Insulating the hull questions.

[Hull376]

Ebb,

I stumbled on this product at Home Depot. http://www.parklandplastics.com/polywall.shtml Is chemically probably like that PVC stuff that takes several thousand years to decompose. But at least it's made from recycled resins so not adding to earth's landfills- at least for now! But I bought a sheet ($17 I think) and glued some to the Armacel foam with that wonder adhesive 564. It's the recommended glue type and it stuck really well. It cuts easily with a utility knife- just score it and then snap off the piece. You might have to slide the knife across a few spots to detach it. It's durable, stain proof, but can be easily bent onto curved surfaces such as the inside of the top sides. Cant do compound curves, though. I used it in a couple of places where I think it would wear better than the vinyl cloth. I also used some to replace pieces of the original laminate that I had painted some years ago and which were chipping and yellowing. I refaced the companionway (spelling?--hummmm) steps with it. Don't use this in place of Formica. Too soft. Because this is a flexible but semi-rigid sheet, very "bendy", it was much easier to size and laminate to the foam compared to cloth backed vinyl.

I tested its claimed imperviousness to staining by letting ketchup, mustard, blueberry, coffee, and red wine dry on a piece of this stuff. It washed off with water. I thought surely the wine would leave a stain, but no. My wife asked me why it mattered, was I planning on having a food fight on the boat?..

And it is treated on one side to ensure bonding to glue (and Armacel or Ensolite or whatever) .And 564 is still a big winner in the glue category far as I'm concerned!