Do-It-Yourself Swimming Pool

If you’ve ever ordered something through the mail or purchased a fragile item, you’ve run across foam packaging inserts. Whether they’re the rigid, white polystyrene variety, or squishy charcoal foam, it is wise to keep these materials around as extra foam for packaging, even after you’ve decided you won’t need to return the product they originally protected.

The simplest way to reuse foam packing is to use it as packaging again in something you need to mail. If you’re sending something to a relative or friend or returning a product for repair or work, it’s always smart to protect it as best possible. Often times a product’s original packaging has been thrown away long ago, so we use one that’s “close enough.” Stuffing a makeshift package with soft, polyurethane foam can keep it secure and help absorb impact.

Packaging peanuts are the least-liked packaging material, but even these have some in-home uses. Packaging peanuts can be used as spacers behind pictures to protect the wall and are also helpful for holding a nail in place too, when you begin to hammer.

Firmer open-cell packing materials meanwhile, can also serve an acoustical purpose. When paired with a non-resonant piece of MDF wood for a stand, firm charcoal foam can be used under speakers and subwoofers as a decoupling product, isolating the speaker from the floor. This can reduce the vibrations transmitted through the room, which can be causing annoying rattles and buzzing as small items vibrate along with the frequencies. It can also give your speakers and woofers a clearer sound and lift them to a better listening position. If you’ve got loads of packaging foam and you don’t know what to do with it, try out these ideas and any others you may think of for a more practical approach than simply just throwing it away.

Most conventional foams operate just like a sponge, absorbing and holding water. This is a major drawback in situations where the comfort of foam is wanted in damp or marine environments. Water held within a conventional foam form, like custom outdoor cushions, can cause the material to rot, mold and mildew, essentially ruining the product. Luckily, a special type of foam exists that is designed exclusively for marine or outdoor uses: fast dying foam.

Also known as dryfast foam, this product is the perfect material for a custom boat mattress or patio cushions. Made with incredibly large pores, dryfast has an almost wiry appearance that you can see right into. Conventional foams feature cells fractions of that size that you can barely identify unless looking very closely. This wide-open cellular structure allows water to pass and drain through the form, rather than be retained like traditional materials. The ability of water to drain through the foam means air also can easily pass through the foam, quickly drying the material, giving you a durable and water resistant cushioning material, especially when covered in a breathable covering fabric.

Dryfast foam is also treated to be antimicrobial, a very important factor for things like a boat mattress that may get wet but doesn’t have the ability to dry like outdoor products do. Even aiming a fan at a dampened dryfast foam cushion can help dry it out.

Despite the massive cells, quick-drying foam is durable and supportive, so your boat cushions or seating pads won’t wear out under you. If you have comfort needs in damp environments, quick-drying foam is just what you want.

Whether you use it to stay warm on a winter’s night or use it to help unwind after a hard day’s work on a cool summer evening, hot tubs can be enjoyed year round. It takes effort to ensure they stay at temperature however, and the more a machine has to work to keep water at temperature, the more energy is used. To keep hot tubs at peak efficiency, they feature insulating toppers that trap warmth and keep the water clean. Due to the demanding nature of the job, these covers are almost exclusively made from a polystyrene core.

Polystyrene has many valuable traits that lend it to use in hot tub covers, but the greatest is its insulation capacity. This closed-cell foam has a strong R-value, a measure of thermal insulation, keeping the water warmer. The greater density of foam, the better its insulating ability as well. Polystyrene’s structure is also water-resistant and won’t easily absorb moisture or vapors. Because of the nature of the job, all covers will eventually need to be replaced at some point, but polystyrene offers one of the best returns on investment, given its functionality and longevity.

Polystyrene foam is also surprisingly easy to customize. Using hot wire cutters, foam manufacturers can cut replacement cushions to nearly any size or shape, very important for replacing the covers on custom-built hot tubs. Getting foam cut to order for hot tub cover replacement can be as easy as locating a manufacturer or fabricator and giving them the dimensions of your tub. When installed and maintained properly, a polystyrene hot tub cover will offer you years of energy saving efficiency and relaxing enjoyment.

Do you love to relax on your patio or deck furniture but hate the mad scramble to bring them in the second it looks like it might rain? Have you experienced trouble finding the material for your boat cushions so they don’t get rotten and waterlogged? For these situations and many more, there exists a porous, quick-drying, antimicrobial foam that is often referred to as “dryfast foam.”

Foam for patio cushions needs to be able to handle the elements. Conventional foam absorbs water like a sponge and can be next to impossible to dry when wet. Once wet, conventional cushions quickly mold and rot, turning into something nobody wants to sit on. Fast-drying foam cushions outdoor and marine seats with a wide-celled, reticulated structure, designed to permit the flow of moisture and air to drain and dry quickly. While traditional foam cells barely measure a fraction of a millimeter, quick-drying foam has cells that are three, four or even five millimeters wide. That may not seem like much, but it is more than adequate to let the cushion drain water and dry by air.

Many of these fast-drying materials feature antimicrobial compounds in their structure so if anything is preventing air from drying the cushion, like a wet bathing suit or towel, there’s no worry over the cushion rotting. When covered in a breathable outdoor fabric, a foam cut to size cushion can be left out during a storm and won’t get waterlogged in a damp marine environment. If you need outdoor cushioning that is comfortable but durable, fast-drying foam is the foam for the job.

Whether you enjoy a quiet cup of tea or coffee first thing in the morning, sunning during the day by the pool, or unwinding on a cool summer evening, patio furniture can give you some of your most relaxing and enjoyable moments throughout the day. All patio furniture is not created the same however, and rigid surfaces covered with low-quality materials or worn-out furniture furnishings can force you back inside on even the nicest days due to discomfort.

A material designed to be used outdoors, featuring a self-drying cellular structure, is the perfect material for a patio furniture cushion, and that exists in the form of dry-fast foam. Water drains through the material and air is able to pass through and help dry the cushion. When covered in an aerating fabric such as Phifertex or Sunbrella Cushions, they can be left outside in all conditions, with the only real upkeep being an occasional rinse with a hose. If you want to maximize your outdoor enjoyment, selecting patio furniture that meets the same comfort requirements as your living room furniture is vital.

When we sit on the couch in our living room, the comfort is noticeable because we’re only focused on one or two things, with the primary goal being comfortable relaxation. On the patio or in the yard we’re grilling, keeping an eye on the kids and pets, tossing around the ball and getting in and out of the pool. When we’re finally able to whittle down our responsibilities is when we finally sit down to relax and take note of the chair’s comfort. Selecting high quality padding materials that can hold up to use without being uncomfortable, all while resisting the elements, is what will make that moment a relaxing one instead of a disappointment.

During the dog days of summer, there are few things as inviting as going for a refreshing dip in the pool, lake, river or ocean. And whether you have a beachfront property or go to the public pool, there are plenty of water toys and accessories that can make a day on the water even more enjoyable.

The most ubiquitous of all water and pool accessories is the noodle. These foam rubber cylinder creations are fun for flotation and games. Typically made of polyethylene closed-cell foam, these tubes have a smooth outer surface that covers an interior that is non-absorbent and very buoyant. Made in many colors, these tubes can have almost limitless lengths and diameters as well. Some come with hollow cores and others are solid, but their only limit is the imagination of the user*.

If you are a parent looking to keep a watchful eye on children or simply prefer to relax near the pool but not in it, getting the right outdoor patio cushions is essential. A cheap, woven lawn chair or a sticky, plastic chaise lounger is going to get uncomfortable quickly, cutting down on the time you spend at the water. The answer to that is to outfit your seating with the perfect outdoor furniture cushion. The smartest way do this is with fast-drying outdoor foam, but any material can be used if enough precaution is taken to avoid damaging it. Cushions can be made for loungers, wicker chairs and outdoor benches that will provide you with the comfort you get on your couch inside. No matter where you go to cool off in the summer, there are plenty of ways to have fun and make it even more relaxing.

*Foam noodles are not intended to be used as a life-saving flotation device. They are exclusively recreational products.

For people living in places where space is at a premium, maximizing the utility of every item and furnishing is imperative. Whether it’s a college dorm, a studio, or a house or apartment with a few extra residents, some of the best furniture is the stuff that can be used in multiple ways while taking up minimal space.

Folding furniture is one of the old standbys for tight living spaces. The most popular and widely known is of course, the futon. With a push and a pull, a soft couch frame swings out, flattens and becomes a full-size bed. While the collegiate dorm room futons most people are familiar with can be flimsy and have unsupportive cushions, higher-end futons can be incredibly attractive pieces of furniture that save space and offer excellent comfort. Using better materials, like a foam futon pad instead of fiber filling, can give a futon the feel of a comfortable sofa or the softest bed, able to instantly become whichever is needed.

Another option, popular in the 20s and 30s and making a resurgence today, is the folding bed. Often recognized from a gag in slapstick movies or cartoons, a bed that folds vertically into a cabinet or the wall can effectively remove a bed from a room in minutes. To keep up with the times, these cabinets are made in many different styles so they blend into a space seamlessly.

Yet another example is the folding foam chair, a three-piece seat that folds flat as an occasional use or spare mattress for naptime for kids or extra guests. These come in virtually every fabric covering possible, making them practical in any space. If you’re short on space, all it takes is a little creativity, and you can be comfortable with plenty of room left over.

Kayaking is one of the most enjoyable ways to enjoy the outdoors; being on the water, getting exercise and seeing flora and fauna. Without the right outfitting though, a kayak can become uncomfortable quickly, focusing pressure in the wrong areas and causing circulation issues and even numbness. To combat this, many kayakers make their own unique custom foam seats, carved out of a foam block.

If you’re willing to invest the time and effort into creating your own custom foam seat, the benefits can be substantial. Buying the raw block foam and trimming it will save money and gives you the ability to test the fit as you go for a perfectly tailored seat. Carving also lets you make sure it fits into the kayak snugly. Buying a seat only gives you one shot at the right size, and it may or may not fit correctly.

Using closed-cell minicell or EVA foam, you can have a waterproof cushion that will spread your weight evenly while still supporting you. Most seat-foam varieties can be sanded for incredibly detailed customization. And while the comfort benefits the right seat can provide are substantial, it can also be beneficial for safety. A snugly fitting seat that comfortably keeps you in contact with the shell of your kayak gives you greater stability and control over your vessel, which can make a difference in avoiding obstacles or righting yourself after a flip.

For your most comfortable and safest kayaking experience, you can’t go wrong outfitting your kayak with a custom foam seat.

If you enjoy participating in live action role-play, you’re well aware that a big part of the fun is creating your own storyline and world for the games. This includes outfits, armor and weapons, with the only limit being the imagination.

One of the most important materials in the creation of LARP accessories is foam, with different material sheets offering varying levels of rigidity, strength, support and padding, perfect for making shields, swords and armor. LARP swords, sometimes called boffers, usually have a core of rigid plastic or fiberglass that is wrapped in cushioning, high density foam, giving you something that’s substantial enough to parry and strike with, but soft enough to avoid injury. The ubiquitous foam noodles seen around pools and beaches in the summer are often used as well, since they’re already sword-shaped. If permitted in the rules of play, boffers can have thrusting tips that are made of the softest open-cell foam for extra protection.

Thicker foam sheets are routinely fashioned into shields for deflecting blows and adding to the medieval or fantasy feel of a game. Outdoor cushion foam is often used because it can get wet without rotting or degrading, and thicker sections of water-resistant polyethylene are rigid enough to hold up to use. In thinner sections, these can even be fashioned into lightweight, shock absorbing body armor.

With your own DIY LARP foam accessories, you’re sure to have a fun time while staying safe and comfortable.