Eps or xps

[Russell griffiths]

Morning would like to go down the passive slab route and looking at different companies to supply the insulation. 

Many use eps and a few xps, so doing some research it seams xps is denser and doesn't absorb moisture as much as eps. 

But how come eps is so widely used?

is it a case of the xps manufacturers are better at making videos on you tube slagging off the eps market or is there some foundation to this. (Pun intended). 

Any thoughts. What have you all used. 

Maybe we should have a poll listing manufacturers and who has used who. 

Cheers russ. 

[Jeremy Harris]

I've used lots of XPS making composite stuff, and would say that it can absorb moisture, as it has a sort of "grain" from where it's been extruded.  EPS has been used underground for a great deal longer than XPS, so there is more experience of it's ability to work OK when buried and under load.  IIRC, they started using EPS in basement insulation in Germany over 30 years ago, and I have a feeling it's been used for raft support for railway lines across boggy ground for about as long.

 

XPS may be just as good, but given that EPS is cheaper and better proven in this application, may well explain why it is more popular.  Unless you really have to have the specific properties that XPS has, then I'd say stick with EPS.