One of the main benefits of using EPS for different applications is the ease of customizing it to fill a particular need. EPS is commonly used for tapered roof applications and flute filler, and the same principles apply when EPS is used in geofoam applications.
One of the first questions that I am asked when I am working on a geofoam project is “Does your company install it?” My standard response is that we do not, but that it is simple enough that we have had several different trades act as the installers, from roofing contractors to landscapers, and concrete contractors to the GC’s own people.
One of the contributing factors to this ease of use is the customization possibilities of the material. Depending on the project, the geofoam can be pre-cut to meet the specific parameters of the project. On a project of this type, we will produce shop drawings, and label each piece to correspond to the shop drawings. It becomes the equivalent of putting together a puzzle, but knowing where every piece belongs.
On other projects, we can ship full size blocks that can be fabricated at the jobsite. For this type of project, it is often very easy for the contractor to use the tools that they already have on hand to cut or shape the geofoam, such as circular saws, reciprocating saws, or table saws.
Another option that can be a significant time saver is to purchase a hotwire cutter. Making the investment in one of these tools can be a huge time and cost saver if there are many detailed cuts to be made, or if the contractor anticipates being involved in more geofoam projects in the future.
