Spray foam insulation on walls, ceiling, and floor?

[peterbylt]

It looks like your guy did a real nice job, how much? I presume the guy came to you? I should get some estimates but I understand that two of these kits is enough to do even a big bus. Aside from the pain of spraying it all, that's pretty affordable.

I posted most all the information being asked including contact information and price I paid in this Topic, starting on Page 5.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f13/has-anyone-here-tried-this-insulation-21171-5.html

He came out and did a thourogh job of measuring before he gave me a price, so yours should differ from mine.

Peter

 

[Jshaul]

I posted most all the information being asked including contact information and price I paid in this Topic, starting on Page 5.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f13/has-anyone-here-tried-this-insulation-21171-5.html

He came out and did a thourogh job of measuring before he gave me a price, so yours should differ from mine.

Peter

Thanks for the link.

 

[2martins]

"Where is all of the black mold coming from? "

Formation of black mold requires moisture. In LV if you have moisture issues it is most likely a plumbing issue or a dirty /plugged A/C evaporator.

If you have no water leaks and a well maintained A/C then you should have no moisture issues.

I had an issue in a house and FINALLY (after having several experts come out) I personally figured out that the problem was the AC condensate drain was dumping water right down the side of the house and it was wicking thru the concrete block in the basement which wasn't sealed. I added some PVC and ran the drain further away from the house and fixed the problem. Of course first I cleaned and sealed the basement walls and considered a French drain in my basement which would have been the most expensive possible way to fix that probablem. SO glad I didn't let that expert talk me into that!!

 

[2martins]

I had an issue in a house and FINALLY (after having several experts come out) I personally figured out that the problem was the AC condensate drain was dumping water right down the side of the house and it was wicking thru the concrete block in the basement which wasn't sealed. I added some PVC and ran the drain further away from the house and fixed the problem. Of course first I cleaned and sealed the basement walls and considered a French drain in my basement which would have been the most expensive possible way to fix that probablem. SO glad I didn't let that expert talk me into that!!

And speaking of mold, and water issues in general, a water alarm (or several if needed) is definitely your friend when it comes to protecting your bus, home, whatever from water. I have a water alarm underneath every sink in my house and behind the washer. I have two for the bus already. On a bus you have to get the kind where you can screw down the sensor to keep it where you want it. The water completes the circuit and sets of the alarm so you are alerted if there is water where there shouldn't be. I also have a temperature/humidity sensor in my crawl space so I can keep an eye on conditions down there without having to crawl around literally- I am a small person and I barely fit thru some of the access points and my husband definitely wouldn't. I have to wiggle under flat on my stomach using my toes to push myself forward. PITA!!!

 

[kidharris]

Have a roofing contractor spray 2" of polyurethane foam on the roof and coat with a white elastomeric coating. Mask the bus and cover up any thing close to the bus carefully before spraying because removing over spay is a serious problem. That will solve both the headroom and condensate problems. Bonus is no roof leaks for sure. Vegas humidity is often around 40% or lower so swamp coolers do work there, but if you are freaking out over mold use a conventional refrigerated system as it removes moisture from the air

 

[roadtoad-SKO]

Sprayfoam insulation...

Before anyone insulates, spray foam or otherwise it is critical to make sure your roof is SEALED COMPLETELY on the exterior with high quality materials. No moisture should be ever allowed to get in , though spray foam likely would not allow much , you do not want any.
All roof seams and hatches, vents etc coming through the roof need to be scraped , cleaned and old caulkings/sealers removed and cleaned down to the paint. Paint needs to be sanded for better adhesion and then everything resealed with a high quality sealer like Sikaflex 252.
When that process is completed and cured the roof needs to be lightly sanded with 220 grit sand paper then blown off and wiped down with a good automotive wax and grease remover before then applying a good quality elastomeric roof coating.
That should provide you with a leak proof roof but will still need to be checked annually for any signs of deterioration at caulking points.
The bus should have enough roof vents/fans and windows that can be opened to get good ventilation, as you do not want condensation build up.

Propane appliances (stoves and furnaces ) are prone to creating condensation if the bus is not well ventilated. On the other hand a decent wood stove does the opposite and dries things out rather than cause moisture build up.

Your windows need to be well sealed too, to circumvent any moisture coming in. Doing these things should keep your bus dry and mold free. If you do the above mentioned and have stripped your floor down to its bare base , removed all rust , sealed all holes and given it a good priming and painting , you should not have to worry about water getting under your floor and creating mold.
Another note is that when you have stripped out your bus down to a shell and cleaned and blown it out with an air hose you can wash all surfaces with a mix of soap water and bleach. You could take a pass on the bleach and after washing just wipe everything down with straight peroxide which kills mold (never mix bleach and peroxide!) Remember to keep the bus well ventilated and use a fan while doing these procedures...

 

[bartthebus]

A concept I’ve been toying with for floor insulation- could you not insulate under the floor? Like spray foam between the ribs under the sheetmetal? Yeah it’d be a lot of work cleaning the surface enough for the foam to adhere to but with a steam genny it couldn’t be that bad. Green foam is closed-cell so you wouldn’t have to worry about getting moisture from driving in the rain, etc. plus it would actually help prevent rust issues in that area and you’d be able to get a higher R-value than with 1” foam board. The best part of course being that you don’t lose 2” of ceiling height inside

 

[o1marc]

A concept I’ve been toying with for floor insulation- could you not insulate under the floor? Like spray foam between the ribs under the sheetmetal? Yeah it’d be a lot of work cleaning the surface enough for the foam to adhere to but with a steam genny it couldn’t be that bad. Green foam is closed-cell so you wouldn’t have to worry about getting moisture from driving in the rain, etc. plus it would actually help prevent rust issues in that area and you’d be able to get a higher R-value than with 1” foam board. The best part of course being that you don’t lose 2” of ceiling height inside

Detail the steps you would take to accomplish this? You are talking about insulating from under the bus?

 

[kidharris]

roadtoad, you lost me. Sikaflex 252 is a polyurethane adhesive, very much like a caulk and I can see using it on leaky seams, etc, before spraying the polyurethane.....but if you are going to "wiped down with a good automotive wax and grease remover" you should do that before applying the Sikaflex or anything else.

I would also phosphate (quick & easy) any rusted places during the surface prep. The elastomeric roof coating should be put on top of the polyurethane foam, not under it (unless you are saying to skip the foam).

Maybe I misunderstood, but this bus is going to be parked in an RV park. isn't it? Spraying polyurethane foam (2 - 1" layers, painted over with 2 coats of a white elastomeric rolled/sprayed 90 degree to each other) directly to all kinds of roof surfaces with normal paint prep is a very common roofing practice, especially for resealing metal mobile home roofs. The coating needs to be renewed periodicaly. Polyurethane caulk is what is used for minor repairs to polyurethane foam and is some incredibly sticky stuff.


bartthebus....I think you have a great idea, although a pain to implement due to all of the mechanical gear under the bus that would need to be masked off. Reparing/replacing anything (plumbing, electrical, bolts) sprayed over would be incredibly difficult and you would have to maintain clearances from anything hot or moving. Also the sprayer needs to be held a certain distance from the surface being sprayed. The guy spraying would need a flat surface to roll around on and several helpers to manage the hoses and facilitate his movement. Finding a company willing to do this might be a problem. BTW, spraying polyurethane foam is not cheap, and it doesn't come off without a fight. Been there, done that, roofed for far too long.


One more thing just occured to me, if you seal the bottom you better not have any major plumbing dissastors inside because it won't drain out.