Insulated Metal Panels questions

[buttoncl]

Hey guys and gals.

Who has experience with IMP in hot climates?

I will be putting up a new shop this spring in South West Florida. It will be 40x80x16 or 60x80x16 if the county will allow it. It will either be a red iron building wrapped in metal or a post frame building wrapped in metal. The main shop will not have HVAC. A `12 x 26 office will be AC'd.

For the Main shop I am looking at insulation techniques. Either vapor barrier and spray insulation or bookcase perlings and conventional batten insulation. Pros and Cons to both... With the main focus of keeping heat out of the building.

I work in the Middle East and have noticed alot of new buildings going up with Insulated metal panels.

Have any of you built a building this size with IMPs?
Installation is easy enough in theory. But how do they hold up over time?

A link to a random supplier
https://www.kirbybuildingsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/impbrochure.pdf

 

[BB Sig]

I've used them in a smaller building 16x32x10. Worked great for the short time I needed it. Speed of installation was key and it helped that they were free! Building is still standing.

 

[buttoncl]

Thanks BB. Was that in Florida

 

[MushCreek]

I was going to build my house using metal skinned SIP's from Southern Sip in Holiday FL. They can make panels of nearly any size. SIP's are Structural Insulated Panels, so most buildings are self-supporting without much or any need for framing. They can be used for the roof as well. Some of them don't even need any exterior finishing for a commercial-type building. For a number of reasons, I wound up going ICF instead, but I think either makes for an excellent building.

 

[BB Sig]

Tallahassee.

Thanks BB. Was that in Florida

Barry
North Florida

 

[readhead]

I have installed them on a few buildings. They go up fast but details around openings will slow you way down. Watch the laps. There are ship lap and t&g styles. The ship lap panels usually screw through the face but more importantly they can be replaced a lot easier if a panel gets damaged. I learned the hard way to order at least three extra of the longest panels in case there is damage or something gets cut wrong. These are not to be confused with SIPs. They do produce a nice finished interior. Lastly, they are expensive. Be prepared for some sticker shock. A blanket system installed after the siding is installed is becoming very popular and is a lot less expensive.

 

[buttoncl]

I have installed them on a few buildings. They go up fast but details around openings will slow you way down. Watch the laps. There are ship lap and t&g styles. The ship lap panels usually screw through the face but more importantly they can be replaced a lot easier if a panel gets damaged. I learned the hard way to order at least three extra of the longest panels in case there is damage or something gets cut wrong. These are not to be confused with SIPs. They do produce a nice finished interior. Lastly, they are expensive. Be prepared for some sticker shock. A blanket system installed after the siding is installed is becoming very popular and is a lot less expensive.

How do you think they will hold up to the elements? My biggest concern is if the insulation degrades over time and how well it will hold its R value.

What blanket system are you reffering to?

I am not interested in SIPs. I don't see a 30 year plan with those.

Thanks!

 

[readhead]

They will hold up fine. The insulation is not exposed at all. I have never heard of any degradation issues.

Most commercial insulation companies offer some variation of a blanket system to install after the building is erected. Silver Coat is one but it will vary depending on what is available in your area. It is becoming more popular because the building goes up faster and there is no concern about wet insulation.

The ISP’s I have installed have gone on high dollar projects for various reasons. I personally don’t see a great ROI for the product. But when someone is spending several million dollars on a project, certain requirements such as no exposed insulation can drive material selections. Remodeling and adding on to a ISP building has challenges also. Replacing a panel can be a nightmare. We had to remove seventeen t&g panels to get to the damaged one. Anything that was installed inside had to be removed and a temporary wall had to be built inside to protect the shop from the elements. Three weeks and 42k later we replaced one panel and the color was slightly off which I warned them it could be.

 

[dcg9381]

What's the cost of an IMP compared to straight standard sheet steel with a few inches of foam? That's be my deciding factor.

I love SIP - most labor down here isn't familiar with it and it's real expensive to install labor wise (when compared).

I'm using R3 zip system on a residence - essentially the same concept (without the metal). But most buildings here are straight steel then spray foamed open/closed cell. Performance is great.

Blanket systems and spray foam - as far as I know are incompatible.

 

[buttoncl]

What's the cost of an IMP compared to straight standard sheet steel with a few inches of foam? That's be my deciding factor.

I love SIP - most labor down here isn't familiar with it and it's real expensive to install labor wise (when compared).

I'm using R3 zip system on a residence - essentially the same concept (without the metal). But most buildings here are straight steel then spray foamed open/closed cell. Performance is great.

Blanket systems and spray foam - as far as I know are incompatible.

I just checked out the R3 Zip system. I see the benefits but its not what I am looking for. If it didnt require the regular wall insulation I would be ore interested.
For a red iron building I like the IMP idea because it kills 3 birds with one stone. a metal exterior, insulated wall and finished interior wall all in one.

 

[buttoncl]

What's the cost of an IMP compared to straight standard sheet steel with a few inches of foam? That's be my deciding factor.

I have not got into huge price comparisons yet. My insulation plan is to have no regrets!
I really like the spray foam idea. One thing I need to figure out is how to replace a damaged exterior panel with the inside spray foamed. I had thought about some type of moisture barrier between the panel and foam. With that route I am afraid on mold and mildew between the back of the panel and insulation. Lots of blowing wind and rain in my area.

 

[readhead]

It is a great product and it does what it advertises. Do a lot of research on the different styles and especially the lap seams. Some of the less expensive panels don’t have a thermal break between the inside and outside panels. Kind of defeats the purpose. Pay close attention to the details around openings. If you are going to hire the install be very comfortable with the company. Hopefully they have experience with similar products. You don’t want to pay them to learn. Write into the contract who pays for mistakes. It is not like messing up a sheet of R panel. Plan for the extra width in the concrete also.

 

[buttoncl]

They will hold up fine. The insulation is not exposed at all. I have never heard of any degradation issues.

Most commercial insulation companies offer some variation of a blanket system to install after the building is erected. Silver Coat is one but it will vary depending on what is available in your area. It is becoming more popular because the building goes up faster and there is no concern about wet insulation.

The ISP’s I have installed have gone on high dollar projects for various reasons. I personally don’t see a great ROI for the product. But when someone is spending several million dollars on a project, certain requirements such as no exposed insulation can drive material selections. Remodeling and adding on to a ISP building has challenges also. Replacing a panel can be a nightmare. We had to remove seventeen t&g panels to get to the damaged one. Anything that was installed inside had to be removed and a temporary wall had to be built inside to protect the shop from the elements. Three weeks and 42k later we replaced one panel and the color was slightly off which I warned them it could be.

Thats good to hear about the IMP lifespan.

I checked out silver coat products just now. Their new construction blankets are appeasing due to their sizes. Definitely a great option for the roof and a decent option for the walls. The first 12 feet of my interior walls will be OSB finished with bright white paint.

Something I want to point out is the type of building i build is largely dependent on insulation systems and how cool I can make the building for the price.