Repurposed Fiberglass Packing Corners

I love perusing the offerings at Repurposed Materials. Actually I kind of hate to see them growing by leaps and bounds because they were my own little treasure trove here in Denver while now good stuff is located in Chicago, Atlanta and soon to be Texas.

These fiberglass edges all say Coors on them so they must have been used for packing large crates at the brewery in Golden.

Fiberglass Edges

Fiberglass Edges

I bought about 30 of them during a spring auction–they run an online auction every month or so to clear old inventory. I paid less than their catalog price so not only repurposed materials but a bargain! When I picked them up the lady at the desk asked me how I would use them. I told her and she said to let them know as they always wonder how their products are being repurposed!

I already used one of the sections as a barrier for the spa concrete slab. I laid it against the existing deck wall instead of using a board. It held the rock base inside the slab area so that it didn’t spread under the wall. I also cut a few pieces to protect the edges of the spa while it was being transported.

Today I used three of the edges to form a sill protection for the front french doors and to cover the exterior styrofoam insulation. This was the original purpose for buying the edging. First I filled in under the door sills with leftover 3″ blue board XPS Foam that was also from Repurposed Materials. I had just about enough XPS to cover the concrete ledge that the doors sit on. I plan to dig out the other foam edges of the foundation walls to cover the styrofoam and protect it from burrowing rabbits. It was originally covered by EPDM rubber sheeting that has gapped over the years. Rabbits were able to snuggle between the dirt and the insulation in the winter. Comfy for them I bet.

Foam Insulation under Doors

Foam Insulation under Door Sills

I used a homemade foam cutting tool and the more I use it the better I am an using it. The U shaped plastic is wired to hold a model airplane rechargeable battery that heats up a nichrome wire and melts the XPS foam as it is drawn across a marked line. It is a pretty quick way to cut foam but best to do it in a well ventilated space. In this case outside. I used adhesive caulk to glue the foam to the concrete and other pieces. I also used expanding spray foam in crevices that needed filling.

Homemade foam cutting tool

Homemade foam cutting tool

A non-ferrous metal blade in the circular saw is recommended for cutting the fiberglass. After the first cut I wore a face mask as the fiberglass gets into the air and didn’t want it in my lungs. The short edge of the corner was cut to the reinforcing layer at the edge leaving 3″ of solid fiberglass to fit under the sills and over the layer of insulation to the 12 inch depth.

Cut short edge

Cut off short side of fiberglass edge

I also used the Wigluv tape from Siga to cover gaps at the edge of the concrete and any exposed wood sills as a waterproofing layer. Then I installed the first piece to fit over an existing metal flashing in the corner where the door wall meets the sided wall.

First Piece Installed

First Piece Installed

Dave had the brilliant idea to use small pieces of rebar to hold the bottom of the edges against the styrofoam until the dirt was replaced in the trench.

Rebar to hold bottom of edge

Rebar to hold bottom of edge

A nice toad came to sit on the edge of the sill–he had been running back and forth while I was working on the edging, like a cat needing to be right in the middle of your project. You can see the tape and the spray foam behind him.

Friendly toad checking out the new edge

Friendly toad checking out the new edge

And so before the rain came in the afternoon I was able to refill the trench and put the rubber membrane back up to the doors. Next we will install more geotextile fabric and move some flagstone into the space as a stoop for the french doors.

Filled and finished sill edge

Filled and finished sill edge

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