Ceiling insulation help

[Lph008]

I'm getting ready to insulate my pole barn. I'm looking for help insulating my ceiling. I would like to keep the trusses exposed, rather than put a ceiling in and insulate that way.

Here's some pictures, they used double bubble on the roof. I was wondering if I could use the 4' x 50' blanket rolls of insulation and put them up against the roof perlins?

 

[billconner]

I don't know your climate but might worry about the double vapor barrier of the double bubble and vinyl on the fibreglass. The vinyl is unlikely to be perfectly sealed, and moist air inside will find it's way to colder double bubble and condensed, without ability to dry to the exterior. Albeit climate related.

 

[Lph008]

Buffalo Ny. We see all seasons, Temps can get down to the negatives during winter with feet of snow lol. Summers can be hot and humid. I'd like to insulate the building and keep it around 45-50 during the winter months.

 

[billconner]

OK. I'm further north in NY but know the area. Double vapor barriers can create moisture problems.

Do you have ridge and/or soffit vents now?

The safest - and likely most expensive - is tear out the double bubble and spray foam it, and then cover the foam to overcome it's flammability.

I don't know of a good approach. What you describe is very likely to result in wet insulation.

Rigid foam board to bottom of upper truss chords with vented space above - you'd get some of the look you wanted.

 

[mrbill55]

I'm getting ready to insulate my pole barn. I'm looking for help insulating my ceiling. I would like to keep the trusses exposed, rather than put a ceiling in and insulate that way.

Here's some pictures, they used double bubble on the roof. I was wondering if I could use the 4' x 50' blanket rolls of insulation and put them up against the roof perlins?

With a steel roofed building such as yours, spray foam is going to be your best bet, or sheet insulation after that. Can you create a hanging subframe for rolled insulation, sure, but by the time you are done, you'll have more labor and materials into that vs just getting it spray foamed. My last business had a metal 10,000 sq/ft, 30' high ceiling set up, and had the old school, encapsulated insulation bags hung down from the ceiling and held in place with metal straps. Held dust and dirt like nothing else I've ever seen, and it dropped when the doors were open and the wind came in.....A good friend had the same building, but opted for the closed cell spray foam insulation and never had the issues I did.

Bill S.

 

[Lph008]

Good to know about the rolled insulation trapping dirt. That was my other option if I don't leave the trusses exposed. Spray foam is way too expensive around here. I talked to a guy that spray foams in my area and he said figure around $10k for the roof only, that was for 2in. Building is 24x36, that's insane in my opinion, I'm doing all the work. I had the Amish put up the building and I hired guys to pour the crete after I graded and prepped it.

I don't want the metal liner panel on the ceiling or walls, I think it looks too commercial. This will be my man cave/shop/storage area. I plan on keeping it fairly clean in there. I'm trying to find the truss spec sheet so I know what I can hang from the trusses as far as weight. Trusses are 4' oc, my thought was to used the 4' white vinyl back rolled insulation, tape the seams and use banding. That way I'd keep the weight hanging off the trusses minimal.

The exposed trusses was something i saw that looked cool, I figured try that route because it would give me that design feature bit also elimate the ceiling covering.

What other options are there for light weight ceilings other than metal I'm open to ideas.

 

[mrbill55]

Good to know about the rolled insulation trapping dirt. That was my other option if I don't leave the trusses exposed. Spray foam is way too expensive around here. I talked to a guy that spray foams in my area and he said figure around $10k for the roof only, that was for 2in. Building is 24x36, that's insane in my opinion, I'm doing all the work. I had the Amish put up the building and I hired guys to pour the crete after I graded and prepped it.

I don't want the metal liner panel on the ceiling or walls, I think it looks too commercial. This will be my man cave/shop/storage area. I plan on keeping it fairly clean in there. I'm trying to find the truss spec sheet so I know what I can hang from the trusses as far as weight. Trusses are 4' oc, my thought was to used the 4' white vinyl back rolled insulation, tape the seams and use banding. That way I'd keep the weight hanging off the trusses minimal.

The exposed trusses was something i saw that looked cool, I figured try that route because it would give me that design feature bit also elimate the ceiling covering.

What other options are there for light weight ceilings other than metal I'm open to ideas.

There is a company named "Prodex" that offers the insulation you are thinking of, kind of an all in one solution, not too heavy, and really specifically made for the metal type buildings. I looked into this as a replacement of what I had, should I have decided to buy my building, which thankfully I did not. Maybe do a search to see if that is something more to your liking, both in product, and overall costs.

Bill S.

 

[Lph008]

I'll take a look. Thanks

 

[Lph008]

I looked at that Prodex, 10m would be R22. I'm not sure if it would sag with 4' center trusses

 

[mrbill55]

I looked at that Prodex, 10m would be R22. I'm not sure if it would sag with 4' center trusses

You'll probably need to make your own insulation stays, I'd suggest a roll of safety wire .032 stainless should be easy enough to source locally or Amazon. Get yourself some safety wire pliers as well and install left to right, right to left every 5-10 feet across the insulation in one long, singular run of line so you do not have to worry about tying the ends off anywhere but at the corner of each side. Sounds strange describing it here, but if you take a piece of paper, and run your pen from one corner upwards at a 45 degree angle, then back down, and repeat it till you get to the end of the paper, you see the pattern I am describing to do on the ceiling. It works, and is a bit of a paint to get going, but once you do it on one, the rest will fall in to place.

Bill S.