[eng, domesticity] Foam material?
Hi, peeps! I have a... home improvement project I'm working on. I'm going to be cagey about the details, but I'm hoping you can advise me anyways.
I am looking for a material to use for a project that's going to be exposed to the weather. In fact, that's its function: to protect something that water falls on. But not from the wet, from the force of the falling water.
So I am looking for some commercial product that:
1) comes in sufficiently large planes. I think we're talking like 2ft x 3ft (or maybe 18" x 26").
2) will stand up to having a gutter down-spout pour water on it when it rains, i.e. not break down under those conditions, at least for a while.
2a) Mold resistance would be especially nice.
2b) Freezing-temperatures and ice tolerant also highly desirable.
3) Not too heavy. Doesn't absorb or retain water, so it doesn't become heavier when it rains.
4) Is somewhat yielding and springy-cushiony -- this is important -- to reduce/disperse the force imparted by the falling water onto the substrate.
5) Preference for something vaguely rigid, such that I can push it into position. I have alternative ways to get it where it's going, but something too flexible -- like a blanket -- that can't be pushed from one side into position won't work well.
I did a proof of concept with a waterproof pillow I made, and it worked awesome, but that's not very durable, and because it was somewhat high-profile, it tended to get blown about by the wind. I'm looking for something similarly effective that has a much lower profile to the wind. And to passers-by like my landlord.
Also, it might be useful if it had some modest strength in tension as well, so I can punch holes in it at the sides and attach attaching-straps to it.
I think what I want is some sort of sheet of foam, but I don't know the first thing about commercial foam products. What would you recommend?
I am looking for a material to use for a project that's going to be exposed to the weather. In fact, that's its function: to protect something that water falls on. But not from the wet, from the force of the falling water.
So I am looking for some commercial product that:
1) comes in sufficiently large planes. I think we're talking like 2ft x 3ft (or maybe 18" x 26").
2) will stand up to having a gutter down-spout pour water on it when it rains, i.e. not break down under those conditions, at least for a while.
2a) Mold resistance would be especially nice.
2b) Freezing-temperatures and ice tolerant also highly desirable.
3) Not too heavy. Doesn't absorb or retain water, so it doesn't become heavier when it rains.
4) Is somewhat yielding and springy-cushiony -- this is important -- to reduce/disperse the force imparted by the falling water onto the substrate.
5) Preference for something vaguely rigid, such that I can push it into position. I have alternative ways to get it where it's going, but something too flexible -- like a blanket -- that can't be pushed from one side into position won't work well.
I did a proof of concept with a waterproof pillow I made, and it worked awesome, but that's not very durable, and because it was somewhat high-profile, it tended to get blown about by the wind. I'm looking for something similarly effective that has a much lower profile to the wind. And to passers-by like my landlord.
Also, it might be useful if it had some modest strength in tension as well, so I can punch holes in it at the sides and attach attaching-straps to it.
I think what I want is some sort of sheet of foam, but I don't know the first thing about commercial foam products. What would you recommend?