Best glue for foam board?

John White · Mar 30, 2019

I have a shipping container box I use for storage and when the temperature changes it sweats inside the roof. I am thinking about getting the 4x8 sheets of the silver backed foam board and gluing it to the ceiling. What would be the best type of glue? Silicon? I have used different glues on the foam on my overhead garage door and it will usually pop loose in cold weather or will melt the foam. On the vinyl siding on our house it is foam backed and I don't know what they used but you cant pull it off. Looks like some kind of silicon.

Ford850 · Mar 30, 2019

I would use a good construction adhesive. Liquid Nails, Loctite PL, and Gorilla brands are all good. Since you're using a foil faced product you probably don't need an adhesive specifically made for foam, but the brands I listed all make options that would work either way.

2LaneCruzer · Mar 30, 2019

We have a concrete bird bath that is in two pieces; the upper piece is the bowl, which sits on the stand. About once a week, I had to pick the bowl up off the ground...and it weighs about 40 pounds...because the turkeys and other varmints would get up on it and tip it off. I bought some polyurethane construction adhesive, in the applicator tube, and glued the top on. That's been a couple years ago, and it has never wavered. It sits in the sun, and rain filled with water, and stands up to the varmints that visit it regularly. I'm guessing this stuff would work wonderfully; and of course it's water proof. The brand was PL, but I think there are several others. I bought it at Lowe's.

oosik · Mar 30, 2019

My Pan Abode cedar home came with an entire semi load of extra foil backed urethane insulation( RMax). I doubled on the roof and have R80 up there. Still had gobs left over. So down in the basement I sheathed the entire interior cement foundation with the foil backed insulation .

LIQUID NAILS. That was completed 38 years ago. It's still up and tight as a drum.

RNeumann · Mar 30, 2019

The glued above will work but won’t solve the problem. You have an airflow issue, not an insulation issue. All that adding the foam will do is add rust and mold......

I’d opt for some venting.

EddieWalker · Mar 30, 2019

To fight condensation on the container that I have, there is a 2x2 vent cut into the wall at lowest corner by the doors. Then at the other end of the container, in the roof, is a turbine vent. Cooler air comes into the container down low, and exits the container up high. This air flow gets rid of the moisture that would normally build up inside the container. Before doing this, the condensation would literally rain from the ceiling. Now it's all dry in there, all year long.

cat fever · Mar 30, 2019

EddieWalker said:
To fight condensation on the container that I have, there is a 2x2 vent cut into the wall at lowest corner by the doors. Then at the other end of the container, in the roof, is a turbine vent. Cooler air comes into the container down low, and exits the container up high. This air flow gets rid of the moisture that would normally build up inside the container. Before doing this, the condensation would literally rain from the ceiling. Now it's all dry in there, all year long.

My enclosed snowmobile trailer is built the same way with a vent down low and one up high. (on the walls) Even when the sleds are pulled in with lots of snow on them the walls don't get dew on them.

So, as other's have already said.....venting is the answer.

cqaigy2 · Mar 30, 2019

I'd go for the vent it idea too as the least cost option.

Another option is to keep the inside temp high enough to keep the vapor pressure of water below where it will condense.

John White · Mar 30, 2019

That's what I plan on doing, getting a electric cord run to it and get a couple vents with a fan. Do you think that would be enough or do I need to get some insulation glued to the roof?