How to attach aluminium canopy insulation and carpet to car?

jamie98

Hi there,
I'm doing a fit out of my aluminium canopy on my car and I'm unsure about what adhesive to use. I'm using foilboard insulation which I believe I need some type of sikaflex to secure, and then for the carpet I'm not sure what adhesive to use as to not damage the foam. Any suggestions would be great thanks!

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @jamie98. It's sensational to have you join us and many thanks for your question on insulation.

It would be great if you could provide a few more details about your project, and some photos would also be really helpful, so members can see exactly what you’re working with.

Will the Foilboard insulation be installed on the interior walls and roof of the canopy?

Just so you’re aware, the Foilboard Green panels have aluminium facing on both sides of the foam core, so your adhesive likely won’t actually come into contact with the foam itself: https://www.bunnings.com.au/foilboard-green-20-2400-x-1200-x-20mm-2-88m2-insulation-panel_p0125956

Since Foilboard isn’t specifically designed to have carpet installed over it, you may need to do a few small test sections first to work out which adhesive performs best.

For fixing the Foilboard to the aluminium canopy, I’d expect Sikaflex will work or even a gutter silicone, which is what the manufacturer recommends for attachment to metal.

The trickier part will likely be adhering the carpet to the aluminium surface. Most carpet adhesives are designed for porous substrates such as timber or concrete, so they may struggle to bond effectively to the foil surface. I’d definitely recommend testing a small section first, allowing the adhesive to fully cure, and then trying to pull it away to check bond strength before committing to the full install. I suspect https://www.bunnings.com.au/sika-500ml-105-contactfix-premium-contact-adhesive-500ml_p1660980 would be one of the more suitable adhesives.

It would also be a good idea to tape all Foilboard joins and seams so any adhesive can’t make its way into contact with the foam core.

For our New Zealand members, please note that foil insulation products are prohibited for use in residential applications.

Let me mention @twocutekelpies, @Venus2, @michelekeane74 and @Peppers, to see if they have any thoughts.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell