Installing Kingspan/Celotex above the Crown Board

[DonkeyDonz]

Hi all,

When installing do I cut the insulation to fit within an eke or super above the crown board so it sits snug within the hive?

TIA!

 

[Apiarisnt]

You will get plenty of contradictory replies, but for what its worth, I cut the insulation to fit an eke.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Depends on what your intention is in the long term, as well as how deep your roof is, even with a four inch roof there's enough room to have 50mm deep kingspan permanently fitted - just cut it so it fits snuggly inside the room (rip out the narrow batten lining the roof if you feel confident enough) then stick it in place. if you also then want a piece of 50mm Kingspan to surround a tub of fondant, with a 4" roof, cut it to fit an eke, with an 8" roof just cut it to the size of the crown board (no real need for an eke).

 

[StephenT]

I put it in the roof but on a couple of roofs where I didn’t fancy taking out the batons, I just cut baton sized slots around the edge of the kingspan and it wedged in nicely without the need for glue.

edit: have 4” roofs.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the battens serve no purpose apart from to afford a gap between the crownboard and the roof and satisfy the wedmorists who feel a need to have a good draw through the hive then up through their gaping holes in the crownboards then out via the vents, they are only secured by a few tacks and afford no structural strength to the roof so (for anybody who is interested) it's quite safe to remove them

 

[DonkeyDonz]

Depends on what your intention is in the long term, as well as how deep your roof is, even with a four inch roof there's enough room to have 50mm deep kingspan permanently fitted - just cut it so it fits snuggly inside the room (rip out the narrow batten lining the roof if you feel confident enough) then stick it in place. if you also then want a piece of 50mm Kingspan to surround a tub of fondant, with a 4" roof, cut it to fit an eke, with an 8" roof just cut it to the size of the crown board (no real need for an eke).

Stick with what please? Here's a photo of my set up - OMF National/Brood Box/Eke/Fondant/Polycarbonate Crown Board/Ply over Feeder Hole

 

[Wingy]

Another option if only 4” roof you can put 50mm in the roof. If you want to add another 50mm just cut it a few inches bigger than the roof, sit it on top of the hive (yes, on the outside) and put a brick on top. No need for an eke.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Stick with what please? Here's a photo of my set up - OMF National/Brood Box/Eke/Fondant/Polycarbonate Crown Board/Ply over Feeder Hole

Why don’t you try this

 

[Nannysbees]

Why don’t you try this
View attachment 29229

That's what we have done , at the moment we don't need fondant so the cut out piece is in place and will remove it when we put in the fondant, worked great last year for us

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Stick with what please?

Whatever you have handy - silicone sealant works, nomorenails, or something like Gripfix available at your builder's merchants (commonly refered to as stickslikesh!t)

 

[Amari]

Whatever you have handy - silicone sealant works, nomorenails, or something like Gripfix available at your builder's merchants (commonly refered to as stickslikesh!t)

It's actually a trade name.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Evo-Stik-S...8,B01CIQILY0,B01A95KS4S,B006PEJY20,B006PEEW7W

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's actually a trade name.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Evo-Stik-S...8,B01CIQILY0,B01A95KS4S,B006PEJY20,B006PEEW7W

It is now - didn't used to be when I first used it - and it wasn't an Evo-stik product either

 

[citrus]

is just putting the kingspan on top of the roof being totally lazy (weighted down of course)

its still insulation after all !

 

[pargyle]

is just putting the kingspan on top of the roof being totally lazy (weighted down of course)

its still insulation after all !

Yes ... You need it under the roof on top of the crownboard.

 

[citrus]

Yes ... You need it under the roof on top of the crownboard.

ok will make an effort this year ...

 

[BoStor]

Am I correct in assuming that polly hives do not need any insulation.

 

[Boston Bees]

Am I correct in assuming that polly hives do not need any insulation.

They don't NEED any. Some people choose to add some further insulation at the top of the hive (not the sides). This is done in various ways, depending on the hive setup (see above for examples).

I put insulation in the cavity between the poly crownboard and the roof, personally. Whether this really makes much difference, I don't know, but it makes me feel better.

 

[pargyle]

Am I correct in assuming that polly hives do not need any insulation.

Some poly hives have relatively thin roofs compared to the wall thickness . I always have insulation above the crown board... I've noticed that the heat at the crown board is greater if there is a slab of insulation above the crownboard under the roof than it is with the roof in its own. I put a super between the roof and the crownboard and put my PIR in that .... works for me but I'm not a proper beekeeper...

 

[Erichalfbee]

You need more insulation on top than the sides. All my early nucs have thin roofs so they have extra insulation

 

[masterBK]

Whenever I overwinter nuclei in polyMaisies I leave the Miller type feeders on with the two empty "syrup" spaces filled with insulation