Insulation and Mold Links

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by 75GMCCadet26

Got the next panel off and there is an elaborate mouse nest in the insulation. Its an old bus but a great argument for the idea that it is always best to pull the panels.

Your mouse nest!


My first bus had a mouse problem. It had a hand painted sign above the front door that said "Have a mice day!".

[CaptainInsaneo]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

My first bus had a mouse problem. It had a hand painted sign above the front door that said "Have a mice day!".

I don't know to laugh or cringe. On the upside it was a good place for your pets to live that take up any floor space.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by CaptainInsaneo

I don't know to laugh or cringe. On the upside it was a good place for your pets to live that take up any floor space.

I should have added that the sign was painted on by the school who'd operated the bus, not me!

[Tedd]

OK ... we are all in agreement that all the panels have to come down and the old insulation must come out.

What about the next part ... what to put back. Going back to fiberglass is crazy.

I don't like the idea of Great Foam because it can hold water and cause steel to rust through.

There are a number of other Heat, vibration and sound barriers to choose from.

Spray-ons like Lizard skin are easy to install but very expensive.

Good peal and stick stuff is also a bit expensive.

I'm thinking about rigid foam insulation but am at a loss as to what adhesive will hold foam to steel

Suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks

[OMGIBoughtABus]

Originally Posted by Tedd

OK ... we are all in agreement that all the panels have to come down and the old insulation must come out.

What about the next part ... what to put back. Going back to fiberglass is crazy.

I don't like the idea of Great Foam because it can hold water and cause steel to rust through.

There are a number of other Heat, vibration and sound barriers to choose from.

Spray-ons like Lizard skin are easy to install but very expensive.

Good peal and stick stuff is also a bit expensive.

I'm thinking about rigid foam insulation but am at a loss as to what adhesive will hold foam to steel

Suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks

I was considering using insulation I saw online that looks like a layer of foil on both sides of a layer of bubble wrap.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Insulation-D...item1e9d6f14ea

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by OMGIBoughtABus

I was considering using insulation I saw online that looks like a layer of foil on both sides of a layer of bubble wrap.

Insulation Double Foil Reflective Double Bubble Radiant Barrier 258SQFT | eBay

That's ok for temporary use over windows and such, but isn't real insulation.

[nat_ster]

Two part closed cell spray foam is not like the one part "Great Stuff".

It won't absorb and hold moisture unless submerged for long periods of time. It also won't rust the steel like the single part "Great Stuff".

Here on skoolie.net we have researched and discussed this topic over and over again.

Closed cell, two part spray foam in a two pound density is the best there is for a skoolie conversion.

Best insulation for the floor is the blue 300 psi high density rigid Styrofoam sheets.

All that bubble wrap, tin foil faced styrofaom, tin foil with fiberglass inside, and insulation paints are all a farce. Nothing more than snake oil marketing scams.

Like East Coast CB said. Foil bubble wrap is good to block sunlight coming through a window, but is not real insulation.

Nat

[EastCoastCB]

Something Nat and I pretty much ALWAYS agree on is insulation.
Closed cell spray in or board is the only stuff I'd use. At all.

[Tedd]

Originally Posted by nat_ster

Closed cell, two part spray foam in a two pound density is the best there is for a skoolie conversion.

Nat

Can you share brand names and availability in the US?

Unfortunately, cost does enter into the discussion.

I own a short schoolie and need about 80 square feet of walls to cover.

Can this stuff be had under a buck per square foot?

[OMGIBoughtABus]

Originally Posted by Tedd

Unfortunately, cost does enter into the discussion

Cost weighs heavy on my mind as well, but since my goal is to tiny housify my bus and live in it, I guess I better not go cheap on crucial items like insulation.

When you pay more for quality, you only cry once.

[CaptainInsaneo]

Originally Posted by Tedd

OK ... we are all in agreement that all the panels have to come down and the old insulation must come out.

If the fiber glass is ok and you are fine with it don't pitch it just reuse it. Spray foam or foam board great stuff'ed into place is almost as good

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Something Nat and I pretty much ALWAYS agree on is insulation.
Closed cell spray in or board is the only stuff I'd use. At all.

Thats like agreeing that fresh milk is better than spoiled milk

Originally Posted by Tedd

Can you share brand names and availability in the US?

Unfortunately, cost does enter into the discussion.

I own a short schoolie and need about 80 square feet of walls to cover.

Can this stuff be had under a buck per square foot?

There a lot of DIY foam kits available on the internet and they are all within about $20-50 of each other. And as best as I can tell they are all so similar that I doubt you could tell them apart without the labels. It is also general accepted that the cost of getting it professionally done is usually not more than 20-30% more than a diy job especially if you screw up or waste too much foam.

[nat_ster]

Originally Posted by Tedd

Can you share brand names and availability in the US?

Unfortunately, cost does enter into the discussion.

I own a short schoolie and need about 80 square feet of walls to cover.

Can this stuff be had under a buck per square foot?

No, I'm not in the USA.

I live in Canada. Here It cost .75 cents to $1.10 a square foot by one inch thick.

I personally don't care what it cost. The savings in energy over the life of the bus will pay for the insulation cost 1000 times over.

Nat

[family wagon]

I like my milk fresh rather than spoiled, and polyurethane spray foam is good too.

However, there's one area where I'm not so sure about using foam in my build: inside the firewall over the engine compartment (rear engine). Fiberglass has higher temperature tolerance than foam, doesn't it? I'm thinking about 1-2 inches of fiberglass there, possibly with foam sprayed over the top for its moisture barrier and air envelope properties.

[CaptainInsaneo]

Firewall use rock wool, it doesn't burn, ever. That is what you use to make this little glowing embers in gas fireplaces. I like my milk fresh, but I do likes me my cheese and yogurt too.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by CaptainInsaneo

Firewall use rock wool, it doesn't burn, ever. That is what you use to make this little glowing embers in gas fireplaces. I like my milk fresh, but I do likes me my cheese and yogurt too.

Ah you beat me to it!
YEah, rockwool is what I've been planning to use around the engine cover and in the wall I'm putting in behind the drivers area.

[Tango]

I've always been told that rockwool holds a lot of moisture (?).

[nat_ster]

Or they make one out of ceramic that looks like fiberglass, but has a even higher heat rating.

Most fireplaces sold around here use ceramic batt insulation, not rock wool.

I researched this awhile back because I'm building my wood / coal stove right into the wall, with a feeding door on the outside of my bus.

Originally Posted by Tango

I've always been told that rockwool holds a lot of moisture (?).

It does. Worse than fiberglass. That's why I went looking for something better and found ceramic batt insulation.

Nat

[EastCoastCB]

Mineral wool absorbs less than 1% of its weight in moisture, whereas cellulose absorbs 5–20% of its weight.8

Performance - Insulation Institute

Because unfaced mineral wool is inorganic, mold cannot feed on them like it can on other types of insulation

FIRE PROTECTION

Give ultimate peace of mind with high fire ratings. Mineral wool is naturally noncombustible and outperforms all other standard insulating materials.

Mineral wool will withstand temperatures up to 2150°F (1177°C).4

Mineral wool does not have to rely upon harsh chemical fire retardants.

Mineral wool is an excellent choice for applications with especially stringent fire and smoke rating requirements, meeting NFPA 220, ASTM E 136 standards.

[nat_ster]

Mmm, that would be for wood structures, not metal.

Something don't add up. People around here start plants in rock wool.

It must hold enough moisture for that.

What did it say about fiberglass for a percentage?

Nat

[CaptainInsaneo]

OH GOD YES, it holds moisture like no bodies business I grew hydroponic potatoes in it. As a side not potatoes make for bad bathroom plants they take over to the point you have to move them to poop, what I have a bath tub garden. However that said you are using it on a FIREWALL so it should dry out quickly with the heat and seriously how big is your firewall? If you insulate on the inside of the cab it should be fine if you put up a vapor barrier on it. If you put it on the engine side who cares.