So we decided to build some. For funsies.
Deciding on what type of insulation to use behind the walls was tough though. It needed to be water and mold resistant and thin enough to fit in the ceiling and behind the walls without sacrificing much needed space on the boat. Even moving the walls out a few inches to fit in thick insulation makes the inside seem a lot smaller.
When we tore down the ceiling in the bedroom there was fiberglass insulation in between the beams, but it was very compressed. When fiberglass gets compressed, it loses some of its "R" value. ("R" value, if you didn't know, is basically the measure of thermal resistance a specific material has. So the higher the "R" value a material has, the better it is at insulating.) Clearly, I am a scientist of the highest order.
I posted an "R" value chart below that I got from this guys boat blog. I found a few other websites that said basically the same thing about putting in insulation, but I like that this gentleman has some pictures.
Material “R” Value
Wood 0.91
Reflectrix 2.38
Cork 3.57
Polystyrene Bead Board 3.57
Fiberglass (the insulation, not the hull) 3.90
Polystyrene – extruded 5.00
Polyisocyanurate 5.56
Sprayed Polyurethane Foam 6.88
Vacuum Panels 24.06
“R” values based on a one-inch thickness
We decided to use Reflectrix. It looks like bubble wrap that's been wrapped in a space blanket. The Polystyrene - extruded foam board (the pink and blue sheet boards that you often see at hardware stores) was also a good choice, but it was a little harder to work with and to fit into tight spaces. With the Reflectrix you can add multiple layers because its so thin, and that ups the R value. Also you can just cut it to any shape you want with scissors, its easy to work with.
Below is a picture of a roll of Reflectrix.
The large window in the bedroom is VERY drafty. When we tore out all of the 70's looking wood panelling we noticed a big rotted out hole under the window. The hole opened up into the engine compartment, which itself is not insulated and basically open to the outside air, so that explained the draft.
Using our advanced human brains, we (Ryan) came up with an idea to seal it. FOREVER. He used spray foam insulation, this stuff is totally sweet. We used it around the windows and to plug some small gaps in the walls and next summer we will probably use it to spray all over the inside of the hull to keep the boat REALLY draft free. WE HATE DRAFTS AHOMFG$@%
AND THEN, Ryan used fiber glass (yeah, the kind you use to fix your car!) and sealed that puppy up. It doesn't look pretty, but it should hold us over right on through the apocalypse.
Below are some pictures of spray foam sealing up some rotted out parts around the windows.
Then we covered the whole thing with Reflectrix.
(The dark patch on the wall to the left in the picture below is the sealed up hole)
Then we covered the insulation with the new walls we picked out. We used a material called luan.
Why luan you ask? Great question. Well for starters its fairly cheap, cause you know we aint rich over here. mmhmm. Plus if it gets wet it wont be hard to just replace. Also, It has a pretty nice, smooth finish, although we painted over it. The underlying walls in the boat are plywood, and framing out over them to put in heavier duty walls would have taken away precious space. You can just nail the luan to the plywood. Lastly, luan is light and thin compared to some other materials.
So that’s why we picked luan. Get off my back about it.
Below is a picture of a roll of Reflectrix.
The large window in the bedroom is VERY drafty. When we tore out all of the 70's looking wood panelling we noticed a big rotted out hole under the window. The hole opened up into the engine compartment, which itself is not insulated and basically open to the outside air, so that explained the draft.
Using our advanced human brains, we (Ryan) came up with an idea to seal it. FOREVER. He used spray foam insulation, this stuff is totally sweet. We used it around the windows and to plug some small gaps in the walls and next summer we will probably use it to spray all over the inside of the hull to keep the boat REALLY draft free. WE HATE DRAFTS AHOMFG$@%
AND THEN, Ryan used fiber glass (yeah, the kind you use to fix your car!) and sealed that puppy up. It doesn't look pretty, but it should hold us over right on through the apocalypse.
Below are some pictures of spray foam sealing up some rotted out parts around the windows.
Below are some pictures of Ryan repairing the giant hole. I think in retrospect he would have liked to figure out a different way of using the spray foam, because it kept sliding down and getting all over the dang place. But, once it dried and was sealed over with fiberglass it was all good
(The dark patch on the wall to the left in the picture below is the sealed up hole)
Then we covered the insulation with the new walls we picked out. We used a material called luan.
Why luan you ask? Great question. Well for starters its fairly cheap, cause you know we aint rich over here. mmhmm. Plus if it gets wet it wont be hard to just replace. Also, It has a pretty nice, smooth finish, although we painted over it. The underlying walls in the boat are plywood, and framing out over them to put in heavier duty walls would have taken away precious space. You can just nail the luan to the plywood. Lastly, luan is light and thin compared to some other materials.
So that’s why we picked luan. Get off my back about it.
There you have it folks. A long over due post about walls. Your welcome.
We actually have a lot more done on the boat than these pictures show, Im really behind. I will try to be more diligent!
So, lastly, on a Star Wars note (SPOILER!)....
I was re watching the newest movies since I bought the complete saga, collectors edition on blue ray (go me). I figured I should remember why I disliked them so much, and I had a few thoughts.
A. The first movie still totes blows. Its a kids-sci fi-space-disney movie. Full of slap stick comedy and ridiculous one liners.
B. Second movie is not as bad as I remembered. meh. I wont elaborate.
C. ANAKIN IS DARTH VADER!#$%. heh.
I want to start another blog so I can ramble about important things such as these. Maybe someday.
LOVE YOU!$%^@
Kristina
