DryMesh Anti-moisture layer Good or Bad Idea

[SweetKingfisher1]

I am thinking of getting Dry Mesh for under our cabin cushions and what I am wondering is it a good idea or a bad idea. Dear young Alan has told me what he thinks    and of course it is not cheap.

 

Because of the cost is it worth it? 

 

Regards

Marina    

[mbird]

We have the honeycomb type layer underneath our mattress. We bought it as the same time as the new mattress to help protect it, but I am a bit dubious as to its effectiveness, since the weight of the mattress itself seems to crush the honeycomb layer, so I'm not sure how much airflow there is.

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[SPEEDTRIPLE]

If you want to ventilate under the matresses and cushions, it would be quite easy to make a grid system out of quarter inch (that`s 6.35mm to anybody younger than me) wood battening Using quarter inch overlayed on eachother will raise the matress or cushion y half an inch (12.7mm) which should allow goof airflow underneath. Obviously, if you have matresses extending under side decks, you will have to ensure enough room to lay under them.

[JawsOrca]

Fix the leak first mum and then see what its like... x

[Mowjo]

Tried it on the Hampton 25 it was a waste of money and made no difference at all, the rear bunk sat right over the watertank and the matress suffered bad condensation, I end up up getting rid of the ply lids and converted it to slats and put a bit of foam insulation over the tank, Cured it and Judi said the bed even felt warmer, to be honest I think putting cheap felt back carpet under the matresses wouls do a better job than dry mesh,

 

Frank,,,,

[BroadScot]

Bring back Dunlopillo, I say  . I like Frank's idea, always plenty of cheap off cut carpet.

 

Iain.

[LondonRascal]

As my memory serves, damp likes to fall and penetrate through things in a downward fashion. It will come on the top of the cushion, go through and then find it cannot penetrate further either because the cushion back has a rubber/vinyl barrier or meets something like a solid surface whereupon it sits and builds up - never being able to escape fully and evaporate.

 

When I hired Mystic Horizon, I found the forward berth always damp and upon lifting the mattress you could see visible damp/moist areas .  As a stop gap during the day I propped the mattress up leaving the cabin door and windows open and had the roof hatch slightly ajar. When the sun set and humidity began to increase all was closed and the mattress put back flat and after a couple of days the dampness overnight had eased considerably.

 

It made me ponder what a good solution to such would be - here is what I came up with:

 

Get some cheap 'honeycombed' type rubber mats they will not rot and will not crush of distort under the weight of the mattress but will provide an even amount of clearance - just buy enough to serve your needs, cut to shape and can be found here for under £6.00 (40cm by 60cm).

 

But what you really want to do is get that damp air somewhere to go - if there is a void under the seat/berth or perhaps some drawers you could cut several well places circular holes using a hole saw - you can them for just over £7.00 here.  Don't cut too many or you may end up with a weak structure and sagging boards.

 

Now what that will do is take your damp problem down to the void or in a drawer, where you can put some crystal damp traps to capture this and every few weeks empty and replace - I get them from pound shops but you can get 18 of them for £24.00 here.

 

Another idea is to have each cabin with a mini electric dehumidifier - have a look at one here -  these are tiny units  (14.6cm x 13.5cm x 22.3cm) that collect between 250ml and 500ml of water - but run on 9v DC .

 

Now you would need a step down unit from your 12v supply (you can get one here - note this may not be correct amperage type but this is the sort of thing needed) the dehumidifier would consume 24 watts (that's about 2amps)  so it would be possible to run off of your battery bank and seeing as they are not large units capacity wise you would not be running them for that long but you might like to do your 'drying cycle' when under way and not be drawing too much from your batteries.

 

They work on the Peltier effect to create a heat flux between the junction of two different types of materials. A Peltier cooler, heater, is a solid-state active heat pump which transfers heat from one side of the device to the other, with consumption of electrical energy, depending on the direction of the current.

 

In short it is what makes your electric cool box cold inside and warm air blown out the top.

 

So there is some ideas to consider, or you might like to fit marine air conditioning units that also heat in the winder, can be used as dehumidifiers and of course keep the cabins nice and cool in the summer - oh you wanted things to be cheap

[ZimbiIV]

Marina, Just tell Ian to get up more often during the night.

paul

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Marina,

When we had our new mattress for the 2013 season start we had a fitted piece of dry mesh under the mattress (made with a vinyl side and top)to aid our condensation issues. I suggest that you get plenty of condensation traps onboard and empty them often.

Regards

Alan

[JawsOrca]

Good tips from all.. thanks all.. But (with all respect Robin) please don't use electric dehumidifiers.. far too many boats have suffered from faulty dehumidifiers.. I know friends of friends whom lost a brand new boat from one soo sad  .

 

 We have found leaving the boat with condensation traps, storing the cushions somewhere safe (Parents spare room...   ) plus leaving some windows open is good enough for the winter..

 

Plus what my mum has failed to mention is there's a issue / hole in the boat at the moment which is allowing water ingress (wasn't me!) I'm confident that's causing damp issues at the moment and this certainly needs addressing before worrying further.. although mum, as others have kindly pointed out there are cheaper alternatives.. (you don't need to always buy expensive things  - Save expensive things for me for end of december time lol!) all...

[LondonRascal]

Well I am sorry to hear of a dehumidifier causing the loss of a boat – though I am not sure 9v non compressor driven small unit like those which I refer could cause such things to occur.

 

I do however think there is risk where people use a household large mains powered unit, then leave them on the counter or draining board with their drain into the sink. 

 

Not only could there be issues with them running when you are not about, if the boat was to be struck – a possibility in a tight marina as a neighbour came into to moor - and as a result the unit fell off the counter, it would carry on going even if upside down – very bad for a compressor that, not to mention water would now be flowing where it should never inside the unit.

[SweetKingfisher1]

Well, so such much infor from you all and that is great. The cost for me to dry mesh in the cabins is over £200 and that is why I needed advise. Yes we are waiting for Graham ( Maffet ) to help repair the leak, which is where we have rubber going down the haul, so sweet kingfisher will be having a face lift. The rubbers will be taken off. 

What we did last winter was to put bowls of salt in each cabin and take all bedding / cushions home ( put them in young Alan's old bedroom ), but this year we have covers for all the windows, so that should help and yes we will leave all the windows open.

 

I know dear Alan will help with the infor I don't understand. 

 

Thanks for all your advise. 

 

Regards

Marina    

[ZimbiIV]

Just an idea further to speedtriple's of making a wooden trellis why not get some plastic garden trellising and cut to shape. This will lift the mattress of the base by 1/2'' and enable some water lilies to grow.

paul

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Marina,

Dry Mesh 2.1 x 2.5 metres is £69 or there abouts.

Just have a look on google for the best price.

Regards

Alan

[SweetKingfisher1]

Hi Alan, I have look on line and the only sites for the dry mesh is the Marine sites, but if you could give me where I could get the mesh of 2.1 x 2.5 metres is £69 or there about, because I am unable to locate a site with it at that price.

 

Regards

Marina     

[JawsOrca]

(Thanks Alan) 

 

Mum: http://www.marinebedding.co.uk/dryMesh.php

[Polly]

I use IKEA under mat non slip mesh, two layers at a cheap as chips price. I had it on Rondonay for 11 years and never had a problem, in fact after her pushpit was hit and a stanchion damaged, there was a leak down on to the quarter berth. The underlay kept the mattress out of harms way completely, allowing the water to run under it until I discovered the issue.

[JennyMorgan]

Ventilation is a wondrous thing! Hermetically sealing a boat is not, in my opinion, a good idea. On leaving a boat for any time I would leave the mattresses standing on their sides leaning against the bunk sides. The more air can move about a boat the better e.g. drawers and cupboard doors left ajar.

[SweetKingfisher1]

Ok both Alan's, Marine bedding is the company I have looked at not cheap, but I do like the idea of IKEA under mat non slip mesh, two layers at a cheap as chips price. That sounds good, but I hate going into Ikea. I want to get out as soon as I walk in. Alan you love Ikea you could go for me       .

 

I have noticed some boats have put a cover all over their boat for the winter is that good or bad?

 

Regards

Marina    

[Mowjo]

Marina! if you don't mind using Flea/bay heres the Ikea stuff,,,

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ikea-STOPP-Anti-slip-carpet-underlay-rug-stop-non-slip-rug-gripper-mat-NEW-/251456019669?pt=UK_Home_Garden_FittedCarpets_Underlay_SM&hash=item3a8bf25cd5

 

 

Frank,,,,,

[SweetKingfisher1]

Hi Frank, thats even better no Ikea and delivered to your door. 

 

Thanks for that I will check into ebay.

 

Regards

Marina   

[Polly]

We have a winter cover for Brilliant, but leave the back open, open all doors lift cabin sole, remove all textiles, and put in dehumidifiers. She is also out of the water, being a woody.

[SweetKingfisher1]

Hi Polly, last winter was our first with this boat, so in each cabin we put a bowl of salt all else was taken out. This winter we have covers for all the windows so that should help, but lets hope it is not a bad winter. It's good in learning / hearing what others are doing to their boat for the winter. 

 

Regards

Marina  

[JennyMorgan]

No problem with covers, so long as there is a good through draft and ventilation in the boat. I was onboard a boat the other day & whilst I admired the obvious skill of the owner in refitting it over the last few years I did wonder, to myself, how well it was ventilated. Everything fitted so perfectly and but not a sign of ventilation anywhere! We put an all over cover on my daughter's woody but there is a gap at both ends, rain resistant I might add, costs nothing but saves problems, even for a tupperware!  

[Baitrunner]

I use (and have for 4yrs) a large compressor based model all year round running when we aren't on the boat. Purchased from a chandlers in Wroxham so used by many boaters. Maybe not very convenient for hirers or anyone without shore power. There is another post under the technical section on dehumidifiers. We also leave all the internal doors open as well as the fridge (when we are not using it) which stops that going mouldy as well.

 

I also have a couple of the desicant/crystal based units in each cabin as back up. A bit messy, but they work.

 

They all seem to collect lots of water so must be doing some good in removing the moisture that would otherwise soak into your furnishings etc.

 

Some of the smaller re-chargeable dehumidifiers don't seem to have very good reviews as I looked at them earlier in the year.

 

Failing that good old fashioned heat and plenty of ventilation will help. I would hope the hire boats would not be too bad as they get used a lot more so have more heat and ventilation on a regular basis.