Insulation

[Mouldy]

Ok, this what I do, I don't even get done with one project and I think about the next... Anyway, has anyone heard about the noise issue when using hard foam (pink, yellow, blue or white) insulation? It's a&nbsp; creaky noise when going down the road. I suppose if you had a CT or TT it wouldn't matter. How about you van folks, if you used hard foam, did you glue it down? I guess i'm thinking more of a step van or something along those lines where insulating wouldn't take up valuable space but when driving you would still be able to hear it. <br>

 

[akrvbob]

I put styrofoam on the walls and roof of my box van. But with a box van, htere is a plywood door that slides across the pass-through into the back. and the pass-through is fairly small. So noise from the back wasn't an issue to me. But most older box or step vans are pretty noisy. They are industrial machines, not passenger vehicles so they aren't designed for comfort. So it could have been squeeking like crazy and I just didn't know it. I put styrofoam in my home-built camper, and for some reason I had to ride in back while someone else drove, and I wasn't aware of any squeeking. <br><br>I think that whole issue is just a myth. And even if it were true I would use styrofoam anyway because it is so far superior to anything else. Bob<br><br><br>

 

[Mouldy]

Interesting. What do you think about spray foam? I know it has around R-7 per inch, but i don't know about the weight? Any idea?<br>

 

[akrvbob]

I'm sorry, I have no experience with it. I think it is expensive and have heard it said that it off-gasses. But those are just things I've heard and have no direct knowledge of. Bob<br>

 

[polecat77]

Thats an interesting idea using spray foam, could use the can stuff and do it during the spring, summer, and fall you could finnish it up. spread the cost over say 9 months. Home depot sells it for about $2 a can.

 

[Tao Seeker]

The hard pink foam, which I have used for several projects in the past, squeaks like a dying mouse when it rubs against metal. I had to saw through a bunch of it once and it was like sawing through a chalk board with my fingernails. I can imagine the other hard foams would do the same.<br><br>If there's any place where the foam may be touching some metal or other smooth material that it isn't snugly fastened to, it may rub against it while the body of the van moves as you drive. I can imagine it would squeak then.<br><br>If this is the case, then it can still be avoided by avoiding contact between any surface and the foam <b>except</b> the surface it's fastened to (well enough to not move relative to that surface) and/or by putting some cloth, cardboard, or other cheap material between any surface the foam could squeak against and the foam itself.<br><br>Hopefully it's more of a myth, but make sure to stick the foam on nice and tight to avoid it moving around just to be certain.<br>

 

[Guest]

I can witness that the spray in insulation does out-gas - forever, just like the formaldehyde in plywood, OSB and MDF. They both make me nauseous/headachy.

 

[Night_Sailor]

Closed cell foam is R6 per inch and does not pass vapor.&nbsp; Open cell foam is half the R value and does pass moisture.&nbsp; I think the closed cell foam is better because it has a higher R value.&nbsp; and you don't give up extra space.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br>

 

[Les H]

Mouldy ( how's it goin' man?
My bus has the old fashioned white stryrfoam ( like cups or plates) about an inch or an iinch and a half between the steel outer skin and the aluminum inner wall. It came this way from the mfg, and I had to cut through it to put in my roof vent. Any areas that I have worked on or insulated myself received two layers of r 3.5 blue foam with the foil backing. I have not NOTICED any additional squeaking ( it is an 11 year old one ton with 115 kmi, some squeaks are to to be expected. ) but any place that I added to, I "glued" or locked the foam in place with in- the -can spray in stuff. I would NOT recommend doing the entire inside of a van with spray cans ( $3.99 ea at HD) but I have read about someone who did. He was a sculpture artist, and he said it lent itself to an " organic " feel.
Les

 

[Guest]

When I had my first bus, I had a neighbor come over with his urethane spray foam rig and do the ceiling before I covered with tongue and groove knotty pine. I was very happy with the results of that. There is some stir about off gassing bad fumes from it but in those days it was generally used in Alaska and thought of as good unless it was burning....<br>I see there are alternative foams that may be good...I am not recommending it,&nbsp; just mentioning it for further research if interested....<br>http://www.icynene.com/<br>Personally if I were wanting to insulate a rig really well, that is what I would use. <br>All over Alaska in the 80's and 90's people foamed the outside of their homes and trailers so you would see what looked like organic&nbsp; brownish fungus growing all over the buildings...a common Alaskan sight...<br>Bri<br><br>

 

[karl]

After many years in the construction trades, I have "a healthy skepticism" about anything man made. That said, I have built several houses using polyurethane spray foam insulation and if it were not for the hefty cost, would use it in a van. In my area it costs about double that of rigid icynene sheets of the same R value, but has a superior sealing ability as well as adding structural integrity to thin panels, not to mention it fits anywhere you can inject it.<br>I would never say it is harmless- how would I know? But, it is far superior and "safer" than the old urea&nbsp; formaldehyde stuff .<br><br>

 

[Tony parker]

I think both open and close cell foam are air barrier. This means that both foam will do a good job of blocking and deflecting the noise from our buildings.<br>But open cell foam fall short compare to closed in R value and this foam have an R value 3.5 inch and close foam have an R value 7 inch and it does not pass vapor. so i will suggest you close cell foam it is better than open cell foam