New Trailers and Showers
I looked at a couple of 2017 Trailers recently and noticed that the showers don't have a surround on them. The walls in the shower look just like the walls in the trailer....What's up with that? I ...
Forum Discussion
We can rationalize the shower walls are probably just fine with the probable continuous vinyl surface. The top, bottom and corners benefit from sealing. It is always a good idea anyway, to power-ventilate steamy shower areas to expel excess vapor and help dry standing water droplets and damp cloths that will mildew. It's a matter of science.
Vinyl already has a low dry water vapor permeability rating(1) which makes it even more resistant to condensed (liquid) shower water droplets. RV vinyl walls are as close as we come to a stick house polypropylene sheet humidity barrier, thereby resisting unwanted interior RV humidity from accumulating inside RV camper wall cavities in cool weather. What's the difference if water is resisted by gel coat or vinyl plastics? In reality, even polyester resin gel coat tub bases/surrounds are more permeable than epoxy resin coatings or polyethylene sheet.
In addition I think the factory vinyl wallboard used in RV's uses a less organic adhesive than the glue applied to stick home wall coverings and that helps prevent mildew for any vapor breach. These vinyl-covered RV panels are also seamless from edge to edge which means there are no gaps as long as the shower bay uses whole boards and is undamaged. Again, the top, bottom and corners benefit from sealing.
Wes
(1)The permeability reasoning is that dry water vapor consists of rather small molecules of one oxygen and two tiny hydrogen atoms, so it migrates through the smallest perforations of membranes. Purposeful examples are Goretex clothing and Tyvek house wrap. Dry vapor escapes from both, perspiration in Goretex, interior home humidity in Tyvek. Neither allows wet water penetration however, because the conjoined wet molecules are larger. Dry water vapor is also smaller and lighter than ordinary double-atom air molecules (99% of air is O2 & N2) which is why humidity is always higher near ceilings, and earthen water vapor evaporation ascends until it condenses into tiny water droplets to form clouds. Further condensing forms larger, heavier droplets which become rain and fall.
Vinyl already has a low dry water vapor permeability rating(1) which makes it even more resistant to condensed (liquid) shower water droplets. RV vinyl walls are as close as we come to a stick house polypropylene sheet humidity barrier, thereby resisting unwanted interior RV humidity from accumulating inside RV camper wall cavities in cool weather. What's the difference if water is resisted by gel coat or vinyl plastics? In reality, even polyester resin gel coat tub bases/surrounds are more permeable than epoxy resin coatings or polyethylene sheet.
In addition I think the factory vinyl wallboard used in RV's uses a less organic adhesive than the glue applied to stick home wall coverings and that helps prevent mildew for any vapor breach. These vinyl-covered RV panels are also seamless from edge to edge which means there are no gaps as long as the shower bay uses whole boards and is undamaged. Again, the top, bottom and corners benefit from sealing.
Wes
(1)The permeability reasoning is that dry water vapor consists of rather small molecules of one oxygen and two tiny hydrogen atoms, so it migrates through the smallest perforations of membranes. Purposeful examples are Goretex clothing and Tyvek house wrap. Dry vapor escapes from both, perspiration in Goretex, interior home humidity in Tyvek. Neither allows wet water penetration however, because the conjoined wet molecules are larger. Dry water vapor is also smaller and lighter than ordinary double-atom air molecules (99% of air is O2 & N2) which is why humidity is always higher near ceilings, and earthen water vapor evaporation ascends until it condenses into tiny water droplets to form clouds. Further condensing forms larger, heavier droplets which become rain and fall.
