Insulation

[ice pig 121]

Hello fellow hardwater walkers.  I'm doing some work on an old camper which has been turned into an ice house.  Not sure what kind of insulation is currently installed but i bought this thing last year and want to do a little work to it before the season starts.  I was wondering what kind of insulation you folks would recomend putting in it as far as r-values and styrofoam or fiberglass.  Also I plan on putting up new paneling and am curious on what to do with the ceiling.  I've read that you should do it in white, others say black, and some say it doesn't matter.  Any advice on the subjects would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!

[CrappieBuster]

If your gonna gut the inside get a quote on spray foaming it. Best insulation you can use airtight etc etc.  I have a camper conversion also and it just has pink board in it.  Has held up well.

[ice pig 121]

Hey thanks, yeah i was thinking about the spray in stuff as well.  My first permy was a 8x10 and i had the fiberglass in it, she sure drank alot of coldies but the condinsation was so bad which led to mildew!  What do you use for a heater  Thanks

Bob

[Wiener]

You could do it yourself using a product called "Tiger Foam"

Here's the link :

www.tigerfoam.com

Waterproof, Fire retardant, and not too expensive.

If I were doing insulation, that's what I would use.



Hope this helps,

Wiener

[ice dawg]

I had an old camper conversion in which I used 1 1/2" Styrofoam (bead board) and once it was warmed up it stayed warm. At night when no one was going in and out of it I would heat it with my small buddy heater on the low setting. The big heater would keep it too warm at night with the door closed. Before I started using the buddy heater I would sleep with a window open. My new shack is just as easy to heat as the old one was if not easier.

[Tainterslayer]

I would go for Styrofoam. It has better insulating power than fiberglass and (subjectively) easier to work with.

[Chevy_94]

I also would go with Styrofoam or polystyrene insulation. Fiberglass insulation will tend to hold moisture in fishouse walls and then rot from the inside out. I used polystyrene in mine.

[jasond37]

Spray foam is more expensive, but you get a much better R value.  It's probably easiest to stuff 2" pink foam boards in the cavities when you are building it, and not near as expensive.  It will get the job done, that's for sure.  Put some in the floor if you can too, it really helps out.

[Tainterslayer]

You may want to considers some vapor barrier. I know a lot of people don't bother with it, but in a warm shack that is very small, moisture is significant. Any layer of plastic on the warm side of the insulation will help prevent condensation from forming behind the insulation.

[Mainedog]

Copied from their website:

Tiger Foam™ 200 bd. ft. Kit - FR
ASTM E-84 Fire Rated Fast Rise formulation for spraying on surfaces.
This kit comes complete with 9.5 ft Gun/Hose Assembly, 4 FAN/4 CONE Nozzle, tips and kit preparation instructions, but PLEASE read Operating Instructions & FAQ PDF file.
Covers 200 square feet at 1" or 16 cu. ft. theoretical yield.
Shipping weight per kit = 40lbs

Price $335.00

Wow!!!!  I guess I'd go with the polystyrene foam.  It would probably cost less.
Would 200 bd.ft. be enough for a camper/ice shack?  Is this stuff like foam in a can?

MD

[jasond37]

According to what you copied from their website it will cover 200 sq. ft. at 1" thick.  Figure out how much square feet you are wanting to cover and there is your answer.  I know you have a camper, but if you added all four walls/ceiling of a 6x8 shack (6' ceiling height, flat ceiling) you're looking at roughly 248 square feet of space to insulate at 1".  You'll need to deduct some for windows and a door, but you get the idea.

[Mainedog]

I was estimating a little over 200 sq ft total (if you don't do the floor).

I think working with polystyrene will be easier and cheaper.

MD

[ice pig 121]

Thanks for all the great info.  I'm still undecided at the moment which way i'll go, kinda depends on the next few paychecks!

[CrappieBuster]

Ice pig check out the yellow pages should be able to find someone that does spray foam insulation around your neck of the woods im sure theyd be more than happy to give ya an estimate.  Info from other sites suggests its way cheaper to have someone do it rather than ordering the tigerfoam kit.  Seeing your a fellow Iowan I think there are a few outfits that do it in the North Iowa area.

[jasond37]

Ice pig check out the yellow pages should be able to find someone that does spray foam insulation around your neck of the woods im sure theyd be more than happy to give ya an estimate.  Info from other sites suggests its way cheaper to have someone do it rather than ordering the tigerfoam kit.  Seeing your a fellow Iowan I think there are a few outfits that do it in the North Iowa area.

It's not a bad idea for a guy that does insulation to extend his services to spraying fish houses, if they can do enough.  There are quite a few ads on CL in MN looking for such a service.  My good friend owns his own insulation business, I've done several jobs for/with him.  I told him about it, but for the cost of materials/time it is just too expensive for him to do just one or two.  He is a really small outfit, he would have to charge much more than I would pay.  The spray foam they use is pretty expensive, I think the smallest kit you can buy to do yourself is around $200, and depending on what thickness you want and the size of your house you may need more than one kit.

[ice pig 121]

Ice pig check out the yellow pages should be able to find someone that does spray foam insulation around your neck of the woods im sure theyd be more than happy to give ya an estimate.  Info from other sites suggests its way cheaper to have someone do it rather than ordering the tigerfoam kit.  Seeing your a fellow Iowan I think there are a few outfits that do it in the North Iowa area.

Yeah i found a company out of Algona that does it called spray seal.  I haven't gotten a chance to look them up yet.  we'll have to get together when the safe ice shows her face.  I keep my permy on Clear Lake, basically drink beer and see what hits, usually not much.  I did get a few yellows last winter but not a single keeper eye, quite a few cigars/thiefs but thats it.  I've been over there with the waiders and really got into them last week, the yellows of course.  Sometimes i'll run and gun it though, know of a few good spots for panfish in the area!

[$ignmoney]

pink foam is harder than the white Styrofoam and will take a bump better. Fill any cracks with great stuff foam. Roll a coat of latex primer and paint it your choice of color. I used black. Worked for me

[CrappieBuster]

Icepig we have a camper setup out on the little lake also.  Dont feel bad about the eyes I think I got 8 keeper eyes all winter over there.  Prolly well over 1000 yellows tho.  Early ice you can catch 50 or 60 a piece in a few hrs.  Then fry em up on the stove and wash it down with some liquid courage!  Our shack is always the first one out so keep an eye out.