Roof Insulation - cheap.

[madasafish]

Want to insulate your roof? Or three rooves? Or is it three roofs?

B&Q offer.. at this price, you are stoopid not to do it

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.j...refview=search&ts=1286648519701&isSearch=true

 

[Gardenbees]

This stuff is good - quite substantial but easy to cut. I used to use something similar on my boat.

I wondered about actually using it for making a top bar hive...

 

[Hampton_Pete]

What considerations are necessary when adding insulation?

When needed: - Is there a daily/nighly average temp below which insulation is best to add.

What, if any, provision is required for maintaining or increasing ventilation whilst insulation material is in place?

Thanks

Pete

 

[Flatters]

My understanding is that the insulation is put in around now and is left in over the winter period. It is put above the CB so as to stop condensation forming on the CB. (heat of the bees hitting a cold CB would cause it)

There is no need for top ventilation as that will take heat away. The bees are likely to fill in any holes anyway as they don't like the chimney effect it would create. Use an OMF without the monitor board in. Also take the entrance block out but put a mouse guard in place. The ventilation from below will be enough.

 

[MuswellMetro]

My understanding is that the insulation is put in around now and is left in over the winter period. It is put above the CB so as to stop condensation forming on the CB. (heat of the bees hitting a cold CB would cause it)

There is no need for top ventilation as that will take heat away. The bees are likely to fill in any holes anyway as they don't like the chimney effect it would create. Use an OMF without the monitor board in. Also take the entrance block out but put a mouse guard in place. The ventilation from below will be enough.

Agree, all you need is under the roof a 460mm x460mm block directly on the crown board ( Think Poly Hive gave me that idea) and OMF

i use 4" thick kingspan ,but these are cheaper, i put mine on at the same time as thymol treatmnet

 

[Midland Beek]

What insulating material isn't cheap in the context of a few pieces to go into a hive roof?

 

[drstitson]

it isn't clear on the site what thicknesses these come in - anyone know?

 

[FenBee]

I used a similar polystyrene sheet last year. The sheet I used was about 20mm thick and I used four layers. All these layers were placed on top of the crown board, inside a spare box and then the roof placed on top.

I plan to do this again next week and also place mesh around the hive to guard against green woodpeckers.

 

[fatshark]

drstitson ...

It's 52.5mm thick and is much paler coloured than shows in the online catalogue. Almost cream. Looks just the job!

 

[madasafish]

I bought it for a TBH which I am building..Nice and light.

 

[RoofTops]

Sounds as if it would ideal for a warming cabinet as the ends would not need to be sealed as is really needed with Kingspan types sheets.

 

[Moggs]

Madasafish - thanks. Reserved at store over tinternet last night and collected this p.m.. Ideal, nice and thick, light as a feather. Will fit after this unseasonal heat wave that we're having - like a summer's day today!

 

[drstitson]

spaceboard/kingspan

what thickness are people putting on their hives?

I'm tempted to go for a double layer of the spaceboard (picked up mine last night plus spares for club apiary).

BTW although you only get enough for 2 national sized 460x460 squares out of a sheet, if you intend to encase in a wooden box like i am you can actually just get 3 dadant sized bits from sheet.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

what thickness are people putting on their hives?

Was intending to leave one 40mm layer of Kingspan-like(I think) silver backed insulation. Happy to be directed otherwise though.

 

[Leigh]

I build insulation into my rooves now - Kingspan type stuff, but called recticel. I've uploaded this photo somewhere before, but it is probably more relevant now.

Keeps some of the heat off in Summer and in in Winter.

 

[drstitson]

How thick is that stuff in the roof - 25mm or so???

 

[Leigh]

It is 50mm. The roof sides are 5" deep. I've acquired a couple of deeper sheets - deeper than 50mm is prob unnecessary, but it is free. I was initially worried that there wasn't much overhang on the roof sides and that there might be a danger of the rooves being blown off.....but with 4 18mm ply sides and a 20" square top of 9mm ply, it would have to be a hell of a gust to lift that off!

 

[biggles]

I have some 100mm insulation sheet left over from a house build. I was thinking of using them as the are FOC under the roof and strapping the roof on. Do you think this will be ok? or should I try and cut them in half?
Ta
Pete

 

[Leigh]

As long as the roof overhangs enough to stop rain getting in (good ole winter sideways rain), then it shouldn't be a problem. Otherwise, if you have any spare empty supers, whack one of them on, cut the deep kingspan to size and pop that on top of the crownboard....it will be as effective. The only slight disadvantage is a taller hive, which will be slightly more susceptible to wind.....just make sure it is sheltered or tied down.

 

[Adam]

I'm tempted to go for a double layer of the spaceboard (picked up mine last night plus spares for club apiary).

I used slab insulation like this when I first started beekeeping (as I felt it might help somehow), and have never used it since, without any difference in winter losses. I know several commercial beekeepers who are managing thousands of colonies - without block insulation and tiny losses so I'm bemused about what the point of it is?

Have I missed something - has someone proven it to be of benefit? I don't mean the anecdotal "it's insulating it must be good" is there some recent study come out or suchlike that indicates insulation is actually better?

I see you are using it in the club apiary. Given you presumably have loads of new beekeepers - are you recommending them use it too?

The only half resonable evidence I've seen is in Brother Adams books, where he describes the poor build up the following spring after excessive insulation so have always steered clear of it since.

Did I miss something (I know, Finman will be here to say heat is good, and he uses heat in the -40 degrees C of the finnish winter but here in England). For centuries it's been colder over winter and all they ever used was a tin roof.

Adam