2000 Chevy Express project

[dvdchris]

Alright. I've been thinking about the insulation/paneling with the consideration of toxic materials and off gassing.
I plan on getting some of the Low-E/EZ Cool insulation and doing double stick duck tape to affix it instead of using toxic spray adhesives (I have been reading that the chemicals in spray adhesives are some of the nastiest stuff out there.)
On the floor, I will affix this Low-E/EZ Cool on the entire floor from front to rear door floor trim. In the front, place my new jute carpet padding on top, then reinstall the rubber floor mat/seats.
In the cargo/living area, I'm thinking about bamboo or cork flooring.
On the walls I will affix the Low-E. Instead of plywood or paneling, I will strategically install horizontal cedar 1x4s leaving gaps exposing the silver walls. These will allow me to anchor various things on the walls (TV mount, etc) and the remaining exposed silver walls should give off sort of a space shuttle vibe.
What do you think?

 

[Bdog1]

Jute sometimes is organic and really retains moisture and stinks/ molds. ( since you mentioned off gassing as a concern ) I'm guessing the rubber is older and cured.

You plan sounds cool and practice also. I used styrofoam, but the blue closed cell kind, then tile board to complete. Spray adhesive melts stryo, so can't be used.

 

[akrvbob]

I didn't know what Low-E/EZ Cool was so I went to their website and it is just Reflectix from another company.

You probably don't want to hear this, but you are making a classic mistake and confusing a Reflectiv insulation for a thermal mass/convection insulation. Reflective insulation has a low R value and all they do is reflect heat, they don't slow down it's transfer. In order to reflect heat there MUST be at least a 3/4 to 1 inch air space around the insulation. It is nearly worthless without the air space.

It will keep the heat out during the summer on your walls and on the roof ONLY IF there is an air space between it and the sheet metal. It will NOT keep heat in during the winter unless there is an air gap and even then is a very bad choice because the heat inside the van is not reflective heat, it is conductive heat.

The aluminum foil is great at reflecting radiant heat but is extremely conductive so it instantly transfers conductive heat through. For conductive heat you need high R-value insulation which this is not. Reflectix has an R value of R-1 and I'm sure this is abut the same. Polyiso insulation has an R value of R 6 and would be a much better choice.

For all those reasons, putting this on your floor without an air-gap is throwing money away.

I'm sorry to be so blunt but this is such a common mistake i thought I would try to set it straight--and save you some money!
Bob

Here is a quote confirming what I've said
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_barrier

If an air space is not present or is too small, heat may be able to conduct through the radiant barrier. Since the metal in the radiant barrier is highly conductive, the heat transfer would all be through conduction and the heat would not be blocked. According to the US Department of Energy, “Reflective insulation and radiant barrier products must have an air space adjacent to the reflective material to be effective.

Here is an explanation of conductive and radiant heat:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat

Referring to conduction, Partington writes: "If a hot body is brought in conducting contact with a cold body, the temperature of the hot body falls and that of the cold body rises, and it is said that a quantity of heat has passed from the hot body to the cold body."[16]

Referring to radiation, Maxwell writes: "In Radiation, the hotter body loses heat, and the colder body receives heat by means of a process occurring in some intervening medium which does not itself thereby become hot."[17]

In our case the medium is air. Bob

 

[dvdchris]

"Polyiso insulation has an R value of R 6 and would be a much better choice."

Agreed that there are better insulating materials/methods and with your thermal analysis.
All that I have looked at with the exception of the denim batt insulation had toxin/off-gassing issues. I had not come across the polyiso foam boards. Dow claims no toxins/off-gassing issues with this material. Hmm. I'll have to look more into this tomorrow as it is late.
As for the walls, I could install batts of the denim insulation against the metal walls and install the cheaper Reflectix over it as a radiant/vapor barrier as a more 'correct' method per the thermal physics involved. This was a plan at one point, I have read this stuff for a solid year now and forgotten as much as I remember since it is so much information.
BDog, I'm sure it is organic, I think its recycled cotton and other fibers; I'll take a picture of it tomorrow. I plan on keeping a close eye on what is going on under my front rubber mat from here on out and am not going to let things deteriorate to like they were in the earlier pictures.

 

[Bdog1]

Must confess I'm not really susceptible to chemical odors. I did use the Dow (blue) styrofoam. I found it in a 48"x1/4" thick by like 40' long, all folded on 24" centers. I noticed zero odor. I used this double/triple thick and overlapped the joints. Pleasant to work with no mess cutting like regular white styrofoam.

I thought it was priced reasonable at Lowes.

 

[dvdchris]

Ok. As for the floor of the van, this is what I'm thinking per the above comments in response to my 'EZ Cool' post the other day...

against the metal floor: Polyethylene Foam vapor barrier (same stuff as the inside sandwich of EZ Cool) $12/100 sq ft
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Roberts-...y-Foam-Laminate-Underlayment-70-010/203409266

on top of that, my jute underpad/carpet padding I already bought.

on top of that, Reflectix. This allows for two layers of material between the radiant barrier and the metal. This is probably the best I can do on the floor. One prime concern is trying to cut off any more off gassing from rust converter/primer on the van floor rising into the living area. I will be diligent about taping off the edges of the bottom layer against the floor as well as the top Reflectix layer where it will meet the Reflectix going up the walls. If, after this is all done, I am still smelling chemical fumes, I will not really know what to do and may have to go with another van. It has been 10 days since last primer spray on the floor, I have had all doors open all day each day the weather allowed for it, and every morning upon opening up the doors it smells just as strong as ever.

 

[Bdog1]

Not really my thing, but, what about a top/finish coat of paint? You know, to seal it all off.

 

[akrvbob]

i don't know if the Reflectix has value as an odor barrier, but as insulation without an air gap it is next to worthless and very expensive. A 1/2 inch sheet of plywood has an r value of .6 and Reflectix has an R value of 1.1.

Have you considered a heavy mill sheet of plastic as an odor barrier under plywood?
Bob

 

[dvdchris]

Hmm. How about just another layer of the Polyethylene Foam vapor barrier then? I'll have 100 sq ft of it, that may be enough for two layers.
On the walls, I will have the inches required to make the Reflectix work.

 

[akrvbob]

Thats a good plan dvddchris. The reflectix does a great job of keeping summer heat out but it does poorly at keeping winter heat in. Put the Reflectix closest to the wall (with an air gap) and polyiso closes to the inside of the van and you will have the best of both worlds.
Bob

 

[dvdchris]

Well I found a lower cost reflective/foam layer on eBay. With shipping was $31 for 200 sq ft. I began laying the first layer down today in the cab area.

Also, I replaced the 15a electric input. The old one was looking really grody. $9.99 from Amazon.

 

[dvdchris]

Well I finally feel like visible progress has taken place on a section of van.

Also, here is this week's tool score. A Home Depot had one of these $79 special Christmas packages left under a display. Yea, two batteries! A significant upgrade in drill.

Also, what ideas does everybody have about this seat? Is it worth repairing the cushion? I got a quote from one shop for $135 to redo the bottom seat part in vinyl. It really needs to be fixed or replaced.

 

[decodancer]

Looks great! That seat needs a trip to the van part graveyard. I picked up two captains chairs for $100 on Craigslist. Keep an eye out and you'll find something.

 

[dvdchris]

Ceiling reflective foam layer. 1/2" foam insulation was already glued to inside roof panels.

Ceiling is going to be pretty simple. Home Depot hardboard screwed to structural roof ribs using pre-existing screw holes from previous roof.

I plan on placing LED strip lighting down the seams. We'll see how that turns out. Pouring down rain today, may not get back to this until Friday.

 

[Bdog1]

I did a similar roof set-up. Used a plastic rivet deal you just pop into a hole and tap with a mallet. I figure it has a little give and it's not metal so no condensation issues. There made for tile board installs, found them at homeless depot.

 

[dvdchris]

Ok. Got a ceiling of sorts up...don't laugh at my seams; I'll try to hide them...

 

[akrvbob]

Looking good! That should make it much more comfortable!
Bob

 

[dvdchris]

Well, a couple of these came. About $21 from either Amazon or Walmart.

Using some low-VOC 3m Super 77 adhesive spray and Reflectix aluminum tape, I have finished insulating the passenger side using less than one of the blankets, cut to size for each of the two sections seen here.

That Reflectix tape is handy. I taped up the rear ceiling reflective foam along the rear doors and it ended up looking pretty nice.

 

[akrvbob]

I'm very impressed! Very creative and original. Simple, easy and reasonably cheap.

Great work!
Bob

 

[Simran]

I'd say thats using the old noggin. Looks good. I love it when someone comes up with an original idea we can all use.