cabin insulation

[ms.lau]

a wood burning stove (dry heat) and a bit more ventilation is my plan now that i've moved aboard.

i'd like to insulate as well and have been looking at spray foam insulation. does anyone know anything about this?

laura

 

[RogerG]

Spray foam insulation is a messy job best left to the professionals in my opinion. It is normally carried out before the internal fitout of a boat, or requires the removal of internal structures to get at the bare surfaces of hull and superstructure. You can buy aerosol cans of insulating foam, which are useful for covering small exposed areas behind panelling, but not really suitable for big insulating jobs.

Celotex or other insulators bonded to the exposed surfaces are going to be easier for DIY

Roger

 

[ms.lau]

another thing i've seen is plastazote

http://www.thamesvalleysupplies.co.uk/plastazote.php

which i think another forumite has used on his boat

ah yes,

http://onkudu.com/category/fitting-out-kudu/

(sorry to hear you're selling her)

laura

 

[nathanlee]

hi,
does anyone have expierence of sleeping in a small GRP boat against the cabin sides with no wooden slats added or similar. Is the condensation there as well as cabin roof
Thanks Jack

Yes, it gets wet and horrible with mouldy bedding.

http://onkudu.com/fitting-out-kudu/finished-the-hull-insulation/

That's what I did to mine. 12mm closed cell foam. It has made a massive difference. MASSIVE.

 

[nathanlee]

another thing i've seen is plastazote

http://www.thamesvalleysupplies.co.uk/plastazote.php

which i think another forumite has used on his boat

ah yes,

http://onkudu.com/category/fitting-out-kudu/

(sorry to hear you're selling her)

laura

Hehe. I should read the last post before replying, shouldn't I.

I know, but needs must. This is winter number 4 on the boat, and I'm getting old and fancy being able to stand up in my home.

 

[Strathglass]

I use 1" kingspan in the fwd cabin from the waterline up about 18".

This is then covered with carpeting.

The result is no condensation from the sides making the sleeping bags wet.

But I still get condensation causing drips from the glass/perspex on the cockpit floor locker.

There is plenty of ventilation on the boat.

Iain

 

[floebs]

a wood burning stove (dry heat) and a bit more ventilation is my plan now that i've moved aboard.

hi laura, a wood burning stove sounds like just the ticket! what size boat do you have? (and what size stove too) i'm not sure my boat would be big enough to install a wood burner onboard, although if i could, i'd do it in a heartbeat!

no experience with the squirty foam insulation, i've decided to try the stick on stuff, so… just bought some silver lined foam thermal insulation (westco) 10 sq metres for £9.89, some 'impact' adhesive 500ml for £6.05, and (for comparison) some dow corning polysulphide adhesive 380ml for £6.05, all from selco (builders warehouse), also have a couple of the 'old camper mats' option to cut up and try too. i'm going to be busy gluing and cutting this week!!

 

[RogerG]

As long as their is moist warm air in the boat and a cold surface like your perspex windows directly transferring heat to the outside, you will always get condensation. The more the temperature difference the more the condensation once the air reaches dewpoint. Ventilation will help remove moisture saturated air and will reduce condensation. The only way to stop it is to keep all surfaces insulated and/or at the inside air temperature, or reduce the inside temperature to the outside one. Removing all moisture from the air with a dehumidifier will also eliminate the problem.

I know a number of people who believe the answer is to lower the boat temperature and keep well wrapped up, but the lower the air temperature in the boat, the less moisture it will retain and you will still get condensation on colder surface. Others just keep producing loads of heat, to warm up all the cold surfaces, so loads of heat and lots of ventilation will also cure the condensation problem if you can afford to keep the marina warm aswell, or live somewhere warmer like the Carribean

On our own boat, the whole hull and superstructure shell is sprayfoam insulated, we have a solid fuel stove to produce dry heat and draw in outside air, and we have simple secondary double glazing on all our windows. Under beds and inside cupboards is also lined with soft covering and beds have slatted bases and are ventilated to allow airflow. This is our 8th Winter onboard coming up and we won't have condensation problems.

Roger

 

[ms.lau]

hi floebs

my boat's 34' and quite roomy.
if i had the money i'd get a "sardine" stove - http://www.marinestove.com/index.htm
sold by - http://www.davey.co.uk/davey_and_co_products.html in this country, but with deck fittings, etc. it would cost over £!k.

other contenders are
http://www.davey.co.uk/davey_and_co_products.html
http://www.elyboatchandlers.com/vmchk/wall-mounted-heaters/dickinson-newport-solid-fuel-heater
http://www.hampshireheaters.co.uk/index.html
http://www.colinfrake-classicyachtfittings.co.uk/CFfavershamstove.html

all have drawbacks/advantages but i'm not sure any of them are quite what i want/need.

my favourite is the "wendy"
http://www.windysmithy.co.uk/html/woodburners.htm
but it may need some modification for a sea-going boat, so i'm making enquiries...

there's also this if you're good at metalwork
http://www.bluemoment.com/simplestove.html

hope this helps, i'm getting a bit obsessed

laura

 

[nathanlee]

i'm going to be busy gluing and cutting this week!!

Couple of things to note here. 500ml of adhesive will not go very far. Since you need to coat both surfaces, one really tends to use up the stuff.

Second, all the adhesives I've used have been seriously fumey. You'll need some sort of forced extraction otherwise you'll not only be overcome with fumes (some may enjoy that bit) but you're turning your boat in to a big explosive gas tank (not enjoyable).

Alternatively, I've had great results from evo-stick solvent free impact adhesive. You'll have to mail order though, as I can never find it stocked in shops.

 

[aquaplane]

I have lined my Centaur, below the hull/deck joint, with this stuff from Floors 2 go:
http://www.floors2go.co.uk/accessories/150/orange-underlay

It's only 3mm but it is enough to get rid of the cold surface and move the condensation to the windows. I didn't do the lockers under the walkround initially and they suffered badly, they are now insulated and are better. The lockers under and behind the berths didn't seem as bad for condensation but I have lined them too.

Ventilation is the key, and airing the bedding at every opportunity, not easy in winter I know.

The GRP has been painted and spray glue just softens the paint, the foam then droops. I need to start again under the cockpit seats down the ¼ berths with some water based glue.

I had a Jag 25 with cord carpet lining, it feels warm but it was pants once it got damp from the condensation from the windows then it got mildew, I wouldn't have a non-wipeclean/washable liner again.

The Wallas heater helps keep things dry but it helps to have some insulation too.

 

[floebs]

hope this helps, i'm getting a bit obsessed

haha, yep, i think you might qualify for 'obsessive' but thanks these are great links and lots of neat info too - i'm liking the idea of the DIY version! but that wendy is pretty cute too. my boat is only 27ft - not quite as roomy as yours - but some of those might fit. hmm, now wheres my tape measure!

Couple of things to note here. 500ml of adhesive will not go very far. Since you need to coat both surfaces, one really tends to use up the stuff.

nathan, thanks for the info - i (originally) followed your link (from your blog) to the 'impact' supply via amazon, but have now also managed to find a local builders merchant supplier (selco) who do 500ml tins for around £6 which turns out a little better deal than the amazon site - but it looks like i might need to find 5 LITRE! tins if i have to coat both sides

also thanks for the heads up about the fumes, i had worried about that - i'll probably just do it a bit at a time and leave the hatch and companionway open. if you hear a BOOOOM this week, you'll know that brew i offered is no longer available

I have lined my Centaur, below the hull/deck joint, with this stuff from Floors 2 go:
http://www.floors2go.co.uk/accessories/150/orange-underlay

It's only 3mm but it is enough to get rid of the cold surface and move the condensation to the windows. I didn't do the lockers under the walkround initially and they suffered badly, they are now insulated and are better. The lockers under and behind the berths didn't seem as bad for condensation but I have lined them too.

aquaplane, glad to hear the 3mm underlay stuff has worked, i've just bought some 3mm 'thermal' underlay (also from selco) and intend to use that on the vee berth roof, and maybe the saloon roof too, with thicker stuff on the hull and inside lockers - still to source the thicker stuff tho!

 

[Kurphy]

Insulating our boat currently. Lots of room so using celotex. A thermal dynamics engineer friend of ours said that the best option is 5mm air gap, as thick as possible celotex then silver foil over the seams then lining.

we’re glueing 5mm tubing to the hull. The tube is drilled across the hole to allow air to pass through. Then 25mm celotex then foil then 15mm of wood lining. Should be snug as a bug but I will report back. We are them using ducting with an in-line solar fan to draw out the air gap. We are also making sure there is plenty of places for condensation to run into the bilge.