To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Insulating carport style building?

Bradc1989

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 30, 2019
Messages
162
Location
Middle tn
What would be the best way to actually hang the insulation? I’m not framing out the inside like some people do. Also I had 3 extra trusses installed so my space in between each truss is 3’ which means I’ll be having to trim, which ***** but oh well. Was planning on using the 1” foam with the foil backing. Maybe double bubble behind it to act as a radiant barrier, I think that’s the correct term. Am I going to have to use an adhesive to stick the double bubble to the wall in between trusses then adhesive the foam to the double bubble?
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

karoc

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 19, 2017
Messages
1,999
Location
Hemphill Tx
Carport style from what I have read and research that spray foam is the best. Guessing that the height is not that tall being carport style, it will be like an oven in there. I also have read so much how double bubble is a waste of money, after few yrs will start to fall off. Goggle double bubble see what I am referring to. Also there are lots of Youtubes out there and there are several threads about this subject. Please post some pics of your project, lots of members here love to follow along.
Oh there are also spray foam kits out there, just in case your project is size that don't attract some of the spray foam companys
 

cleanspg

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 5, 2014
Messages
52
Just do foil backed foam panels if that is the way you are going. I think the consensus is that the foil bubble stuff is better than nothing, but worse than anything else. If you use it, it should be applied under the panels at the time you build and only useful if you are not going back and fully insulating. The radiant barrier thing will be less of an issue than thermal bridging in a steel building.

I spent a lot of time looking at this style of building but due to setback issues I eventually stick built mine attached to the house. I was looking at several insulation methods including sprayfoam, used 3 or 4 inch polyiso cut to fit over the columns and the large vinyl backed fiberglass blankets. There is a guy on here from Florida who bought the wide vinyl backed rolls for shops and installed them and has been very happy with it.
 
OP
B

Bradc1989

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 30, 2019
Messages
162
Location
Middle tn
I would like to spray foam it but that’s going to be way out of my price range. The dimensions are 24’ wide, 40’ deep and 10’ walls, making the total height, idk 15ish’. I’ve already went through and sealed up all the cracks and crevices with either great stuff or caulk/sealant, all from the inside. I mean everything, down to the joints where the tin overlaps. The build quality was not the best so there were plenty of gaps. So the building is just about air tight. Seems like a lot of the tips for insulating this type of building are based off of doing it before the tin goes up, spray foaming, or framing out the inside. Another idea I had was to put tin up on the inside and stuff regular fiberglass insulation behind it. I might can swing spray foaming just the ceiling, from what I’ve seen in the diy kits, the r rating isn’t that great unless I don’t fully understand the system
 

Firebrick43

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2015
Messages
14,037
Location
West central Indiana
The DIY spray foam kits are not cost effective. It is cheaper to have someone come and do it per square foot if you have the square footage you have. The only place for the foam packs is doing small/under 200 square foot areas where the call out fee would exceed the products.

Double bubble is worthless as insulation and the radiant barriers only work if there is an airspace to reflect back into, ie a 3 or 4 inch gap.

The best solution is the polyiso foam with radiant barrier to the inside if you are not covering it. Polyiso is 5 or 6 time more fire resistant than other foams and slightly better R value as well. If you are covering it I would probably do XPS foam cut to fit. Without framing the inside out you are going to have major thermal bridging however.

Are you planning on heating all the time or just while working out there?? If all the time I would really recommend framing it out, even if its just with 2x2 running perpendicular to the existing framing. IF just when you work out there, who cares. The difference in just filling with 1" polyiso will be huge to comfort.
I sure hope you didn't seal the bottom steel member to the concrete with great stuff?
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
OP
B

Bradc1989

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 30, 2019
Messages
162
Location
Middle tn
The DIY spray foam kits are not cost effective. It is cheaper to have someone come and do it per square foot if you have the square footage you have. The only place for the foam packs is doing small/under 200 square foot areas where the call out fee would exceed the products.

Double bubble is worthless as insulation and the radiant barriers only work if there is an airspace to reflect back into, ie a 3 or 4 inch gap.

The best solution is the polyiso foam with radiant barrier to the inside if you are not covering it. Polyiso is 5 or 6 time more fire resistant than other foams and slightly better R value as well. If you are covering it I would probably do XPS foam cut to fit. Without framing the inside out you are going to have major thermal bridging however.

Are you planning on heating all the time or just while working out there?? If all the time I would really recommend framing it out, even if its just with 2x2 running perpendicular to the existing framing. IF just when you work out there, who cares. The difference in just filling with 1" polyiso will be huge to comfort.
I sure hope you didn't seal the bottom steel member to the concrete with great stuff?

I actually did seal the bottom edge with construction sealant/flashing sealant for n both sides because me and the concrete guy had some mis communication and the slab wound up a foot wider than the slab so there was nowhere for the overhang. Great stuff was only used for large gaps, only applied on the inside of the structure,and none of it is anywhere, where it’s going to get wet. I use the construction/flashing sealant everywhere else. Framing out the inside is going to be way out of the budget. Only thing i might consider is hanging tin on the inside walls as well. That would leave me with a 2.5” gap to hold insulation. Maybe 1 or 1.5” thick foam sheet with a 1” air gap? Will only be conditioned while I’m working. I can stand the cold a lot better than I can the heat so my main concern would be cooling off. I don’t know jack **** about this stuff so all the advice so far is appreciated
 

Firebrick43

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2015
Messages
14,037
Location
West central Indiana
I would fill the cavity, if 2.5" thick "I" would put 1.5" of xps, against the outside wall and 1" poly iso with foil to interior on the inside. I would never have exposed xps or eps foam due to fire danger.

It will make a huge difference in cold weather. Hot weather not actively cooled is a different story while insulation, especially in the roof can help tremendously, if you don't have AC and keep it closed up all day, it will still be hot when you come out to work in the afternoon when you get off work. If well ventilated throughout the day roof insulation will help.
 
OP
B

Bradc1989

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 30, 2019
Messages
162
Location
Middle tn
For conditioning I am likely to be doing 2 window units on opposing corners of the building. I would really like to do a mini split but i am dead set on having 2 points of where the air is being blown from. The dual head mini splits are waayyy out of my budget. I figure I can get into a couple of window units with heaters for a 550 sq ft space for a little over a grand. Start the units up a half hour before I go out to work and the edge should be taken off or actually comfortable by then
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom