Hi guys my girlfriend and me have just bought a 52ft david piper boat and we want to know which insulation to use

[LadyG]

I think OP is in London, so he might find help on the London boaters FB group.

[magnetman]

It isn't a legal requirement to add a lining to the inside of a cabin.

[MtB]

14 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I still think the windows on that boat are too big for a liveaboard craft.

 

Me too. The total lack of privacy horrifies me. 

 

Best to just sprayfoam straight over them I reckon. (And cut is some nice big roof lights. )

 

 

[Mad Harold]

The windows can be double glazed with polycarbonate or acrylic sheet held in place with magnetic tape or by gluing Velcro on the frame and around the edges of the plastic sheet.

[David Mack]

29 minutes ago, magnetman said:

 

Another approach I have seen is to empty the entire cabin, battens and all then get the sprayfoam man to come and do a good thick coating. 

You want the battens in place when the sprayfoam is done. That way the foam is continuous and attached to the battens, and you have something to attach the lining to. The alternative would be to dig out spray foam at the batten locations to fit them, then a lot of making good.

But you may want to remove the battens to clean and paint the steelwork, then replace the battens before sprayfoaming.

[magnetman]

My idea was to not line the boat out. Just have the sprayfoam. 

 

I've seen it done and I quite liked it. 

[PaulJ]

1 minute ago, magnetman said:

My idea was to not line the boat out. Just have the sprayfoam. 

 

I've seen it done and I quite liked 

 

If I was a younger me I think Id quite like to paint it a rocky colour -be like living in a warm floaty cave.

[PeterF]

14 minutes ago, magnetman said:

My idea was to not line the boat out. Just have the sprayfoam. 

 

I've seen it done and I quite liked it. 

Just like the gunned / sprayed concrete lining in tunnels.😀

[LadyG]

Well, we've pretty much used up the first of the five weeks before they move on board.

I think changing a pair of windows for a pair of portholes might be long term, he needs to get it liveable, and as long as he works in London should be earning megabucks , else why live there!

Is there a bedroom?

Buy a good mattress, move on board, his partner can do project management from base while he does the fit out.

Thetford sell lots of lovely stuff, cooker, fridge, sinks. OP can do worktops and basic cabinetry.

 

 

55 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Me too. The total lack of privacy horrifies me. 

 

Best to just sprayfoam straight over them I reckon. (And cut is some nice big roof lights. )

 

 

Sometimes you have good ideas, and sometimes they are weird, but let's hope OP  passes on this one!

[MtB]

2 hours ago, LadyG said:

 

Sometimes you have good ideas, and sometimes they are weird, but let's hope OP  passes on this one!

 

It was a joke. Sort of. Spray foam over the inside, paint over the glass on the outside, save a load of expensive welding!

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

24 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

It was a joke. Sort of. Spray foam over the inside, paint over the glass on the outside, save a load of expensive welding!

 

 

 

Remember that 'nutty woman' (no - not that one, the other one, that  painted the boat black and sealed up all the vents with bitumen and accused someone who went to help her of sexual harrasment, rape and all sorts of stuff.

 

She'd have picked up and run with your idea.

[MtB]

5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Remember that 'nutty woman'

 

That doesn't narrow it down much...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cuthound]

21 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

No need for a vapour barrier in conjunction with sprayfoam or cellotex, etc. It is a vapour barrier. You only need a separate vapour barrier with rockwool and maybe 3M Thinsulate.

 

My 16 year old boat is insulated with 3M Thinsulate. I have had zero issues with it.

 

http://www.sikaflex.co.uk/thinsulate

 

Compared to my two shareboats, which were insulated with sprayfoam, it is almost as good for thermal insulation and better at noise insulation.

 

It doesn't need a vapour barrier as one side of the material provides that.

 

It is very easy to DIY fit (it sticks to the steel using a specialist adhesive), but it isn't cheap.

[tyrone1990]

5 hours ago, LadyG said:

Well, we've pretty much used up the first of the five weeks before they move on board.

I think changing a pair of windows for a pair of portholes might be long term, he needs to get it liveable, and as long as he works in London should be earning megabucks , else why live there!

Is there a bedroom?

Buy a good mattress, move on board, his partner can do project management from base while he does the fit out.

Thetford sell lots of lovely stuff, cooker, fridge, sinks. OP can do worktops and basic cabinetry.

 

 

Sometimes you have good ideas, and sometimes they are weird, but let's hope OP  passes on this one!

Ok ill give thetford a try cheers

We are doing alright in London workwise, we do like it around hackney as its a nice community but obviously its more crowded on the canal and more crime etc

We have a bedroom and a log burner already there so I will try to get the bedroom done first and maybe we will have to have takeaways for a while and we will get a casette toilet so we have that when its inevitably needed 

 

 

 

6 hours ago, Mad Harold said:

The windows can be double glazed with polycarbonate or acrylic sheet held in place with magnetic tape or by gluing Velcro on the frame and around the edges of the plastic sheet.

Ok thats a good idea, ive seen companies offering windows customized and double glazed but its not cheap so I think going for a cheaper option is certainly best

6 hours ago, nicknorman said:

Insulation thickness: Well in principle, the more the better. However within the limited confines of a boat, space is at a premium and even an inch lost each side is significant. I would just go out to the existing batterns on the side. Looking at the amount of window there is probably not much point in insulating the cabin sides very well, when a lot of heat will be lost through the windows. Depending on the headroom you need / have available, I might be inclined to put a bit more on the roof so eg 25mm on the side (or whatever the battern thickness is) and 50mm on the roof (adding extra batterns if necessary). Not just to keep the heat in, but a steel narrowboat's roof can get very hot in the sun and you don't want all that heat inside on a hot day.

I think with diy sprayfoam the difficulty is getting an even fill just up to the batterns and no more. Otherwise you have to spend a lot of time and mess cutting the foam back so that it isn't protruding beyond the batterns.

do you really think 25mm would be alright though?

 

I will get the windows double glazed i think as itll surely make the boat more cosy and itll increase the boat when and if we sell it anyway so its also an investment 

As fo rthe roof the height is a bit of an issue if theres 25mm less head space as im 3 cm shorter than the boat height so itll be tight

[Stroudwater1]

22 hours ago, tyrone1990 said:

 

I agree the timing is bad and we have bought  a continuous mooring licence

 

 

 

 

Wow, where did you get one of those licences from? They are rare to get hold of 🤣 

[Sea Dog]

33 minutes ago, tyrone1990 said:

I will get the windows double glazed i think as itll surely make the boat more cosy and itll increase the boat when and if we sell it anyway so its also an investment 

Most folk manage just fine with single glazed windows - cosyness comes from the stove and often means opening the windows! The bigger issue is condensation and usually that on the glass drains through drainage holes, but that on the frames  doesn't and can cause problems. You can now get frames with a thermal break, but new frames would be a whole other level! 

[LadyG]

4 hours ago, MtB said:

 

It was a joke. Sort of. Spray foam over the inside, paint over the glass on the outside, save a load of expensive welding!

 

 

I know it's a joke, of sorts, but the OP  really has  no experience.  

[cuthound]

You could always make the windows smaller.

 

Kedian Engineering https://www.kedianengineering.co.uk/index.html @Martin Kedian do "inserts" which when welded into the existing window aperture can accommodate a porthole (or possibly a smaller rectangular window.

 

See photo below.

 

[Martin Kedian]

Thank you for the recommendation thes are a bolt in no welding required 

[MtB]

21 minutes ago, Martin Kedian said:

Thank you for the recommendation thes are a bolt in no welding required 

 

 

I find them very pleasing to the eye. 

 

I'm almost tempted to have some windows fitted to replace my portholes, just so I can buy some of these and get portholes back again.

 

Nice wine, this. 

 

 

[LadyG]

19 minutes ago, Martin Kedian said:

Thank you for the recommendation thes are a bolt in no welding required 

I think OP has quite a bit to do already on his project liveaboard, but from the earlier photos, it might be a good idea to have portholes at least in the bedroom, for privacy and to have a better control of temperature. My bedroom area is noticeably cooler than the windows area. 

One problem I find is that my portholes don't open, so the bed alcove does not have a through draught.

[magnetman]

For an inner east London boat security is a concern as well. One of my boats was broken into a couple of yars ago in E14 and everything taken. It is a popular MO and has become more common recently. 

 

I like the look of the bolt in window replacements. 

 

I know people who have had windows randomly kicked in as well. It is not common or scaremongering and probably won't happen but at least for the sleeping area you do ideally want portholes in my opinion. It also helps with soundproofing. 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture windows are lovely for a light cruise on a pleasant day on Oxfordshire but inner London residential towpath boat not really.

 

 

[LadyG]

6 hours ago, MtB said:

 

That doesn't narrow it down much...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I resemble that remark. ×)

[MtB]

3 hours ago, tyrone1990 said:

I will get the windows double glazed i think as itll surely make the boat more cosy and itll increase the boat when and if we sell it anyway so its also an investment 

 

Great sense of humour you have!! 👍👍 Keep it up! 

[Bee]

If you use sprayfoam you must keep the cat out of the boat. I did my own sprayfoam and afterwards I had to poke all the big lumps until I found one that miaowed.