Celotex insulation techniques

[BernardBlack]

Decent builders merchants sell it in 8ft x 4ft sheet or go skip mooching.
Cut it to size with a wood cutting hand saw and stick it in with some mastic/silicone job sorted.

Think I have some silicon somewhere. Sounds good. Thanks guys.

 

[madasafish]

I see.

Where would be a good place to purchase celotex and appropriate glue?

I hear that insulation stuff is irritable to work with? Any tips carrying out this insulating?

I purchase celotex secondhand via Gumtree/ebay etc,, (there's vendor of used insulation in Stoke on Trent).
I use 5 minute PU glue - ebay. (ALWAYS use vinyl gloves and old clothes)

Cut it with a fine tooth SHARP saw using a block of wood as a guide to keep blade vertical.

Cutting insulation leaves a mess of fine particles.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Hi all, my first year so not sure if I've done things correctly for wintering.
(1 x National comprising of 1 x mesh base, 1 x deep for bees, 1 x Crown board, 1 x super for insulation, 1 x Roof)

So far:
1) Reduced entrance size to about 2 inches of width and installed a mouse guard.
2) Made a four sided tight fitting 50mm celotext box around both the deep and the super.
3) Added 50mm of Celotex on top of the crown board with sits between the deep and the super. I added a hole in the centre in the same place as the hole in the crown board for some ventilation.
4) Added some old loft insulation to fill the remainder of the space in the super and tore a small hole in the centre to match the celotex and crown board.
5) Put a ratchet strap over the roof of the hive and added small twig under one side of the roof to allow for a small amount of ventilation.

Does that all sound correct?[/QUOTEwaxI'm the same as you my first winter . I wouldn't of bothered with the twigs or holes in roof insulation I put mesh over crown board then insulation . I noticed that my girls have closed the crown board hole over with wax propolis reduced entrance perhaps if you live in an exposed area . cheers mark

 

[MerryBee]

I purchase celotex secondhand via Gumtree/ebay etc,, (there's vendor of used insulation in Stoke on Trent).
I use 5 minute PU glue - ebay. (ALWAYS use vinyl gloves and old clothes)

Cut it with a fine tooth SHARP saw using a block of wood as a guide to keep blade vertical.

Or if you are like me and have a limited range of tools, use a sharp bread knife to cut it. Works a treat.

Go easy on the butter.

 

[BernardBlack]

I have some of this spare.

http://www.siginsulation.co.uk/Literature/Datasheet - Crown Loft Roll 40 Feb 07 CD87407.pdf

Just wondered if this might do to insulate roof, unless I get around to getting some celotex/kingspan? Or indeed, if it might do the whole winter?

 

[madasafish]

I have some of this spare.

http://www.siginsulation.co.uk/Literature/Datasheet - Crown Loft Roll 40 Feb 07 CD87407.pdf

Just wondered if this might do to insulate roof, unless I get around to getting some celotex/kingspan? Or indeed, if it might do the whole winter?

Dreadful if it gets wet. Retains moisture and rots wood. Bees get stuck in it.

I would not use it - you don't want bits in the hive.

 

[coffindodger]

Dreadful if it gets wet. Retains moisture and rots wood. Bees get stuck in it.

I would not use it - you don't want bits in the hive.

Also stinks of cat pee once wet.

An alternative to celotex is to do what a lot of Americans do and fill a permeable bag (eg pillow case) with wood shavings. Gives insulation and absorbs water. Needs a refill after the winter but has the advantage of being flexible so you can tuck it in and holes in crown board are then covered.

 

[madasafish]

Also stinks of cat pee once wet.

An alternative to celotex is to do what a lot of Americans do and fill a permeable bag (eg pillow case) with wood shavings. Gives insulation and absorbs water. Needs a refill after the winter but has the advantage of being flexible so you can tuck it in and holes in crown board are then covered.

There should be NO holes in the crown board..

 

[TooBee...]

The scientific reasons for why some get away with ventilating and why you should not ventilate and insulate together read the following:
Mitchell Derek. Honey Bee Engineering: Top Ventilation and top Entrances. Am Bee J. 2017;157(8):887–9.

I've spent five minutes trying to get this online, but thought that it may be best to just ask..?

Do you have a Link to this article online or can you provide a copy?

Thanks in advance.

 

[drex]

Never had to buy celotex etc. If I see a small building development, a private builder, putting up a house or two, I just ask the lads for any off cuts. Much better response than on the bigger sites. Best off cut I got was a 4x 6 ft piece of 50 mm. Like JBM I just stick it inside the roof. My site is pretty sheltered, the roofs are standard 4 inch roofs. The sides still come low enough to well cover the edge of the crown board, and have never had any blow off.

 

[Karsal]

Partly. If you joined the forum in July you should by now have found the forum search facility.
Holes in crownboards are only good for feeding through and making gap(s) for warm air to escape is/are foolish. In my opinion beekeepers who inflict such conditions on their colonies should be compelled to remove the loft hatch cover in their own houses for the entire year.

 

[Swarm]

Do you block your chimney? Do you block your air vents?
Problem is we confuse hives with houses.

 

[Millet]

n0la

 

[Hivemaker.]

Do you block your chimney? Do you block your air vents?

Bet they do...with solid insulated ceilings, no hatch into roof space, no windows and houses up on stands/stilts with full open weld mesh floors.

 

[pargyle]

I have some of this spare.

http://www.siginsulation.co.uk/Literature/Datasheet - Crown Loft Roll 40 Feb 07 CD87407.pdf

Just wondered if this might do to insulate roof, unless I get around to getting some celotex/kingspan? Or indeed, if it might do the whole winter?

It will work but put it inside a couple of bin liners, make sure the hole(s) in the crownboard are covered with a tile or a piece of plywood, put a super on top of the brood box and put the bagged up insulation in the super, roof on, job done.

Any insulation above the crownboard is better than none ...

 

[charlievictorbravo]

I've spent five minutes trying to get this online, but thought that it may be best to just ask..?

Do you have a Link to this article online or can you provide a copy?

Thanks in advance.

Me too. Looks like you have to pay a subscription to the ABJ to read it online.

CVB

 

[Madge]

I have some of this spare.

http://www.siginsulation.co.uk/Literature/Datasheet - Crown Loft Roll 40 Feb 07 CD87407.pdf

Just wondered if this might do to insulate roof, unless I get around to getting some celotex/kingspan? Or indeed, if it might do the whole winter?

I agree with everything Madasafish has already said. Dreadful stuff.

But if you're after flexible insulation that can wrap around a tub of fondant, then you can use pure wool insulation (off-cuts, if you can get any). And before Jenkins starts banging on about it becoming soggy - no, it doesn't. It's wool and can absorb lots of moisture. I've found that it only sometimes become slightly wet where it touches the outside walls.

However, downside is woolly hands, particularly in summer.

 

[Millet]

Hi all, my first year so not sure if I've done things correctly for wintering.
(1 x National comprising of 1 x mesh base, 1 x deep for bees, 1 x Crown board, 1 x super for insulation, 1 x Roof)

So far:
1) Reduced entrance size to about 2 inches of width and installed a mouse guard.
2) Made a four sided tight fitting 50mm celotext box around both the deep and the super.
3) Added 50mm of Celotex on top of the crown board with sits between the deep and the super. I added a hole in the centre in the same place as the hole in the crown board for some ventilation.
4) Added some old loft insulation to fill the remainder of the space in the super and tore a small hole in the centre to match the celotex and crown board.
5) Put a ratchet strap over the roof of the hive and added small twig under one side of the roof to allow for a small amount of ventilation.

Does that all sound correct?[/QUOTEwaxI'm the same as you my first winter . I wouldn't of bothered with the twigs or holes in roof insulation I put mesh over crown board then insulation . I noticed that my girls have closed the crown board hole over with wax propolis reduced entrance perhaps if you live in an exposed area . cheers mark

I have just seen this, take the twig out they do not need any roof ventilation you are making them work harder to keep warm, i have Abelo poly roofs with no ventilation at all and they are fine with open mesh floors with the inspection tray pulled half way out or fully removed.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's wool and can absorb lots of moisture. .

ie - it becomes waterlogged

 

[SDM]

Do you block your chimney? Do you block your air vents?
Problem is we confuse hives with houses.

It seems you have. Chimneys are at a low point in the house and only allow air to pass through a tube. So none of the warm air in the rest of the house is affected. A bit like putting a hose pipe from the mesh floor , through the roof.
That's nothing like allowing ( and encouraging because warm air rises) all of the warm air in the hive to pass through a hole in the roof. That's more like opening your front door and a roof skylight. Try heating that house.