Hey guys, I will have my 40x60x12 pole barn done in a week or 2 and had a quick question about insulation. So far, i have insulated doors and windows, metal on the ceiling with blown in on top and double bubble wrapped all around. For the walls I'm not sure what to do. I'm trying to keep it as cost effective as possible because this thing is getting expensive! And I'm not going to heat it all the time and I don't spend every day out there. Right now its just with a big salamander. Possibly upgrade to a pellet stove eventually. I can pick up white 1.5 inch rigid foam insulation for relatively cheap and its 4x8 sheets so 3 sheets fit perfect between the posts. Quick and easy install and its white so i would assume that will help with lighting as well. Do you guys see an issue with this or do i need to run it between the wall purlins so that its flush with the double bubble under the metal? Thanks for any advice you can give!
Insulation for pole barn question
- Thread starter rbooe05
- Start date
Andybull
Well-known member
I wish I would have sprayed foam on the ceiling (trusses) and walls. The building is unbearable in the summer months.
Still working on getting mine finished. Doing all the work myself to save some money where I can. I figured I would do a little at a time to spread the cost out but made sure I bought supplies in bulk for better pricing.
My understanding of the the foil double bubble is 2 things, it is a radiant barrier (reflective side) and is used for condensation control. The walls on my pole barn (like to call it a shop), I framed mine in with 2x4, R13 Faced fiberglass, and in the process of dry-walling it. The roof of mine, still deciding, but I will likley use the Vinyl backed fiberglass between the trusses.
Hub
My understanding of the the foil double bubble is 2 things, it is a radiant barrier (reflective side) and is used for condensation control. The walls on my pole barn (like to call it a shop), I framed mine in with 2x4, R13 Faced fiberglass, and in the process of dry-walling it. The roof of mine, still deciding, but I will likley use the Vinyl backed fiberglass between the trusses.
Hub
Attachments
That looks great! I thought about doing batt insulation and then covering the walls with durapanel metal because i will be washing my dogs and washing down my quad and tractor so i need something durable that can stand up against water. But after pricing the insulation and the metal i decided to go this route. for a little over $1000 i can at least maintain a decent temperature in the winter and hopefully keep the sun from baking through the metal in the summer.
Dragfluid
ALLIANCE MEMBER
OP, it would help if we knew your location to see what temp zone you're in.
See my build thread for a very cost effective insulation solution.
See my build thread for a very cost effective insulation solution.
You might want to add that location to your profile for future reference.
When you mention sheets of white rigid insulation, are you referring to polystyrene ? UV light will cause the polystyrene to degrade.
https://dow-styrofoam.custhelp.com/...-extruded-polystyrene-foam-insulation-be-left
STYROFOAM™ Extruded Polystyrene Foam Insulation must be covered to protect it from sunlight (UV or ultraviolet light). It should be covered within 90 days of its installation. Sunlight will very slowly begin to degrade the insulation, changing the surface from a rigid blue plastic to a yellow powder. This discoloration may be rapid depending on solar exposure conditions. If this powdery surface is removed, degradation of the newly exposed blue surface will continue. This does not change the properties of the insulation below the surface, but it can result in a loss of insulation thickness over very long periods of time (years). Any loss on R-value is limited to the thickness of powdery layer present.
Something to think about.
Perhaps, some foil faced polyiso might work better. Either one, polyiso and polystyrene will both burn if exposed to flame. . . something else to keep in mind.
bburen
Member
For indoor applications such as interior wall insulation, Canadian building codes require the use of a 15-minute thermal barrier (such as 1/2 inch drywall) as a covering over the STYROFOAM™ Brand Extruded Polystyrene Foam Insulation. In the US a maximum of 2" thickness of STYROFOAM™ Brand Extruded Polystyrene Foam Insulation is permitted to be installed without a thermal barrier.
This was also on the website linked above. I was planning on using the same 4x8 white foam sheets to insulate my pole barn. The copied above says no more than 2" without a thermal barrier. What are they meaning? My plan was to use 1 1/2 between wall girts then (2) 2 " on top of that for about r22. Is this a bad idea?
This was also on the website linked above. I was planning on using the same 4x8 white foam sheets to insulate my pole barn. The copied above says no more than 2" without a thermal barrier. What are they meaning? My plan was to use 1 1/2 between wall girts then (2) 2 " on top of that for about r22. Is this a bad idea?
Gerry347
Well-known member
I did what Hub did....
I framed in the walls between the poles with 2x4's and used R13 faced bats for insulation. Once that was done I covered the walls with OSB for durability. For the ceiling I'm using R30 faced bats and will add drywall to help deaden the sound of the space.
I framed in the walls between the poles with 2x4's and used R13 faced bats for insulation. Once that was done I covered the walls with OSB for durability. For the ceiling I'm using R30 faced bats and will add drywall to help deaden the sound of the space.