Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

[VanderLaan]

Pulled all of the foam out of my 78 Holiday. It is relatively clean and with the exception of a few mouseholes, it is in pretty darn good shape. I am leaning towards keeping it and adding some blueboard foam to it. Any thoughts?

 

[64osby]

Re: Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

I'll assume your talking about the white Styrofoam. It is 34 years old and it will break down and hold water. I would replace it with new blue or pink or noodles. Cost a little, but you will feel much better knowing you have stuff under the deck that will make your boat float if there is ever an issue.

 

[InMotion]

Re: Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

Trash it or use it for insulating a cooler etc!... some have kept it in --- but many, many don't.

I just pulled some out of a raft that we used at the cottage --- broke a winch trying to get the raft out of the water with the foam in... took it out, I lifted the raft out! Stuff really, really absorbs the water literally like a sponge.

For the $100 for new stuff --- it's just worth the piece of mind!

Liking the boat though!! Gonna look great when it's done!
IM

 

[North Beach]

Re: Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

Well we all know the white Expanded polystyrene will absorb waaaayy more water than the Blue or Pink Extruded polystyrene so I'd advise replacing it.

 

[rheagler]

Re: Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

OK, let the flaming arrows fly, I left mine in. It was in great shape, just a bit dirty. I do keep the boat covered, so it has remained dry. If I do notice it deteriorating, or holding water (excess nasty ooze back in the bilge) I'll pull the floor back up and replace it. If I kept the boat in the water for extended periods of time, I definately would replace it. I feel that if something catastrophic happens where it is required, it will do it's job for enough time. Just throwing my opinion out there.

 

[North Beach]

Re: Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

OK, let the flaming arrows fly, I left mine in. It was in great shape, just a bit dirty. I do keep the boat covered, so it has remained dry. If I do notice it deteriorating, or holding water (excess nasty ooze back in the bilge) I'll pull the floor back up and replace it. If I kept the boat in the water for extended periods of time, I definately would replace it. I feel that if something catastrophic happens where it is required, it will do it's job for enough time. Just throwing my opinion out there.

I wouldn't flame anyone. It's your choice. But if someone asks, I gotta throw my opinion out there.

 

[tanuki]

Re: Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

OK, let the flaming arrows fly, I left mine in. It was in great shape, just a bit dirty. I do keep the boat covered, so it has remained dry. If I do notice it deteriorating, or holding water (excess nasty ooze back in the bilge) I'll pull the floor back up and replace it. If I kept the boat in the water for extended periods of time, I definately would replace it. I feel that if something catastrophic happens where it is required, it will do it's job for enough time. Just throwing my opinion out there.

... x2

 

[JD in Milwaukee]

Re: Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

You've gone this far, I'd replace it. It really holds a lot of water while looking just fine, that is, until you try to pick it up. I kept the large block in the nose because it never see's water. But the rest weighed a lot, it was soaked. Pulling that soaked foam allows my boat float about 3 inches higher in the water. It was a huge difference.

 

[rheagler]

Re: Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

I wouldn't flame anyone. It's your choice. But if someone asks, I gotta throw my opinion out there.

Having said what I said, the expense of new foam really isn't that large in the big scheme of things. As NB says, it's your boat, your choice

 

[mphy98]

Re: Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

Is there a way to disolve the old foam without removing the complete floor? I mean getting some access through hatches and stuff like that. Disolving it and then replacing it with the extruded foam through the hatches in the floor? not meaning to hijack thread just a question I have wondered.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

Is there a way to disolve the old foam without removing the complete floor? I mean getting some access through hatches and stuff like that. Disolving it and then replacing it with the extruded foam through the hatches in the floor? not meaning to hijack thread just a question I have wondered.

Have you ever dealt w/ styrofoam after it melts? Or smelled it? No thanks. What a huge mess...

Probably couldn't get much foam back thru hatches & etc anyway.....

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

Pulled all of the foam out of my 78 Holiday. It is relatively clean and with the exception of a few mouseholes, it is in pretty darn good shape. I am leaning towards keeping it and adding some blueboard foam to it. Any thoughts?

Having worked with boats for over 25 years, I find far more boats with white expanded poly styrene foam still in good condition than I do any with urethane foam, either sprayed or in block form. Urethane foams have serious issues with UV light, far worse than polystyrene foams do.
Both degrade with time. Be careful though, there are white expanded packing foams out there made with organic compounds which are intended to melt in the landfill.

Its all a matter of how well the foam was protected in the hull, if the boat was left full of water for long periods uncovered, then chances are the foam has absorbed water. All foams will absorb water to some degree, but it takes time. I think there's far more flotation in expanded poly styrene than there is in urethane foam just due to the lower density.
If your foam is still light and in good shape, there's no reason not to reuse it.

 

[VanderLaan]

Re: Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

Thanks guys. The foam is the EPS and it is dry as a bone. Some of the pieces were "lofting" like a paper airplane when I was tossing it out of the boat. The PO trailered it to Erie several times a year, so it was not stored in water. Given that the foam is clean and light and I will store it in a barn, I will likely keep it and add some blueboard to it.

 

[VanderLaan]

Re: Factory Foam - Keep It Or Trash It?

Have you ever dealt w/ styrofoam after it melts? Or smelled it? No thanks. What a huge mess...

Probably couldn't get much foam back thru hatches & etc anyway.....

+ 1. I had to remove cross-stringers to get the foam out of my boat. Not sure how you could put it back with those in place.