We recieve many questions when speaking to our customers though listed below are the most frequent.

Q: Why use Polyurethane sprayed foam to insulate your boat?

A: Because there are so many benefits, more than with other types of insulation. Some of these are:

•Keeps you cosy and warm in winter, and can dramatically reduce heat loss.
•Cool in summer; helps maintain constant temperature.
•Reduces noise and vibration.
•Prevents condensation.
•Is space efficient compared to some other insulation materials, (e.g. when Polystyrene is used twice the thickness is required for the same level of insulation), this is a big consideration in small areas.
•Long lasting - is likely to last as long as the boat.
•Reduces fuel cost (either heating, cooling, air conditioning expenses).
•Effects felt immediately.
•Other insulation's have certain limitations, for example:
•Rockwool collapses, it gets damp (can cause bad smells when damp), and disintegrates, need much greater thickness for Rockwool/mineral fibre insulation.
•Resin in Polystyrene attacks the PVC cable in the electrical system, and then it all breaks down, whereas electrical cables are totally inert against Polyurethane sprayed foam.
•Polyurethane spray foam is the only insulation when applied in liquid form to create a continuous membrane throughout the hull.

Q: Having decided to use Polyurethane sprayed foam insulation, why choose Websters Insulation Ltd?

A. There are so many reasons to choose Websters in favour of competitor firms, that usually it makes little sense to go elsewhere!!! Some of these reasons are:

•Websters are the UK's leading specialists, and have been around much longer than the competition.
•The company was actually established in 1854, but the present owner has owned Websters Insulation Ltd for almost twenty years, and has been insulating boats for the last ten.
•Websters Insulation Ltd are the market leaders in Polyurethane sprayed foam, and are used by many of the boat builders nation-wide.
•None of the other companies have a background like Websters Insulation Ltd, and therefore cannot offer the same level of expertise and experience.
•Quality of workmanship. Webster's men are the best, and the most experienced in the business.
•This means that they have been trained to exacting standards. Their work is neat and tidy, and is carried out efficiently, with minimal inconvenience to you, as the work is usually carried out in a day.
•Together this means that you receive both a competitive price and high quality, which is unrivalled by anybody else.
•All materials used by Websters adhere to British standard regarding fire retardancy. This is BS476 part 7 class one.
•Websters belong to the BUFCA (British Urethane Foam Contractors Association).

Q: What preparation do I need to do before your Polyurethane spray foam engineers come to spray my boat? In general:

A: Websters come to insulate your boat when the following preparation is complete:

•The surface is blast cleaned.
•Then prime with a good red oxide or grey primer or equivalent.
•Timber noggins are fitted - (battened out).
•And all windows are fitted, and it must be washed out.
•Mask - put Ducting tape onto the front over the battens, then we can just peel it off, so reducing the need for extensive trimming back.
•The electrical question. Insulation can be done either before or after the electric's in the conduit are fitted (it is not essential to fit electricity first, some do some don't), we prefer insulation to be done before electrical wiring etc., so you can see the wires. If in doubt just ask the sprayers where the wires are.

Q: Do we do the masking out ever?

A. We can do, but the price would increase.

Sprayed foam insulation is applied in such a way as to remove the need for an extensive cutting back service; this needs to be born in mind by customers when they are comparing prices with other firms. This can be an additional hidden cost of using other firms, which is not necessarily apparent when comparing prices between companies for boat insulation.

If the customer has no power, we can supply our own generators; the men will bring it with them.

If the boat is very old then different advice is given; (this tends to relate to the primers, Websters can recommend suitable primers).

Q: Do you do a trimming back service?

A. We can do, but one of the additional benefits of using Websters, is that their spraying is done in such a way as to minimise the need for much cutting back, therefore saving additional time, energy and money.

Q: How does Polyurethane spray foam insulation compare to Polystyrene insulation, i.e. why choose foam instead of Polystyrene?

A. There are some fairly serious problems associated with Polystyrene insulation for boats these are:

•Polystyrene is not normally stuck to the steelwork of a boat it is just wedged between the timbers.
•Twice the thickness of Polystyrene is required compared to foam to ensure adequate insulation. This can reduce space in what is usually a small area anyway.
•DIY Polystyrene insulation can be a lengthy business, and there is the risk of error (i.e. bridging problems) for the amateur, together with the cost of the materials. If done by an expert, then the cost differential may be less than imagined. In both cases there is the risk of dissatisfaction and hidden cost.
•Difficulties surround the location of suitable adhesives for Polystyrene.
•Negligible fire retardant properties - if any?
•Questions of longevity - how long will it last?
•Polystyrene - Labour and effort required to create and fit the extra protective cases for cables. (I.e. cables must not lie next to the Polystyrene).
•So, is it really any cheaper, all things considered?

Q: How does professionally sprayed foam Insulation compare to DIY Foam/rigid insulation?

A. Professionally sprayed foam insulation compares very favourably with Foam/rigid insulation in several respects. These are:

In this case the cost of raw materials are high. A recent example showed that the costs of raw materials alone were £475.00, whereas, in comparison, Websters price to insulate the same boat was £640.00 including both labour and materials, as well as all the associated benefits of using Websters, i.e. quality of workmanship, effective insulation, value for money etc.

To apply foam insulation yourself, can be very time consuming and hazardous. It is most definitely not recommended for the novice.

After considering these things the cost difference begin to look smaller.

Q: How does sprayed foam insulation compare to Rockwool/Fibreglass type insulation?

A. Drawbacks of Rockwool/Fibreglass types insulation, against Polyurethane sprayed foam are:

•Condensation still forms behind Rockwool/Fibreglass insulation.
•Rockwool/Fibreglass tends not to be stuck, so metal still sweats behind it when the ambient temperature is colder than in the vessel.
•It gets sodden like a sponge, wet through, and never dries out properly.
•It can start to smell very bad.
•Fibreglass can be dangerous and there is also a risk of allergy problems, especially in relation to DIY applications.

Q: What kind of guarantee comes with Boat insulation?

A. The life span of spray foam insulation is indefinite; therefore we can say that the insulation materials are guaranteed to the lifetime of the boat.

Q: Does it matter how old a boat is? I.e. is this type of insulation compatible with older boats?

A. Each individual circumstance is different, however it can be usually done. In each case we would need to offer technical advice, mainly to ensure that correct primers are used.

Q: If there is a chimney in the boat how much space is left between the chimney breast and the insulation?

A. About an inch.

Q: Which part of the boat do we spray?

•Cabin area.
•Under side of roof decking (the deck head).
•Both sides of the hull.
•Cabin area down to bilge level no lower than that (floor level).
•Under the gunnels.
•Underneath the bow section.
•Round the cat flap/hatch (where boat users go to get the weeds of the prop shaft).
•(Please note that we prefer a bare hull. The more timber and electricity cables etc. the more difficult it is to spray).

Q: Do we spray the engine bay under the rear deck, which is called the crosser stern?

A. Yes we can, but it is optional and if we do it reduces noise and vibration.