511ace
New member
Has anyone used a flexible thermal insulation sheet to reduce condensation in cabin
insulation for. boat interior
- Thread starter 511ace
- Start date
pagoda
Active member
I used the self adhesive closed cell 6mm foam sheet from Hawke house. Applied the bare hull, when dry / warmish, a very sticky material .Then covered by ply panels on the ceiling. Noticeably warmer & has some noise reduction also.
The same material I lined the cabin/ hull walls with, then covered with Veltrim (ebay-look for "van-lining"). Almost 13mm of insulation now, a huge improvement on nasty old crumbly open cell foam backed vinyl. Warm, quiet, darker and pleasant to touch.
Ventilation and avoiding breathing also helps!
Remember cooking with gas generates lots of moisture, so leave adequate ventilation - or it will just condense on everything cool enough.
Graeme
Graham_Wright
Well-known member
Cotswold Foam in Gloucester offer a huge range of foam for insulation and boat upholstery.
Nice people and good prices.
Nice people and good prices.
geem
Well-known member
I insulated our last boat some 11 years ago. we used 6mm closed cell foam. it is very much like the camping mat material. Two layers of 6mm applied with high temperature Evostik direct to the hull then Hawke House marine foam backed vinyl on top. This completely solved our condensation problem. I checked the thermal performance of the foam using our computer software at work and this confirmed 12mm insulation was the minimum. where we could use ply panels we insulated behind these with 2x6mm insulation then applied foam backed vinyl to the ply. it all looked good 11 years later before we sold the boat last November.
uxb
New member
Yes, I insulated the fore cabin with cheap camping carry mat. Simply removed the lining panels and hot glue gunned the (shaped with scissors ) sheets onto the hull and deck head. Very easy ,very cheap and very effective.
jb267
New member
Yes, works very well. Google "Palziv"
This is 6mm closed cell on a roll for not a lot of money
This is 6mm closed cell on a roll for not a lot of money
Seajet
...
When I fitted the thin ply headlining in my boat I glued polystyrene tiles for insulation and silver foil as insulation / better than nothing radar reflector.
It's hard to quantify but it seems to have worked overall on both counts.
It's hard to quantify but it seems to have worked overall on both counts.
Bobobolinsky
New member
I use Celotex 
Comes in 12mm and 20mm thicknesses
Comes in 12mm and 20mm thicknesses
Mark G
Member
I use Celotex
Comes in 12mm and 20mm thicknesses
How flexible is the 12mm Celotex and how did you attach it?
Pye_End
Well-known member
It crackles rather in larger sheets. Can always cut it down a bit. Tried floor tile adhesive and Evostick contact adhesive, but in the end used mainly 'Sticks Like' as it was quicker.
theguerns
New member
As a boat builder I have had many yacht owners complain about condensation and I have told them that the carpet they are lined with just wont do the job. All the yachts I have insulated are now condensation free. I use a 20mm thick closed cell foam glued to the hull in all lockers and down to just above the bilges. I then tell my clients to make sure thay leave the hatches on vent as air circulation is very important. I also recommend that they fi tone or two solar vents (ec smith) as this keeps the air flow active in the boat. To glue the foam I use CT1 as it is a very good sealant adhesive and much better than Sikafles. I hope this is of help to you.
Seajet
...
I understand your point about ventilation, but how about chilly days let alone winter time ?
I've lived aboard in mid winter with thick snow on deck and the draught from a hatch on vent position was the last thing we wanted !
We did have a scoop / funnel vent via the anchor locker as a sort of ' dorade box ', a tannoy vent and a grille in the washboards.
Also gas stoves when cooking put a huge amount of condensation into the air, even one's breath does too.
The boat was lined with polystyrene tiles between headlining & deckhead and waterproof floatex carpet at the cabin sides, heating was by 240V fan heater but we still suffered chest problems via the damp.
Whenever I hear from live-aboards I think condensation is their no.1 enemy.
I've lived aboard in mid winter with thick snow on deck and the draught from a hatch on vent position was the last thing we wanted !
We did have a scoop / funnel vent via the anchor locker as a sort of ' dorade box ', a tannoy vent and a grille in the washboards.
Also gas stoves when cooking put a huge amount of condensation into the air, even one's breath does too.
The boat was lined with polystyrene tiles between headlining & deckhead and waterproof floatex carpet at the cabin sides, heating was by 240V fan heater but we still suffered chest problems via the damp.
Whenever I hear from live-aboards I think condensation is their no.1 enemy.
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