The whole point of insulation is to create a barrier between the inside and outside of your trailer. This barrier prevents heat transfer, which means that in the winter, your heat stays inside where you want it, and in the summer, the heat stays outside. This is accomplished by using materials that are poor conductors of heat, like fibreglass, wool, or foam.
Several places in a trailer need to be insulated, but the most important are the floor, walls, and ceiling. The floor is important because it’s the closest to the ground, and the ground is always cold. The walls are important because they make up the largest surface area of the trailer, and the ceiling is important because heat rises.
How can you get started on trailer insulation? Keep reading, and you’ll find out!
Why Trailer Insulation Is Important
Insulation cannot be discussed without tackling radiation, conduction, and convection.
Radiation is heat transfer by electromagnetic waves. The sun is the most common example of a heat source that uses radiation to transfer heat. Radiation can pass through space, so it doesn’t need anything else to travel from the sun to the camper. The camper’s inside walls will absorb some radiation, making the inside temperature rise.
Conduction is heat transfer by contact. This happens because the molecules on the outside of the camper move faster than the molecules on the inside, and when they collide, they transfer some of their energy to the slower molecules. The inside temperature of the camper will rise as heat is conducted from the outside to the inside.
Convection is heat transfer by mass motion. This occurs when the outside temperature is warmer than the inside temperature of the camper, and the air outside is moving. The air will flow into the camper, and as it does, it will pick up heat from the camper’s walls. The heated air will rise, taking the heat with it. The inside temperature of the camper will rise as heat is convected from the outside to the inside.
What Do These Have to Do with Insulation?
Insulation is a material that helps to slow down heat transfer. And when it comes to cargo trailers, here are the types you can use:
- XPS rigid boards: The XPS board is a rigid foam board used for insulation purposes. It is available in pink and green colors. At 75 degrees Fahrenheit, XPS has an R-value of 5.0 per inch. At 15 degrees Fahrenheit, XPS has an R-value of 6.0 per inch. In other words, XPS is slightly more effective in cold than hot weather.
- Polyiso rigid boards: Polyiso is a type of insulation that is shiny and reflective on one side and generally white on the other. It is important to put the shiny side out when using this insulation. This is better suited for warm weather due to its R-value of 5.6 per inch at 75 degrees Fahrenheit and 5.0 per inch at 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
Conclusion
It should be easy to determine the right kind of insulation, right? Not exactly. Since weather can be tricky to manage, it’s better to consult experts such as PolarTech Spray Foam today! We provide services for insulation in Saskatoon, such as installation, removal, and other services you can learn about through our website. Visit now!
