Thermal Insulation and Condensation Control

Marine insulation fails due to moisture exposure that degrades thermal effectiveness and leads to corrosion under insulation. 

Ceramic insulation coating protects the metal base from corrosion by eliminating condensation or water exposure to substrate while insulating within damp marine conditions. Ceramic insulation coating is used as a stand-alone insulation or combined with conventional insulation materials for a hybrid solution that leverages the strengths of both types of materials.

For both cold and heat load-based insulation, a key application practice for living spaces is combining coating on the inside surface of the exterior envelope (flat panels & stiffeners) with 1"-2" fiberglass board on the flat panels between stiffeners. Adding a finish panel provides an airgap and also reduces convection-based heat exchange off the wall surface. This type of hybrid installation leverages coating's radiant barrier with mass-based insulation's heat retention. Additionally, fiberglass board resists moisture absorption, a big problem for blanket-based materials and many other foam materials. The attached chart for 90F ambient & 122F solar heat load on exterior skin provides an idea of relative efficiencies for the treatments. We typically recommend 40 mils of coating combined with 1"- 2" of FG board + paneling as a treatment for very cold or very hot conditions. 

Thermal insulation coating on interior surfaces of living quarters below main deck:

  • Sidewalls of living quarters with exterior exposure - 40 mils dry film thickness (DFT) on flat plate and 80 mils on stiffeners when combined with 1"-2" FG board & finish paneling.
  • Living quarters below main deck overhead exposed to exterior - 40 mils dry film thickness (DFT) when combined with 1"-2" FG board & finish paneling.
  • Living quarters below main deck without finish paneling - 80 mils DFT with finish coat of washable acrylic topcoat
  • Living quarters interior partition surfaces - exposed - coat inboard from exterior connections 1' with 40 mils DFT with finish coat of washable acrylic topcoat.

Thermal insulation coating on Pilothouse:

  • Sidewalls/overhead - 40 mils DFT on flat plate and 80 mils on stiffeners when combined with 1"-2" FG board & finish paneling.
  • Sidewalls/overheads - 80 -100 mils DFT when exposed without finish paneling together with washable acrylic topcoat. The Kvichak RBM uses 120 mils on exposed aluminum surfaces on the pilothouse overhead and window frames. Keep in mind the RBM pilothouse top hits 160F on the black coated surface.