Insulation Part 1

The Van

Kingspan


The old man!

I've just spent the afternoon insulating the van in Wales with my Dad. So far we've got the drivers side walls done and one barn door.


Here's the method and materials used so far:

First we unscrewed the ply, then removed the VW grey panels. Like everyone says, those VW plastic clips are a pain in the arse, in a couple of turns the hex bolt heads are no longer hex shaped so we used a B&Q tack remover to prize them off (thanks Stone174!).

Next we attached generous amounts of flashing tape to the main panels. This will help reduce road/rain noise. We've probably used about 10m of the stuff already.

Next we cut our 8'x4' 25mm Kingspan (Celotex or similar will do) sheet into quarters, then cut pieces to fit the holes in the walls of the van. The best method for this we found was to cut a piece to fit the hole you're filling, then cut it vertically into 2 or 3 bits to allow you to fit them in behind the metalwork. Once these are in you can slide slim wedge pieces down into the gaps which pushes the boards apart so they grip the cavity well. When we started we were using lots of GripFill adhesive but this wsn't that helpful so by the end we weren't using much glue. The cavity on the left shows what i mean.

After that came the thermal foil bubble wrap. Compared to the board, this stuff is a joy to work with. It was on 2 for 1 at B&Q so we did 3-4 layers covering the cavities. I also used offcuts to stuff any gaps.

Next was the Vapor Barrier. Basically a polythene sheet. At first we were taping this in place over the cavities but halfway through we came up with a better technique. First, we cut out pieces slightly larger than the grey VW panels. Then we stuck the sheets to the back panels with spray carpet glue. Then just clipped the panels in place with the plastic clips. Once this was done we taped around the edges. Obviously the clips have to pierce the sheet but the seal seemed ok and I plan to do the same again on the inside of the main ply panels for double moisture protection.



Tomorrow we'll finish the ceiling, floor and the other wall.

I'll list how much of each item was used once we finish. Its amazing how so much material has been 'swallowed' up by the van. At least its going to be nice and warm!

Rob