The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors Sealing / Insulating a Steel Floor

I have a bus and what I did is first give er the mighty Tremclad coat on the floor. A friend of mine with a 55 Chev screwed up royally now her floor is sagging twisting etc from condensation. My plan is to rubberize the floor with blue seal, strap the floor with 1.2 inch strapping, 1/2 inch insulating styro foam, vapor barrier then subfloor it. Is that going to keep the condensation from happening in that airtight space ? I like to do it right the first time or at least to make it last ten years. Toasty on the feet, yet 30 below outside. The condensation and mould monster must be terminated. Thanx ! Cheerz !!

The styrofoam will absorb moisture. In house construction, the vapour barrier, is used to keep the warm moist air from the heated space away from the insulation. What are you going to use for flooring, and sub floor? The most important thing is to keep the humidity down. Here where we are, the worst time is of course the winter, when the dew point is reached in the bus, the will be condensation everywhere. Its best to keep a little heat in there all winter. A few hundred watts is all you'll need. Unless you are opening the door, and bringing in more moisture.

When is is minus 30, outside moisture is not a problem, as there isn't much humidity. This is the time though, when you need to keep the moisture from inside living, away from the cold underside of the truck.

For just condensation, a little dry heat is all you need, and some air changes.

I will constantly have wood heat in there. This is my home. Mahogany sub floor with half inch pine sheeting, vapor barrier etc. An idea of keeping the warm air from touching the cold steel is my mission. So starting from the bottom, I don,t want that cold to touch the heat to start that condensation process. I,ve worked in flooring over 25 years but never done this over steel, so this is why I ask the pros like you guys. Should I rubberize the floor ya think to seperate the hot and cold ? Man this site is #1.

best thing to put down on the steel is something like 'icegard' sticky back roll roofing [used as the starter course under duroids]

Bill

Thanx Red ! Your bus is looking great by the way.

I found the product " Grip Guard " at Home Depot ( seems ) to do the same thing you are talking about. Self adhesive on one side. Rubbed the granules for a few seconds and they rubbed off easier than I thought, granule side up for installation. Is this the same stuff ? It had all the similarities of what you said. Thanx Red ! Cheerz !

yes, but there's a stuff that doesn't have any grit on it, I think I saw it at HD, but you might check other roofing supply places, could be cheaper

I'm antsin to get back on it, but the weather isn't cooperating often - once I get the gas/propane/holding tanks done underneath I'll be on with the floor .... I just have the frame structure to start with, and will coat the underside of the first layer of ply flooring with the sticky stuff so there's no direct metal to wood contact [thermal break], then 1.5" pink and another layer of ply ... vapor barrier will be good lino on top

and if you're around some friday, stop in now that I've got time to register who ya are

Bill

Roger on that last thread Red. I just researched this stuff called Icynene. They have this pour and fill product that takes the path of least resistance. It expands like wildfire ( 60 % ) bigger than the application of it. Guess ya just trim the excess. Its a vapor barrier, sound barrier, and insulator all in one go. I,m thinking, strap the Ice Guard under each piece of wood strapping, then blast away like the ghostbusters till the desired height is achieved, then trim off the excess with a razor edged level? lol. Anyhoot, seems like something that you and your woodsy wisdom can meet at the crossroads for permanent success for these floors. Roger,..click! over. http://www.icynene.com/

If you have wood heat, you will be fine. The stove will provide dry radiant heat, and it will also constantly change the air. I haul a tool trailer around, its one of those, well actually you can't fling a dead cat without hitting one now... It has plywood floors, just painted. I am constantly tracking in water, plus hanging up my wet rain gear, I built a tiny wood stove for it, and it dries the trailer right out. When we have freezing, or near freezing weather, lighting the stove for a half an hour will keep the trailer above the dew-point inside, and voila, no more condensation on my beloved tools.

I would try and find some closed cell foam (rigid) to lay between the sleepers, if you seal in the air gap, you will have condensation in there.

Or, you can do like we do in wood boats, leave the ends of the sleepers exposed, under cabinets or furniture, and not use any insulation. The air gap you leave will give you some insulation, and leaving room for the air to move through, will guarantee that you won't be likely to ever have problems, as any moisture will be able to evaporate. Of course we also vent the cabinets low and high for the same reason.

I think that trying to seal this up could be a problem. I see a lot of mould on the job. Often from this sort of thing, trapped condensation.

If you want to stay warm, I'd be tempted to just lay some of that foil backed bubble wrap insulation on the bottom of your sub floor, staple it down, turn it over and screw it down. Your best defense against moisture is the wood stove you are using. That's my two cents.

Sorry if I rant on and on, but this does get me going. Its similar in my mind to the new tight house full of mould and mildew, and the hundred year old house that's drafty, but will never have moisture problems.

Feel free to ignore me, and or drown me out by turning up the radio, it happens a lot!!

Red58 did my homework like a good lil WrenchFetcher. Ice Guard is sold at Slegg Lumber in 6ft rolls for 70 clams. It has to be ordered in and its in U.S funds. A bussing I will go, a bussing I will go , High oh my stereo a bussing I will goooooo !! lol.

Hey, Isolationride, I like this Icilene product, was on their site, seems like it could be nice to insulate the roof of my Suburban, but... Nowhere do they mention use in a vehicle... So, has anyone used this product in a truck? With what results?

I would think that because its a commercial application,...it would work. The products are for different applications so pick and choose. I MAY go for the pour and fill because it will be on the floor. Yours however, probably will be the spray on. I,d check in with the pros in here to confirm the application, and the company website first.

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg224/timbuket/100_0173.jpg isolation ride i used laminate and put down the vapour barrier that came with the flooring for concrete floors.Trying to keep the headroom! timbuk