I have a 40x48x14 pole building with the 2x6 bookshelf after looking at spray foam I don't want to pay 10k for it so my thought is to use reclaimed 2in foam boarded first then put fiberglass insulation over that is there anything wrong with doing that? I would just like to have a efficient building so that's why I want to double up. With both of those I wanna say it was anywhere from 1500-3000 so still a lot cheaper than spray foam. The ceiling I'll probably do blow in.
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Foam insulation + fiberglass insulation
- Thread starter bmxer883
- Start date
purediesel
Well-known member
Nope, called flash and batt. A lot of people including myself either have or will be doing this.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Nope, called flash and batt. A lot of people including myself either have or will be doing this.
"Flash and batt" usually means spray foaming all "joints" and along the edges of all wood that would have screws from the outside. If done properly, this gives you a very good vapor barrier.
Rigid foam board and spray can foam around the edges does work, but it is very difficult to get into some of the "nooks and crannies", especially up in the soffit areas.
MrSurly
Well-known member
I had my 30x40x14 foamed and I'll offer a couple of important points to consider:
1. Compare prices... I was stunned by the range of quotes for the same work and ended up getting the best price (35) from the BIGGEST outfit around.
2. The greatest selling point of foam in my opinion is the *sealing* of every nook and gap, creating an almost airtight envelope. Of course the doors aren't airtight, but it is satisfying that the walls/ceiling/roof/soffits ARE. And, you can improve the doors(!)
3. Consider how much time and labor will be involved in fitting and placing and attaching and sealing all those hundreds of pieces of foam board. Days? Weeks? likely many many hours, much of it way up on ladders. My building including the roof was foamed (completely) before lunch. Done. No more insulating to do. (thread on my build around here somewhere)
Consider getting a quote for a 'skim coat' of just the minimal thickness closed-cell to seal everything and then you can add other insulation afterwards.
You could also install the RFB and then see what they'd charge to just spray all the seams(?)
1. Compare prices... I was stunned by the range of quotes for the same work and ended up getting the best price (35) from the BIGGEST outfit around.
2. The greatest selling point of foam in my opinion is the *sealing* of every nook and gap, creating an almost airtight envelope. Of course the doors aren't airtight, but it is satisfying that the walls/ceiling/roof/soffits ARE. And, you can improve the doors(!)
3. Consider how much time and labor will be involved in fitting and placing and attaching and sealing all those hundreds of pieces of foam board. Days? Weeks? likely many many hours, much of it way up on ladders. My building including the roof was foamed (completely) before lunch. Done. No more insulating to do. (thread on my build around here somewhere)
Consider getting a quote for a 'skim coat' of just the minimal thickness closed-cell to seal everything and then you can add other insulation afterwards.
You could also install the RFB and then see what they'd charge to just spray all the seams(?)
Deude_Mann
Well-known member
"Flash and batt" usually means spray foaming all "joints" and along the edges of all wood that would have screws from the outside. If done properly, this gives you a very good vapor barrier.
Rigid foam board and spray can foam around the edges does work, but it is very difficult to get into some of the "nooks and crannies", especially up in the soffit areas.
I'll be doing this. On my new metal building I am taping up the panel seams and taping/can-foaming anywhere I can see light. Then I'll go over those areas with a light coat of DIY closed cell, fiberglass over that, and then drywall over that.
That1Guy
Well-known member
I had my 30x40x14 foamed and I'll offer a couple of important points to consider:
1. Compare prices...
Absolutely! I was so sticker shocked by the first quote I got that I was ready to call it off. The third quote was just as high but luckily for me, the second guy came in well within my budget
2. The greatest selling point of foam in my opinion is the *sealing* of every nook and gap, creating an almost airtight envelope.
So true! I couldn't believe how much it firmed my pole barn up too. During the heaviest of winds the walls would creak and pop a bit but after the foam this thing is a rock! I love knowing that there will be zero wind penetration into the shop through the walls. It was a financial sacrifice to go with foam and it delayed a few of the other parts of the build but it was well worth it. The old saying "you only cry once" applies here.
I definitely understand about the budget. It's taken me 3 years to finish up the shop - adding stuff as I can afford to. I keep kicking myself for starting this build BEFORE I retired - lol.
VtecGSR95
Well-known member
I too went with spray foam......but open cell. It was about half the cost of the closed cell.
I know some will say stay away from open cell, but my guy is a small business, been doing it since he was fresh out of high school, very knowledgeable in the different ways to insulate. His own shop was insulated with open cell foam, over 20 years ago, with no issues to this day. This in itself said enough to me to trust moving forward with it. I knew I'd be covering it with sheet metal and it would be protected.
If it helps.....my 40x64x16 cost me $5200 for 5" open cell spray foam, including prepping the eves for blow in insulation (I have vented 2' soffit). It was going to cost me $3000ish for materials if I used the large batts from the pole barn company......doing it myself! The $2200 extra was well worth it to me.
I know some will say stay away from open cell, but my guy is a small business, been doing it since he was fresh out of high school, very knowledgeable in the different ways to insulate. His own shop was insulated with open cell foam, over 20 years ago, with no issues to this day. This in itself said enough to me to trust moving forward with it. I knew I'd be covering it with sheet metal and it would be protected.
If it helps.....my 40x64x16 cost me $5200 for 5" open cell spray foam, including prepping the eves for blow in insulation (I have vented 2' soffit). It was going to cost me $3000ish for materials if I used the large batts from the pole barn company......doing it myself! The $2200 extra was well worth it to me.
A true "flash and batt" is closed cell thick enough to guard against any possible condensation on the inside layer of foam. In my area it's 2" and then do the rest with batts. I did this on one of my big remodel projects where I had 2x6 walls. It was a practical way to go -- we foamed the old open walls with a bit more to get the code and the new with 2".