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Sun 25 Dec, 2005 10:47 am
I have an old 1950's Trailer house with a bare (unpainted) metal roof. In the summer it costs a fortune to run the A/C and the swamp cooler doesn't do any good on the 100 degree days, which we have a lot of. If I don't run the A/C it will easily get to 130 degrees or more in there.
Next spring I'm planning on doing something about it. I want to find some kind of roof coating (white) that I can paint on. I think that will reflect the heat better than the bare metal.
Then I'm planning on ripping out the ceiling and putting in some better insulation. But I don't want to put in pink fiberglass insulation because I'd need at least a 3.5" clearance and I don't want to lower the ceiling because it is already only 7' high. So what I was thinking is that I'd buy those 1" x 8'x4' sheets of styrofoam that they sell at Home Depot and use that for insulation. I'd probably be putting the old ceiling panels back up because I don't think I'd be able to handle sheet rock by my self. Though, I think Sheet rock would add to the R value.
Do you think that it would help or is there a better solution? If standard insulation would be a significantly greater improvement than I guess I'd be willing to sacrifice ceiling height.
on my camper/rv I had a product I think was called "snow-coat" a white rubber sorta paint which did wonders for insulation.
I think I've heard of Snow-Coat. And you've tried it and it worked for you, than I will see if I can find a bucket of it. Believe it or not, this is the original 1950's metal roof and it's never been coated and it doesn't leak at all.
My dad has a white Vinyl roof on his motor home. He says it's the best motor home roof you can buy but it gets hotter than hell in there. That's why I'm thinking that coating it alone isn't enough of an investment. Of course, what investment, right? It's a trailer...
I'm guessing that blue stuff would be the way to go on insulation, partly because you couldn't pay me to put up fiberglass insulation overhead. I'd be itching for days. If you talk yourself into fiberglass, though, go to an industrail supplier and get one of those full body protective suits. Cost about 7 or 8 bucks and cover from the top of the head to the tip of the toes. It's made of Twyvel, or something like that. And a respirator.
rover : you say you have a " old 1950's Trailer house " - from this i assume that it is stationary ?
if it is stationary, wouldn't the best insulation be offered by a second roof installed about a foot on top of the current roof ? it should give you plenty of air circulation and keep the sun away from the actual roof . also you would not have to rip out the old ceiling insulation - who knows what you are going to find once you start ripping stuff out . hbg
Roof Insulation for mobile home
Hello! I read your posts and I have some input. There is a company, Hy-Tech, that makes roof coatings that reflect heat like other roof coatings, but also insulate due to a ceramic composite they add to the coating. It is supposed to reflect up to 90% of the heat and helps to seal the roof as well.
EDIT (Moderator): Link Removed
Hy-Tech product info may be found at the firm's own website:
Hy-tech Thermal Solutions
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