will ever see it, and the added waterproofing would definitely be a benefit....

[Alfredo]

I have a friend who used to own a lumber yard and sold this product in the '90s. I have asked him for an opinion and will post it when he replies, but it might take a day or two.

[dmun]

I don't specifically know the product, but i suspect that glue is used to hold the bubbles together. Glue plus heat isn't a good combo. Also, if the foil is aluminum, aluminum rots out in contact with portland cement.

Most domestic insulations contain binders that don't do well in high heat situations. I'd stick with proven refractory insulations.

[Alfredo]

Here's my friend's reply to my query about the effectiveness of the product. "Sell it at our yard" is a reference to the place he works at part time now:

Ya it was very good. I used it in my garage and it work as described. But we don't sell it at our yd. Not sure if it is still available. The only draw back is that it's its own vapour barrier, and so you have to be careful not to get vapour lock.

On the basis of that, and what Dmun has added, I would be cautious in using it. From what I recall of the product, I would fear that prolonged exposure to a heat source would degrade its effectiveness.

[PerryPizza]

Thanks for the help - I might use it somewhere in the outer layers of the onion, so to speak, as it does have a number of things going for it and it is just sitting there at the moment, but it has been ruled out as the main source of insulation...