Sunday, August 16, 2014

There are a lot of openings in the coach ceiling that allow the heat in on a sunny day.  Our air conditioners ran a lot to overcome the heat gain and on very sunny days they struggled to keep up, running continuously just to make it a little cooler inside (don't mean to be complaining - that little bit of cooling was much appreciated).  Our solution: custom cut styrofoam inserts for each of the fans and the shower skylight.

There was a Home Depot just a mile away - the perfect place to find supplies for our projects.  It had been several months since we roamed the aisles at a Home Depot, so we spent quite a while looking at new items and thinking about how we could put them to good use.  Joani found the perfect material for vent covers.  It was styrofoam with mylar (shiny aluminum) on one side and a plastic barrier on the other side (used to wrap the outside of a house and create a moisture barrier.)

The shower skylight was approximately 38 inches square and Joani had a plan to double the foam for each cover so we chose a 4 x 8 foot x 1/2 inch thick sheet (less than $8).  A well-placed cut (leaving pieces larger than required for the shower) allowed it to easily fit into the car.

Joani made a cardboard template for the shower skylight opening then transferred the shape to the styrofoam board.  She cut the board easily with a snap blade razor knife.  After a test fit in the opening she joined the two pieces (mylar sides out) with aluminum duct tape.  The Fan-tas-tic vent covers were easy square cuts. 

Another strip of tape across the top of each insert served as a pull to help remove the covers when they are installed.  A nice tight fit (and the extreme light weight of the material) ensures the inserts stay in place.

Even though it was the middle of the day, you wouldn't know it looking back towards the bedroom!  With the nightshades down and the vent covers in place, it was dark.  No more waking up with the sun (unless we want to).