Insulating Walls

[McPuccio]

So I tried to remove the sheet metal that's covering my walls under the window and found it to be much harder to remove than the ceiling panels (that came off pretty easy with a pry bar and a hammer.)

My question is this: What have y'all done to insulate your walls?

I'm thinking I can just put some 2x4s flat up against the ledge the seats rested on with a brace at the top and just lose an inch or so off both sides of the bus and spray insulate inbetween after we do wiring.

Thoughts?

[pengyou]

Thanks for asking! I am doing this kind of research myself. So you are saying that the walls will have 1.5" of insulation - the true thickness of a 2x4? If I can add a question to your post, why do you need a 2x4? That will be 3.5" of space that will have no sprayed in insulation. Can you use 1x2's instead? This will also cause a lot of heat or cold..can't remember the term for this kind of energy loss.

Ahhhh thermal bridging...when the wall support, i.e. the 2x4 works counterproductively and helps transfer heat from outside into the interior.

[ACamper]

I am also debating just keeping the original sheet metal on the walls and framing and insulating over them. I am not sure yet. I might have a go at the rivets and see how much work they are.

The insulation I have is 2" thick foam board so I will probably get 2" wide wood and frame the walls.

[EastCoastCB]

An air chisel makes short work of the rivets. Demo is the easy part!

[ACamper]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

An air chisel makes short work of the rivets. Demo is the easy part!

Air chisel will probably be the deciding factor for me, if I can find one to borrow or not.

I do not like drilling, grinding or hand pounding rivets. but an air chisel.. yeah that is a different story and much shorter more pleasant story.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by ACamper

Air chisel will probably be the deciding factor for me, if I can find one to borrow or not.

I do not like drilling, grinding or hand pounding rivets. but an air chisel.. yeah that is a different story and much shorter more pleasant story.

Harbor freight one is cheap and guaranteed for 1 job.

No, works fine. The key is single-bevel sharpen the chisel.

[T-Bolt]

On my bus the vertical seams are screwed but much to my dismay the top was spot welded. I decided to remove the screws and use a Harbor Freight nibbler that I got for $26. This leaves an inch or so of sheet metal bus I'm doing spray foam so it will never be seen.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by ACamper

Air chisel will probably be the deciding factor for me, if I can find one to borrow or not.

I do not like drilling, grinding or hand pounding rivets. but an air chisel.. yeah that is a different story and much shorter more pleasant story.

They're only about twenty bucks brand new man.

[McPuccio]

Good talk y'all but I'm far more interested in how to insulate my walls.

[Jacob]

Originally Posted by McPuccio

Good talk y'all but I'm far more interested in how to insulate my walls.

If you plan on using the bus in extreme temps and want to save space I would go through the effort of removing the metal and replace with better insulation and save some interior width. I'm sure framing the walls with 2x4 would be plenty of room for insulation but when your working with 7.5 feet 8" is a lot to give up. Just my .02

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by McPuccio

Good talk y'all but I'm far more interested in how to insulate my walls.

That is what we're talking about. That requires TOOLS.

[ACamper]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Harbor freight one is cheap and guaranteed for 1 job.

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

They're only about twenty bucks brand new man.

wow, $9.99 what could go wrong ? just kidding.

One of the issues is location, the bus is in the woods the only amenity right now is water. I do have access to tools close by, just have to borrow the generator and truck to haul it up there with. I hopefully will have my own generator by spring.

The main thing is I have the bus up there. Everything else can be organized.

Originally Posted by McPuccio

Good talk y'all but I'm far more interested in how to insulate my walls.

You might want to consider a $10. air hammer to peel the metal off the walls.

[MarkyDee]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

An air chisel makes short work of the rivets. Demo is the easy part!

If demo is the easy part, I'm concerned for the rest....

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by MarkyDee

If demo is the easy part, I'm concerned for the rest....

All it takes is sheer will, determination, and a humble spirit to create greatness.
If I can do it anyone can.

[McPuccio]

Another thing I've heard is drilling a hole in the sheet metal and injecting/spraying foam into the cavity inside. Has anyone done this?

[family wagon]

It comes up from time to time. There are a couple pitfalls to be aware of, and I don't think we've heard of a success story yet.

1. single-part foams require moisture (water vapor) to cure. The reason they don't cure in the can on the shelf is that water vapor from the air can't get inside the can. The walls of a bus are a lot like the can, too, except that the inside of the can is protected from the corrosive effects of the liquid foam. The inside of a bus wall isn't protected; the never-curing liquid will attack the steel. As an example, the data sheet for Dow's Great Stuff brand specifically warns not to use the product in sealed spaces because it won't cure properly. A two-part foam may not have this problem.
2. expanding foam is really strong. It's all too easy to over-fill the gap between a window or door jamb and the rough wall framing with spray can insulation and have it expand so much that the jamb deflects and the door or window binds. In a bus wall it would be similar: the space would be underfilled (fail to realize the insulation value that was wanted), overfilled (cause the sheet metal to swell), or, if you're really lucky, maybe some would get filled just right.

[MarkyDee]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

All it takes is sheer will, determination, and a humble spirit to create greatness.
If I can do it anyone can.

Thanks, ECCB!

[McPuccio]

Originally Posted by family wagon

It comes up from time to time. There are a couple pitfalls to be aware of, and I don't think we've heard of a success story yet.

1. single-part foams require moisture (water vapor) to cure. The reason they don't cure in the can on the shelf is that water vapor from the air can't get inside the can. The walls of a bus are a lot like the can, too, except that the inside of the can is protected from the corrosive effects of the liquid foam. The inside of a bus wall isn't protected; the never-curing liquid will attack the steel. As an example, the data sheet for Dow's Great Stuff brand specifically warns not to use the product in sealed spaces because it won't cure properly. A two-part foam may not have this problem.
2. expanding foam is really strong. It's all too easy to over-fill the gap between a window or door jamb and the rough wall framing with spray can insulation and have it expand so much that the jamb deflects and the door or window binds. In a bus wall it would be similar: the space would be underfilled (fail to realize the insulation value that was wanted), overfilled (cause the sheet metal to swell), or, if you're really lucky, maybe some would get filled just right.

Would need to know exact volumes and such. Sounds a lot like I'll be deconstructing these walls completely. Problem is that they seem to be pretty involved with the window assemblies.

[Jacob]

My windows in the old bus came out relatively easy and you Will have a chance to reseal while removed... it was a 99 Blue Bird. But if I remember correctly I didn't have to remove the windows to get the wall skins off. My thomas is different they will have to come out before the skin.

[cadillackid]

on my bluebird, the ceiling and upper wall (curved into ceiling) can come off without taking out the windows.. the lower hold-downs for the windows would have to come off to take off the lower interioir.. but if I were going to the trouble of gutting and insulating, I would take out the windows and then re-seal them in nicely.. also a good time to replace any broken plastic latches if any.. thewindows disassemble easily when removed..
-Christopher