Spray Foam Preparation

It was quite a busy day doing the preparation for the spray foam contractor who is due on Monday.

The first task was to mask the face of all the timber battens with parcel tape.  This is the brown shiny sticky tape you would usually use to secure a cardboard parcel.  The idea is the tape will protect the surface of the timber batten from any foam overspray.  I had this task completed by 1.00pm and then asked Andy to check the work.

You may be able to see the masking tape in the above photo.  I’ve also made a temporary cover for the opening to the cratch.  As you can see it’s quite a high door giving plenty of headroom. I suspect there may be no need for a step between the interior of the boat and the cratch. 

The opening at the other end is significantly smaller and will probably require at least three steps from the cabin floor to the deck.  Of course the blackwater tank already raises the floor level in the back cabin by one foot.

I had applied one coat of bilge and locker paint to the tank and intended to give it a second coat.  But Andy said we will get it covered in spray foam instead which will reduce the amount of condensation.

Andy then inspected the spray foam on the ceiling and noticed there were a few areas where the foam had not been correctly applied.  This afternoon I got stuck into these areas with a screw driver and scraper.

The defective area almost forms a line across the ceiling about ¾ of the way down the boat from the bow.  I suspect the person doing the spray application started to run our of foam and either stopped or carried on but applied an incorrect mix of foam.  This area had the right thickness of foam but it was in two layers.  A very thin and brittle skin on the steel, and a separate, thicker, layer on top.  The two hadn’t combined together or adhered to the steel.

At least Waiouru is now ready for the spray foam contractor.  The task after that will be to Waxoyl the baseplate.