Insulation for Teak house

[Siam Dingo]

Can any carpenters/builders advise me about using insulation in a newly built, teak house with many gaps. The only bedroom is floor to ceiling vertical weatherboards with so many gaps, and coming into the wet season I experienced a lot of condensation/dampness inside (the only covered area in the house).

I am only renting this place so not looking to spend a fortune.  And I guess just something temporary would be fine.

 

I was thinking of using some sealed MDF (12mm/1/2 inch) board to make an interior wall, considering there are plenty of gaps for air flow I thought that would stop mould...

Another person suggested polystyrene, but i'm not keen on that as I have a couple of cats.

 

Any other thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

 

Cheers, Siam Dingo

 

 

[Crossy]

Certainly plenty of ventilation there.

 

Moving to DIY for directed responses.

 

[Crossy]

Do you need to insulate for heat or just reduce the amount of weather penetrating the weatherboards?

 

Assuming you can't get the builders back to fix it I would be tempted to simply tape up the biggest gaps on the inside then brown silicon from outside. Should look neat enough and be reasonably permanent.

 

[Siam Dingo]

52 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Do you need to insulate for heat or just reduce the amount of weather penetrating the weatherboards?

 

Assuming you can't get the builders back to fix it I would be tempted to simply tape up the biggest gaps on the inside then brown silicon from outside. Should look neat enough and be reasonably permanent.

 

It's more for the dampness. After a few days of rain, woke one morning to find everything really damp, even bed linen. So I thought by putting interior wall panels in would slow that down. As for the heat.

So far I've used a few tubes of silicon to stop the rain from flooding the room! haha The thing is the gaps in the floor too, I'd be looking for at least another dozen tubes of silicon if I was lucky.

 

Thanks for the advice Crossy

Edited September 2, 2018 by Siam Dingo

[Joinaman]

i would say no to the MDF idea

It was standard sheeting to use for many different jobs in the uk, so i thought ok here

Nope Even stained, woodcared and polished, it still get covered in mould , especially on the edges

If left bare finish, then it just turns a nasty shade of black mould, not good at all

Crossy's ideas good, buy a few rolls of masking tape or similar, tape over inside

If you could find brown tape would be even better

Whatever you do is not going to look pretty either, without full over boarding

Might be a bit expensive and a pain in the bum  to seal all the joints outside, would need scaffold or a good ladder, especially if its not your house

[eyecatcher]

Easy one for me, buy some 75/100mm foil wrapped rolls of insulation, and cut to size and staple to the cladding.

re line the walls with a foil backed plasterboard. Fill and tape and paint.

 

Its cheap and keeps the heat out, sound insulation a benefit and if the landlord doesnt like it at the end of your term you can easily remove it with the minimum of damage.

Will cost you less than 200bt/m2

[eyecatcher]

Yes steer clear of mdf, termites will be embedded after the first termite mating swarm.

[Siam Dingo]

1 hour ago, Joinaman said:

i would say no to the MDF idea

It was standard sheeting to use for many different jobs in the uk, so i thought ok here

Nope Even stained, woodcared and polished, it still get covered in mould , especially on the edges

If left bare finish, then it just turns a nasty shade of black mould, not good at all

Crossy's ideas good, buy a few rolls of masking tape or similar, tape over inside

If you could find brown tape would be even better

Whatever you do is not going to look pretty either, without full over boarding

Might be a bit expensive and a pain in the bum  to seal all the joints outside, would need scaffold or a good ladder, especially if its not your house

Yeah I know that mould, I had some untreated bamboo blinds. Lasted until the first couple of humid nights!

Getting outside is ok, I have ladder and can use the roof for the rest.

Thanks for the thoughts.

Cheers

Edited September 2, 2018 by Siam Dingo

[Siam Dingo]

Thanks Eyecatcher, I was wondering about gyprock here. I have seen it but thought it would suck in the moister too. Do you think there will be enough ventilation for the moisture to escape? I've never built in the tropics before and don't really know what to expect.

 

I think I'll use your idea of the foil... the rolls I saw at home pro seemed quite expensive more than you have said, but that's alright if it will do the trick. 

I forgot about termites to be honest, funny considering where I come from is full of them.  

Thanks for the reply

Cheers, Siam Dingo 

[BritManToo]

Mozzy net/tent over the bed, windows and doors open all night is the way the locals do it.

Edited September 2, 2018 by BritManToo

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, Joinaman said:

i would say no to the MDF idea

It was standard sheeting to use for many different jobs in the uk, so i thought ok here

Nope Even stained, woodcared and polished, it still get covered in mould , especially on the edges

If left bare finish, then it just turns a nasty shade of black mould, not good at all

I completely agree, if you have damp the MDF is a really bad idea.

 

However if you don't have water coming in then it certainly isn't always bad. I made a couple of wardrobes and a kitchen cabinet that have plain unfinished  (because I haven't got round to painting them yet) MDF doors 4 years ago and there is no sign of mould. The kitchen where the cabinet is doesn't have AC.

[themerg]

Why do you want to insulate in a climate that never requires insulation ?

Teak houses were made for their beauty and durability in this wet, hot and, humid climate.

Do not spoil the beauty of the wood with insulation.

What you want to do is fill in the spaces.

Talk to a housing contractor. Your house is not the only house in Thailand with this problem.

The problem is climate related.

The richer people in teak houses use the remedy you are looking for.

Bring your phone with a translating app.

Edited September 3, 2018 by themerg

[whaleboneman]

2 hours ago, themerg said:

Why do you want to insulate in a climate that never requires insulation ?

Teak houses were made for their beauty and durability in this wet, hot and, humid climate.

Do not spoil the beauty of the wood with insulation.

What you want to do is fill in the spaces.

Talk to a housing contractor. Your house is not the only house in Thailand with this problem.

The problem is climate related.

The richer people in teak houses use the remedy you are looking for.

Bring your phone with a translating app.

First time I heard that one - we're talking about Thailand aren't we? Insulation can help keep a place cooler too you know. However in the OP's case, I would go with calking as others have suggested. Even if you need 25 tubes of it, it will be cheaper than adding another surface on the inside. Also, adding an interior surface will mean moisture is getting trapped between the two surfaces and will lead to problems.

[BritManToo]

13 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

I completely agree, if you have damp the MDF is a really bad idea.

 

However if you don't have water coming in then it certainly isn't always bad. I made a couple of wardrobes and a kitchen cabinet that have plain unfinished  (because I haven't got round to painting them yet) MDF doors 4 years ago and there is no sign of mould. The kitchen where the cabinet is doesn't have AC.

Interior damp is usually caused by people sweating at night.

Insulation, and blocking the gaps will usually make it worse.

 

OP shows a screened window in a room with gaps large enough for mozzies to crawl in, the screen becomes pointless in this situation.

[eyecatcher]

The fundamental problem is the cladding. They are 150/160 wide boards which appear to have little if any overlap.

I would expect a 30mm lap therefore the inner board would be seen as only 90mm not 150

If you want to retain the beauty of the wood you plant on further strips internally but you need the tools for ripping strips from more boards. Thats a cheap method but can look good.

Using mastics at 100bt a tube I do not favour. In no time the mastic will firstly break down in the sun and secondly be pulled and stretched by the seasonal movement of the wood.

 

If you are concerned about driving and wind thro the gaps you can line the framing with a heavy duty polythene and then continue with the insulation batts and plasterboard.

 

The 75mm microfiber Rt21 is about 200bt for 2.4mx0.6m thats Global best imo. The sunshield from Home Pro is 100mm  a lot better for insulation but i think better for ceilings.

[Randell]

Eyecatcher your spot on with you conclusion and suggestions. The contractor should be called back and rips made and nailed or stapled into place with matching wood blocking the gaps. My house was similarly made but with far more overlap.  and the voids at the bottom of each was filled with matching wood. Then the entire interior was walled in with  beautiful veneer plywood. The drop ceiling had 2 ft square ceiling tiles. But not one bit of insulation which I have yet to remedy. The walls will be to problematic but covering the drop ceiling with insulation will certainly help.

Good luck Siam Dingo. See if the contractor will come back and add the blocking pieces of wood that would be your first step and maybe the only one you need if you are only renting all the best 

[Pdavies99]

The problem here is partly climate, but I think you will find it is either poor quality teak wood or not actually teak wood or no maintenance (Thailand for you!)

 

To explain my thoughts, I have a teak wood house up country and had the same problem, (Damp overnight and mold) I got in a firm that know about teak, he pointed out to me that about 20% was not teak or poor quality and had a high moisture content, he removed all this wood and recommended I have everything teak oiled every year, (this I did from large cans of teak oil and stopped the damp and mold instantly) inside and out and well daily ventilated daily, I had the gaps caulked and since then not a problem at all.

 

I quote "Teak Demands Care"

Although we say teak is a low maintenance wood, it still requires some oiling or polishing every year or every other year. Compared to other woods, this isn't that often, but compared to composite woods such as particle board, plywood, or plastic furniture, there is some maintenance required.

 

I hope this helps you!

Edited September 3, 2018 by Pdavies99

[sometimewoodworker]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Interior damp is usually caused by people sweating at night.

Insulation, and blocking the gaps will usually make it worse.

Party true yes people may add up to a litre of water to the air, but if there is even a moderate air exchange that is usually insignificant.

 

Probably the only situation where it's major factor is if you already have extremely high humidity, people sleeping and a temperature drop, this could push the level over 100%

[Siam Dingo]

21 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Mozzy net/tent over the bed, windows and doors open all night is the way the locals do it.

I'm sorry you do not comprehend the OP. Try Dr. Seuss books, they are good starters to catch the basics

[Psimbo]

10 hours ago, themerg said:

Why do you want to insulate in a climate that never requires insulation ?

Teak houses were made for their beauty and durability in this wet, hot and, humid climate.

Do not spoil the beauty of the wood with insulation.

What you want to do is fill in the spaces.

Talk to a housing contractor. Your house is not the only house in Thailand with this problem.

The problem is climate related.

The richer people in teak houses use the remedy you are looking for.

Bring your phone with a translating app.

Wot he said- the whole purpose of a teak house is to let the air circulate.

 

Blocking the circulation will do more harm than good and as you are renting you definitely want to speak with the landlord about conducting ANY modifications that could affect HIS property.

[Siam Dingo]

Thanks to all that have given their quality thoughts and ideas. See how it works out.

Cheers 

[Siam Dingo]

1 minute ago, Psimbo said:

Wot he said- the whole purpose of a teak house is to let the air circulate.

 

Blocking the circulation will do more harm than good and as you are renting you definitely want to speak with the landlord about conducting ANY modifications that could affect HIS property.

I don't think I need advice for talking to the landlord, good on you for your input though

[BritManToo]

12 minutes ago, Siam Dingo said:

I'm sorry you do not comprehend the OP. Try Dr. Seuss books, they are good starters to catch the basics

As the previous poster and myself have stated, you are misjudging the problem.

It's damp because you sweat inside, and blocking the gaps will cause a bigger problem.

 

Teak houses are supposed to have free air circulation else mould will grow on the inside.

[eyecatcher]

5 hours ago, Randell said:

Eyecatcher your spot on with you conclusion and suggestions. The contractor should be called back and rips made and nailed or stapled into place with matching wood blocking the gaps. My house was similarly made but with far more overlap.  and the voids at the bottom of each was filled with matching wood. Then the entire interior was walled in with  beautiful veneer plywood. The drop ceiling had 2 ft square ceiling tiles. But not one bit of insulation which I have yet to remedy. The walls will be to problematic but covering the drop ceiling with insulation will certainly help.

Good luck Siam Dingo. See if the contractor will come back and add the blocking pieces of wood that would be your first step and maybe the only one you need if you are only renting all the best 

I have re clad the side of my house in horizontal boarding externally, which is the way to go. internally I clad it vertically because I think it looks far superior. It seems to be a fashion style at some period in Thai history to clad vertically and if its not lapped sufficiently then its going to let rain in every time.

horizontal lapping even with 5mm laps still does the job effectively.

 

An earlier poster mentioned the possibility of rain moisture into the "cavity" between the cladding and the insulation. Well rightly so, this is a possibility. What is likely to happen is two fold, firstly moisture that cannot evapourate or dry quickly in the heat will start to encourage mould and wet rot spores which in turn are the perfect harbouring sites for termites to colonise. 

According to the OP his cladding is teak, so its literally the best deterrent against termites, they will not touch it if they have other options. There does appear to be a rogue header over the window though. I had a few of those but enough to cause me a major job in the end.

 

difficult to know how handy the OP is, as another option is to simply buy additional cladding boards and nail on yet another row on the worst elevations. Triple coated!!

 

 

Edited September 3, 2018 by eyecatcher

[Shadychris]

On 9/2/2018 at 7:37 AM, Siam Dingo said:

It's more for the dampness. After a few days of rain, woke one morning to find everything really damp, even bed linen. So I thought by putting interior wall panels in would slow that down. As for the heat.

So far I've used a few tubes of silicon to stop the rain from flooding the room! haha The thing is the gaps in the floor too, I'd be looking for at least another dozen tubes of silicon if I was lucky.

 

Thanks for the advice Crossy

Whatever you do, do NOT attempt to seal the gaps in the floor. They are there purposely to let the water that leaks in through the walls and roof drain away through the floor!

[wgdanson]

MOVE HOUSE !

[Shadychris]

Have you ever tried to pick up a teak house???

[eyecatcher]

23 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

As the previous poster and myself have stated, you are misjudging the problem.

It's damp because you sweat inside, and blocking the gaps will cause a bigger problem.

 

Teak houses are supposed to have free air circulation else mould will grow on the inside.

I respectfully disagree. Every type of house has the same condensation problems what ever it is made from.

Every house has doors and windows so there is the circulation. Here we have fans, so actually its better for air circulation.

I am sorry but teak houses are not designed to be gappy.

 

you are talking condensation here, hot humid air circulating in everyones house and because its so hot,we all need those windows open, with no wind thus exacerbating the problem.

With insulated walls, such a the qcons, I reckon there is very little experience of condensation,, with wooden walls equally so, with plasterboard, well its paper isn't it, absorbing humidity and mould spores.

 

insulate and ventilate, that's the key but more importantly making your structure weathertight!

[eyecatcher]

12 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

MOVE HOUSE !

I don't think Abbey Pynford operate over here

Edited September 3, 2018 by eyecatcher

[eyecatcher]

4 minutes ago, Shadychris said:

Have you ever tried to pick up a teak house???

A quick tip to identify teak from another hardwood.

you can balance a 5m teak cladding board on your index finger, with hardwood it will break your finger.

(when you buy a load of teak and they try to sneak some other wood in there aswell)