BCM Community

Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: zukmancdr on December 25, 2012, 08:20:19 PM

Title: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: zukmancdr on December 25, 2012, 08:20:19 PM
For the ones that used spray foam, what brand and how much did you use?
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: TomC on December 25, 2012, 09:33:56 PM
You can use the self spray system. But to do it right you should spray enough that you have to grind it down flat. It is one of the few jobs I contracted out. It is a nasty, messy job left best to the professionals-and I'm really glad I did. Good Luck, TomC
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: rip on December 26, 2012, 05:06:34 AM
I used a spray foam kit and did it myself. It is a very messy job and I agree with Tom, hire it out.  Don
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: FloridaCliff on December 26, 2012, 07:01:27 AM
-EDIT-  misread ?
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: RJ on December 26, 2012, 02:04:36 PM
Name??? -

Do you have a repair facility nearby that works on 18-wheeler trailers, especially reefers?  If so, go by and talk to the service manager and find out who does the spray foam for them.  Then set up an appointment to be there with the prepped coach the same day he's going to be doing trailers.  The pro will have all the necessary tools to do it right the first time, including smoothing it out for you.

This is one part of the conversion project that is well worth contracting out.  Best bang for the buck in the long run.

FWIW & HTH. . .




PS:  Please take a few minutes to update your profile with a signature line that includes at least your first name, home base city/state, make/model of coach and it's powertrain.  That way we can better help you by referring you to relatively local vendors, and you might just find out there are fellow busnuts in your area, too!  Welcome aboard!
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: luvrbus on December 26, 2012, 03:07:46 PM
Any refrigeration trailer out fit like Great Dane will hot foam it, and hot foam if you are going to use foam is by far the best but if anyone in your family that is chemical sensitive stay away from foam it will cause problems to those people.

You need to seal around the up rights and roof brows if the spray gets behind those it will wave the siding and roof BTDT

good luck
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: Midwilshire on December 26, 2012, 05:33:09 PM
It's definitely a do-it-yourself job and very easy to trim.  No joke; just watch the six youtube videos I posted in Reply # 36 in my "Introducting the Silverliner" bus project thread to see what's involved.  I'd link to it, but I don't know how. 

Mike

Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: boogiethecat on December 26, 2012, 06:27:38 PM
I used two-part foam from Mcmaster-carr http://www.mcmaster.com/#spray-foam-insulation/=krn3n6 (http://www.mcmaster.com/#spray-foam-insulation/=krn3n6) the $831 ones, took two to do the whole bus (walls and roof)

For trimming I made this really safe tool (haha) :D that I used with my big Milwaukee angle grinder
It works REALLY well to do the trimming but I have to say at 10,000 RPM it's pretty  ****ing scary....

(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.heartmagic.com%2FFoamGrinderTool.JPG&hash=5db977562656944167ff40e49e5301b1aae837f0)
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: belfert on December 26, 2012, 06:49:59 PM
The latest recommendations I've seen for spray insulation for houses is to use a cold applied spray foam instead of hot applied.  The hot applied foam can shrink as it cools and cures leaving gaps.  The rim joists in my house were spray foamed in 2001 during construction.  Cracks developed in the foam all over.  I had the insulation company come back, but all they did was fill the cracks with a can of spray foam.
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: chazwood on December 26, 2012, 07:09:02 PM
It will squeak
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: Darkspeed on December 26, 2012, 07:39:02 PM
this is how i did mine..

used the E-84 fire rated foam

http://www.sprayfoamdirect.com/products/new-anti-microbial-formula/foam-it-602-anti-microbial-polyurethane-spray-foam-kit-detail (http://www.sprayfoamdirect.com/products/new-anti-microbial-formula/foam-it-602-anti-microbial-polyurethane-spray-foam-kit-detail)
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: TomC on December 26, 2012, 10:17:31 PM
The whole reason for using spray foam is that it sticks to the walls making everything tighter and I can tell you it does not squeak. Now use foam blocks cut to size-I can see those squeaking. Good Luck, TomC
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: chazwood on December 27, 2012, 06:00:20 AM
Mine squeaks
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: chazwood on December 27, 2012, 06:00:50 AM
Every time you hit a bump
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: chazwood on December 27, 2012, 06:01:15 AM
Just sayin'
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: TomC on December 27, 2012, 06:21:55 AM
If it squeaks, then you have something loose or not installed tight enough. Craft paper in between insulation and plywood helps (course if the conversion is done-SOL). One of the reasons my conversion took so long to do was I have the ability to easily take virtually everything apart since it is screwed together. If something squeaks on my bus, it is taken care of immediately-it drives me crazy. But-as previously stated-the spray foam isn't one of the things that squeaks. My main squeaker is the toaster oven-we put a clean rag in to cushion the shelves. Good Luck, TomC
Title: Re: Spray foam insulation?
Post by: John316 on December 27, 2012, 06:25:15 AM
One other comment I have would be to plastic/paper everything. What happens if you want to re skin your bus? Since Star Junk skinned ours, we have been talking about redoing it. Problem is, we have spray foam in there. How are we going to pull it off?

Next bus (there won't be another one, I can tell you) we will plastic or paper between the foam and the skin.

John