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Regreting living aboard

sueb

By sueb
in Living Afloat

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Roger Gunkel Rising Star

Roger Gunkel

Posted
Posted

hello,

just to go ot a bit.....

 

Can I ask if you made any provision for insulating below the floor? as I do not see it discussed or specc'd much in boats and is a big issue in new house builds now esp with UF heating... who wants valuable heat leaking into the ground or boat bilges/water?

 

Thanks

Steve

 

We didn't have the floor insulated specifically, but the floor is 1" ply above the ballast, then we laid thick underlay as we carpeted throughout, then laid an old foam backed carpet over that, with the final new foam backed carpet fitted on top. The only different area is the kitchen which is partially laminate flooring onto the ply.

 

If we had underfloor heating, I would probably have wanted to insulate behind it to ensure that none of the heat was lost through the hull. I think that with conventional heating, floor insulation doesn't need to be as efficient as the rest of the hull, providing there is some insulation between hull and floor. As the cold air will always sink and the warm rise, the floor will always be coldest without underfloor heating, so its more a matter of covering the cold surface to prevent a direct transfer and condensation than neccessarily losing much heat through it in my opinion.

 

Hypothetically, I've also wondered about the value of the underfloor space as a cold trough, as those aware of ice shelter construction will know that you dig a trench in the middle for the cold air to sink into, keeping the living space above it. So if you completely insulate the floor of the boat, will the cold air simply sit at floor level, rather than dropping below it?

 

Roger

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blackrose Veteran II

blackrose

Posted
Posted (edited)

I have nade sure that our boat is well insulated, double glazed and well heated, so we don't have any winter fears at all.

 

A boat is not a house and neither should it be, but the same rules of physics apply wherever you live for keeping warm, dry and comfortable.

 

Have a warm and happy Christmas everyone! :)

 

Roger

 

I probably have the same level of insulation as yourself Roger, but I have to say that I don't think LB's application of sprayfoam was great.

 

My boat is dry and condensation-free and I keep it warm because I burn a lot of coal & wood. I have a bigger internal space to heat than most (450ft2) and so I also have a big stove, but in these conditions my heating bills are approaching that of a house!

 

I have thought about taking the lining off and adding more insulation but it's a big messy job when one is living aboard full time. I also wonder whether more insulation would actually be worthwhile when the mushroom and door vents just allow the heat to escape? I think insulating the doors and sidedoors would probably make most sense as they're the first areas where the snow melts. At the moment they're just lined with 1" thick oak-faced MDF (which is looking surprisingly good after 5 years), stuck straight onto the steel doors with Marineflex.

 

So if you completely insulate the floor of the boat, will the cold air simply sit at floor level, rather than dropping below it?

 

Roger

 

I don't think so. If you insulate the floor of a boat (as you have done with your underlay), then there will be no cold air above floor level because it will be heated by your stove or other heating system. The only cold air will be under the floor where it remains insulated from the heat source.

 

Some of you missed the point of my post. I was simply trying to point out, that there is a wide range of experiences, and we are the ones who choose which experiece we want. Some cant handle the cold in winter, so there is the option of mooring with elec, and heaters. Some enjoy being miles from no where, with the challenge of finding fuel. If I was boating alone, I would easily choose that option. Since I have kids, wife etc, then it would make sense to plan ahead and keep them all happy without any worries. I wasnt saying option 2 was better than option 1, I was just responding to the article where the poor guy has given up boating because his batteries were dead etc...and pointing out that if he was connected in a mooring, he perhaps wouldnt have given up boating. Over and Out :))

 

No, they got the point of your post, they just think that you're not a proper boater if you have any mod cons because you're not suffering like them! :lol:

Edited by blackrose
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carlt Veteran II

carlt

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Posted

 

No, they got the point of your post, they just think that you're not a proper boater if you have any mod cons because you're not suffering like them! :lol:

Or, perhaps, they just responded to their idea of boating as:

I think the worst type of boating must be:

 

and chose to discuss it.

:rolleyes:

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carlt Veteran II

carlt

Posted
Posted

I'm a bit pissed of with you actually carl, I googled presents, and ended up on Wikileaks , finding out exactly what crap jumper and cheap aftershave I am getting in the morning when I get to the ex's house to see my daughter.

Brilliant!

 

I shall now go to bed chuckling. Merry xmas! :cheers:

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jelunga Influencer

jelunga

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Posted

I was thinking of getting OH a chainsaw. That would have been fun to wrap!!

 

This reminds me of my first Christmas with the current SWMBO. I asked her what she would like for Christmas, and she responded "Oh a cordless screwdriver".

 

I thought great, I have a budding DIY enthusiast here and promptly bought her one. Not a cheapee you understand, but a good quality Bosch one, in a nice wooden box.

 

At present opening time,, there was a distinct chill in the room after she opened her present. She made the right noises - its lovely, just what I wanted etc, but I had this feeling all was not right in Jelunga land.

 

The years passed, and it was not until several years later, when the tool in question was past it's use by date and knackered, when I asked her if it was OK to throw it away since it was the first Christmas present I bought you, that she said something along the lines of "you could have thrown it away when you gave it too me" and "I was only joking when I said a cordless screw driver" to something like "If you ever buy me power tools again I will use them to change you into a Eunuch" and further "Only buy me jewellery".

 

It just shows that it does take time to really know the person you are married too!!

 

 

I am off to stuff the turkey now - have a great day people

 

Keith

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Heffalump Rising Star

Heffalump

Posted
Posted (edited)

This reminds me of my first Christmas with the current SWMBO. I asked her what she would like for Christmas, and she responded "Oh a cordless screwdriver".

 

I thought great, I have a budding DIY enthusiast here and promptly bought her one. Not a cheapee you understand, but a good quality Bosch one, in a nice wooden box.

 

At present opening time,, there was a distinct chill in the room after she opened her present. She made the right noises - its lovely, just what I wanted etc, but I had this feeling all was not right in Jelunga land.

 

The years passed, and it was not until several years later, when the tool in question was past it's use by date and knackered, when I asked her if it was OK to throw it away since it was the first Christmas present I bought you, that she said something along the lines of "you could have thrown it away when you gave it too me" and "I was only joking when I said a cordless screw driver" to something like "If you ever buy me power tools again I will use them to change you into a Eunuch" and further "Only buy me jewellery".

 

It just shows that it does take time to really know the person you are married too!!

 

 

I am off to stuff the turkey now - have a great day people

 

Keith

 

Haha thanks Keith, have just been informed that tools are perfectly acceptable in our house, as long as they can be applied to her motorbike.

Edited by Heffalump
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DeanS Veteran II

DeanS

Posted
Posted

erm.

 

Wife and I both love Michael McIntyre.

Amongst the throng of kids presents, we eventually found our own. I had bought her Michael McIntyre's latest book, and she had bought me (so she could read it)...the latest copy of Michael Mcintyres book.

 

snap.!

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jelunga Influencer

jelunga

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Posted

erm.

 

Wife and I both love Michael McIntyre.

Amongst the throng of kids presents, we eventually found our own. I had bought her Michael McIntyre's latest book, and she had bought me (so she could read it)...the latest copy of Michael Mcintyres book.

 

snap.!

 

Sorry if I am out of date but W.T.F. is Michael McIntyre?

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