Spray insulation

[Kdebo]

Hey guys not sure if I'm in the right section or not but here I go anyway. Has anybody paid to have there bus completely insulated with spray insulation? And if so what was the price or what we're you quoted for the job. Thanks

[Robin97396]

I did. I had a commercial foam guy spray my walls and ceiling for $800. Someone else reported getting a deal at $125, and more recently someone reported $1,500 to get theirs sprayed. Kind of all over the board.

[EastCoastCB]

I've seen folks report estimates as high as two or three grand. And lots of folks can't even find anyone who wants to do the job.

[Robin97396]

With prices that high it would easily be more reasonable to do the foam myself. Maybe that's where the money is? Foaming buses, without overfoaming.

I was considering ordering the larger spray foam kit at about $800 last year. Checked with the foam guy and it was also $800. Maybe my spray was less expensive than some others because these guys don't trim the foam? The inside of the bus had foam stalagtites. Way to many sore muscles from sawing overhead. I felt like I was building a log cabin from the inside out.

I'm going to guess that it's actually easier to get the foam kit and do it myself in the future should I get another bus one day. This hard industrial foam, usually used on foundations, was miserable to trim. Also I think I could have sprayed it better myself. Lesson learned for trying to take a shortcut during the heat last summer. At the time I was really tired of popping rivets, looking for a shortcut because fall was coming.

[Kdebo]

Thanks fo the input guys guess I'll have to start calling around and get some prices.

[JDOnTheGo]

Kind of keying on Robin's comments... I wonder if anyone here has used the $700, 600 sq/ft kits available on Amazon/eBay?

If so, would you do it again? It looks easy but I have a gut feeling it isn't. Sure love to hear some first hand experience. Hope this isn't hijacking this thread.

Sorry: kit like this.

[joeblack5]

Material pice is per LBS, so material wise density like 2 to 3 , structural, are 2 to three times as expensive . Icenene is very low density, has no strength is in general a lot cheaper.

we have foamed several house and projects and unless you get a contractor who knows exactly what you want to do and has done it before you are better of do it yourself and go slowly and learn on the job.
A sloppy foam job creates a lot of waste and work to clean it up. Most foam guys are so fast that they do not care about hollow spots and cavities and just go over it, you would never know it. I have done sections myself even have small graco foam machine. It has a steep learning curve but as with all things,... if you want something special.. you better do it yourself.

Later J

[Robin97396]

That's my conclusion too. The foam guys leave voids fairly often, especially in areas that take a little effort to spray it right. I've used in the neighborhood of 50 cans of foam to fill voids I found as I was carving out the excess foam. It was like my foam guy saw the voids he'd left, particularly in the ceiling, then went back and put a second coat over the top to hide the visible voids, which is what made carving the foam so miserable for me. I was relatively sure that I shouldn't have had to carve down several inches just to find the ribs.

You know how it goes, live and learn. On the other hand this foam won't burn even if you put it in a campfire. Oddly, now I'm curious to know if this foam would make my bus float.

[Rameses]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Oddly, now I'm curious to know if this foam would make my bus float.

There's a quick way to find out.

Make sure somebody records it so we don't have to try to picture to results based on your description.

[Robin97396]

I'm not really ready to float this one yet. I am impressed by the floating RVs though. My luck is this bus would be floating on its side or even upside down. I might need several exterior decks added on top, bottom and sides.

[Rameses]

Minor details.

Those can be worked out after the test run!

[Robin97396]

Originally Posted by Rameses

Those can be worked out after the test run!

I believe that's Rameses 1:3, another verse for the book of Rameses.

This bus bible is still pretty thin.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by JDOnTheGo

Kind of keying on Robin's comments... I wonder if anyone here has used the $700, 600 sq/ft kits available on Amazon/eBay?

If so, would you do it again? It looks easy but I have a gut feeling it isn't. Sure love to hear some first hand experience. Hope this isn't hijacking this thread.

Sorry: kit like this.

I'll be using a kit like that. I'm not spray foaming my entire bus, so will only be using one or two of the kits.
I've watched enough youtube vids about it to feel comfortable doing it myself. The contractors aren't gonna care about it as much as I am, and anything I can do myself, I try to do myself.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

I believe that's Rameses 1:3, another verse for the book of Rameses.

This bus bible is still pretty thin.

But its full of REAL world wisdom.

[Robin97396]

We didn't start with "In the beginning" because our buses aren't that old.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

We didn't start with "In the beginning" because our buses aren't that old.

In the beginning Rameses was without bus. The next day he created his blessed vessel.

[Rameses]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

We didn't start with "In the beginning" because our buses aren't that old.

Different book.

That's ol trunt 1:1.

[Robin97396]

So you guys are like bus prophets, except in the past busses instead of future buses.

[Rameses]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

So you guys are like bus prophets, except in the past busses instead of future buses.

ol trunt might be a prophet, but I'm more of a disciple I think.

Regardless, I think I now have a title for my build thread whenever I finally start it. I was going to title it with my bus name, but that won't make any sense until it's no longer school bus yellow.

[family wagon]

I've been eyeing the Froth Pak product too. It's more expensive than Foam It Green or Tiger Foam, but... those names feel a little gimmicky and all we have are the company's own assurances about their products. Dow on the other hand is a recognized name, perhaps more trustworthy with regards to their technical data and product representations, and I know I can go out and buy it from a local specialty building supply place.