Insulation of the floor--Questions

[kayakrguy]

Hello folks,

I have the floor constructed. I put three coats of acrylic outdoor paint on the bottom. I did not want to bother with the roof tar stuff. I am about to insulate the bottom. My question is for those who have insulated their floors. I plan to use Tom Swenson's insulation and am wondering if those of you have used this have found that it stands up well to road wear and tear? Also, did you tape the borders where the frame and the insulation meet? I have spray foam to put into gaps etc.

Finally, do you think it necessary/wise/foolish/overbuild/all of the above to put caulk on the trailer frame rails to keep moisture out before bolting the floor to the frame?

Any and all advice is appreciated.


Jim

[PaulC]

Hi Jim, Firstly, the roof tar is the best waterproofing you can apply to the bottom of the floor. Ai'nt no paint under mine just waterproof sealant for the timber and then two coats of tar. Secondly, with the caulk, I've done that to mine. Cheap insurance as far as I'm concerned. Sorry I can't help you with info on Tom's insulation. I used fire retardant, eco friendly bats on mine.

Cheers
Paul

[Ira]

Jim, I used the Gardners roofing stuff too, as did Tom--and it ain't no big deal to work with at all. I'll never understand why some people are "afraid" of the stuff. It's just gooey, and doesn't smell that bad at all.

But putting that aside, you can overbuild the crap out of your underfloor if you want. I followed the Kuffel Kreek Cubby plans, and those are real, real basic.

It's not rocket science. Just the Gardners, and insulation installed with screws and washers. I guess they don't tell you to glue it in in case you want to replace it in the future, which would cause a mess.

[kayakrguy]

Paul and Ira,

Thanks for the advice/encouragement. Did either of you tape the joints between the floor frame and the insulation bats? Also, how has your insulation stood up with the wear and tear of the road?

I will put caulk down on the frame before mounting the floor--probably not that critical but hey, can't hurt! I am not going to glue the insulation--'the mess' factor being what it is

Jim

[PaulC]

Jim, no idea how the bats a standing up to wear and tear. I glued mine in place so I can only assume they are where I put them. No tape used. The caulk idea is cheap insurance as far as I'm concerned. I hate the idea of water sitting in any sort of gap on my Tear.

Cheers
Paul

[rampage]

Jim,
I used some caulk for insurance, like Paul said. I used the door/widow type.

[Ira]

I didn't tape or caulk anything--just tight fits. I wish I could give you wear and tear advice, but I don't have any experience to work from--because she ain't finished yet.

[kayakrguy]

Ira,

So far so good, insulation is holding up well--in the garage <g> Having been under trailer to tighten down the bolts holding the floor to the frame, I realized that the insulation is protected a bit by being recessed in the wood frame ABOVE the trailer frame--might mean that little road debris will be hitting it...??? Hadn't thought about that before...or if I did, I forgot <g>

Jim

[Ira]

That's the thing, Jim. Not all that much is going to happen to it. Plus, it doesn't really matter:

It's pretty easy to replace a damaged piece anyway, and even if a piece IS damaged, it ain't gonna affect your insulation all that much. Chances are you'll be putting a mattress in, which is your BEST insulation for the floor.

And FYI--I'm not using a mattress. I carpeted, and we're going to sleep on roll-out foam mats, probaby in sleeping bags. I have two young boys, and we want to be able to hang out in there a little during the day in inclement weather, play a board game, watch a DVD, etc. Having a mattress in there 24/7 would make it a bit uncomfortable and impractical.