condensation under foam cushions
 

It appears that the sweat from our bodies and/or temperature difference
created moisture forms under our vee-berth cushions each night. Weird
because both of us stay dry and comfy on top of the cushions. We
have to tip them up and allow them to air dry each day. While this has
become just one more item in our normal routine, naturally I'm concerned
with any excess moisture creating mildew conditions. I'm wondering if
anyone has a suggestion/solution for this.

condensation under foam cushions
 

prodigal1 wrote:

It appears that the sweat from our bodies and/or temperature difference
created moisture forms under our vee-berth cushions each night. Weird
because both of us stay dry and comfy on top of the cushions. We
have to tip them up and allow them to air dry each day. While this has
become just one more item in our normal routine, naturally I'm concerned
with any excess moisture creating mildew conditions. I'm wondering if
anyone has a suggestion/solution for this.

Several solutions

Put lattice work (like trellis) under the mattresses to allow air
circulation. Alternately I think you could drill holes in the floor
of the V-berth under the mattresses.

Put the mattress in a plastic bag and then put multiple layers of pads
over top of the plastic. That will keep moisture from getting into
the mattress.

This has been discussed on the live-aboard list.

I will take the opportunity now to repeat our experience with mildew on the
berth plywood. Moisture from our bodies tries to migrate through the
matteress to the plywood especially when the plywood is cool compared to
our hot bodies. The cure is to fully envelope the matteress with
impermiable plastic material to seal all moisture out. Then cover the
mattress with at least three cotton mattress pads, then a fitted bottom
sheet. We install five pair of opposing buttons around the edge of the
sheet (they need iron-on fabric "backing plates") and connect the buttons
with thin bungee cord (with wire "button holes") on the ends to keep the
bottom sheet tight and the pads in place. In the morning leave the bed
open wide so accumulated moisture in the bottom sheet and mattress pads has
a chance to dry. This technique has worked perfectly for decades of full
time living aboard in all seasons.

We also kept a pad under
the mattress to help evaporate accumulated moisture. We found hull liner,
that gray fuzzy stuff works great .

condensation under foam cushions
 

Rosalie B. wrote:

prodigal1 wrote:

It appears that the sweat from our bodies and/or temperature difference
created moisture forms under our vee-berth cushions each night. Weird
because both of us stay dry and comfy on top of the cushions. We
have to tip them up and allow them to air dry each day. While this has
become just one more item in our normal routine, naturally I'm concerned
with any excess moisture creating mildew conditions. I'm wondering if
anyone has a suggestion/solution for this.

Several solutions

Put lattice work (like trellis) under the mattresses to allow air
circulation. Alternately I think you could drill holes in the floor
of the V-berth under the mattresses.

Put the mattress in a plastic bag and then put multiple layers of pads
over top of the plastic. That will keep moisture from getting into
the mattress.

This has been discussed on the live-aboard list.

I forgot to say - I can't take credit for this - it isn't something
that I wrote. It is from a discussion on the live-aboard list.

I will take the opportunity now to repeat our experience with mildew on the
berth plywood. Moisture from our bodies tries to migrate through the
matteress to the plywood especially when the plywood is cool compared to
our hot bodies. The cure is to fully envelope the matteress with
impermiable plastic material to seal all moisture out. Then cover the
mattress with at least three cotton mattress pads, then a fitted bottom
sheet. We install five pair of opposing buttons around the edge of the
sheet (they need iron-on fabric "backing plates") and connect the buttons
with thin bungee cord (with wire "button holes") on the ends to keep the
bottom sheet tight and the pads in place. In the morning leave the bed
open wide so accumulated moisture in the bottom sheet and mattress pads has
a chance to dry. This technique has worked perfectly for decades of full
time living aboard in all seasons.

We also kept a pad under
the mattress to help evaporate accumulated moisture. We found hull liner,
that gray fuzzy stuff works great .

We ourselves have not had a problem with moisture under the berth
cushions, but we have made our mattresses similar to the original ones
with naugahyde on the bottom of the cushions. That probably keeps the
moisture from migrating through the cushions to the plywood underneath
and actually we don't have plywood underneath, we have formica or
something like that.

condensation under foam cushions
 

prodigal1 wrote:
It appears that the sweat from our bodies and/or temperature difference
created moisture forms under our vee-berth cushions each night. Weird
because both of us stay dry and comfy on top of the cushions. We
have to tip them up and allow them to air dry each day. While this has
become just one more item in our normal routine, naturally I'm concerned
with any excess moisture creating mildew conditions. I'm wondering if
anyone has a suggestion/solution for this.

Absolutely. Ventairusa.com George Lane is a sailor and broker we met
when he had our first heart-attack serious boat (two surveys, but
eventually failed). He's remained a friend.

George Lane, Ventair USA
E-mail Address(es):

Personal Information:
Address:
Ventair USA Inc.
PO Box 460699, Fort Lauderdale
Florida 33346-0699
Tel 954-926-2838 Fax 954-926-5676
Phone: 954-661-9033 and 954-926-2838

This stuff is like a 3-M scrubbie on steroids - two different
thicknesses for under seating or bedding and one for seat backs.

One side (to the bedding/seating) is a poly scrim material. The other
side is nearly crushproof, but weighs next to nothing, plastic wire
mesh. I have a piece under my laptop at the nav as I type, because its
entire reason for being is to allow air circulation.

Along the way, should you get water under the bed, it will keep your
bed off the base, allowing it to stay dry, and the water to evaporate.
Should you get water *through* your bed, it will allow it to pass, and
dry.

We have it under our very substantial berths fore and aft. Here in FL,
where I'm living aboard in the last stages of our refit, it's wringing
wet with humidity. Not the first damp spot.

PS did a review and followed up a year later; very happy with it.

So, you can go to all sorts of creative lengths to try to ameliorate
the situation - or spend the reasonable bux and buy the stuff :{))

My two cents...

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
http://tinyurl.com/p7rb4 - NOTE:new URL! The vessel as Tehamana, as we
bought her

The Society for the Preservation of Tithesis commends your ebriated
and scrutible use of delible and defatigable, which are gainly, sipid
and couth. We are gruntled and consolate that you have the ertia and
eptitude to choose such putably pensible tithesis, which we parage.

Stamp out Sesquipedalianism

condensation under foam cushions
 

Are you sure it's not coming from underneath the mattress?

Anyway, here are some ideas:
http://www.woodroof.com/cat12_1.htm This stuff is used under cedar
shingles. You'll need a few layers though, but it's pretty cheap.

http://www.hyperventmarine.com/ This stuff works very well, but is
expensive.

You can also use plastic trellis material from Home Depot, etc. I'd
stay away from wood... just too good a substrate to grow things on!

condensation under foam cushions
 

prodigal1 wrote:
It appears that the sweat from our bodies


I had the same problem when I was boinking my 20 yo girl friends. Had a
huge 4 inch thick HD open-cell foam pad for a bed. I was really
surprised after several months of boinking when I rolled the mattress
up and found a 3' moldy spot under the mattress .

This was in a town at 2500' that got less than 19" annual rainfall. So
your problem is not isolated to a marine/sailboat situation.

Go with the steroid greenie scrubby pad. I used round scouring pads
intended for industrial floor buffers. Ask a custodian to save the used
wax stripper pads. They are the same thing only FREE.

condensation under foam cushions
 

Go with the steroid greenie scrubby pad. I used round scouring pads
intended for industrial floor buffers. Ask a custodian to save the
used wax stripper pads. They are the same thing only FREE.

Is this some new kind of sex toy? What do you do with it? What if she
objects?

condensation under foam cushions
 

"prodigal1" wrote in message
...
It appears that the sweat from our bodies and/or temperature difference
created moisture forms under our vee-berth cushions each night. Weird
because both of us stay dry and comfy on top of the cushions. We
have to tip them up and allow them to air dry each day. While this has
become just one more item in our normal routine, naturally I'm concerned
with any excess moisture creating mildew conditions. I'm wondering if
anyone has a suggestion/solution for this.

This worked for us in cool damp New England.

Buy two padded mattress covers, (one for a spare) put on upside down
(padding on bottom). Change weekly. Include small amount of bleach in wash.

condensation under foam cushions
 

"prodigal1" wrote in message
...
It appears that the sweat from our bodies and/or temperature difference
created moisture forms under our vee-berth cushions each night. Weird
because both of us stay dry and comfy on top of the cushions. We
have to tip them up and allow them to air dry each day. While this has
become just one more item in our normal routine, naturally I'm concerned
with any excess moisture creating mildew conditions. I'm wondering if
anyone has a suggestion/solution for this.

I have been using a 1/2' thick closed-cell foam sleeping pad that is sold in
sporting goods stores. Water vapour cannot pass through the foam to
condense on the cold wood underneath and the foam itself does not get cold
enough to condense the vapour. Much cheaper than hydrovent. Just buy the
cheapest you can find. No difference as long as its closed-cell.

condensation under foam cushions
 

"Gordon Wedman" wrote in message
news:WyRtg.49694$B91.234@edtnps82...

I have been using a 1/2' thick closed-cell foam sleeping pad that is sold
in sporting goods stores. Water vapour cannot pass through the foam to
condense on the cold wood underneath and the foam itself does not get cold
enough to condense the vapour. Much cheaper than hydrovent. Just buy the
cheapest you can find. No difference as long as its closed-cell.
I'm trying self-inflating backpacker's air mattresses under the cushions.
So far they're working great, and also make the bunks MUCH more comfortable
to sleep on.

Karin Conover-Lewis
Rawson 30 ketch "Escapade"
Marinette WI