Insulation: Some observations, post build

[Dragfluid]

So, it's been a couple of years now, and have been using the Shed on a regular basis. Actually, every day now since I'm working in the office in it full time.
And we've had several 90 deg days, too. And every day it has been very pleasant inside. Kept the doors shut, and turned on the ceiling fans.

I've been in some discussions here before where some folks don't believe that insulation helps keep a building cool. Well, this one is living proof. Yes, I know, the insulation doesn't produce "cold", but it does a fine job of keeping the cool in and the heat out. The "cool" comes from the concrete floor. There's no insulation under it.

For curiosity, I took my thermal gun and shot the floor. 70 deg F. I went outside and shot the wall (creme colored) that the sun was shining on. 111F. Then shot the corner where it was green. 118F. I can imagine what the green roof panels read. No, I wasn't going up there to find out. Then I went back inside and shot the corner area where it was 118F outside, and it was 76F.
Now, there were about 2 days last year where I felt the humidity climbing. It was still cool, but it felt "clammy". I bought a 5000BTU window unit and installed it. Now that is the size for a small bedroom. I turned it on and let it run overnight. The next day, I could tell the difference. I haven't had it on yet this year. In fact, I haven't put it in the window yet.

So, the point of this wall to text is, lots of insulation does help in the summer.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

For those of us that don't know, can you share your building construction typ and the insulation you went with for your shed?

 

[Fixin'Stuff]

Might work in Minnesota, but in the south you'll just have a well insulated sweat box. Been there, done that. When the overnight low is 80+ and the daytime high is 100+, you aren't going to get anywhere close to the 70's inside.

 

[Dragfluid]

Might work in Minnesota, but in the south you'll just have a well insulated sweat box. Been there, done that. When the overnight low is 80+ and the daytime high is 100+, you aren't going to get anywhere close to the 70's inside.

I'll gladly take 80 over 100 any day,,,,,,,,,,,,, wouldn't you?
And it would take one hell of a lot LESS energy to get and keep the temp down below 80, wouldn't you agree?

 

[Dragfluid]

For those of us that don't know, can you share your building construction typ and the insulation you went with for your shed?

Sure. It's all in my build thread, but I'll repeat it here.
72 x 42 x14 pole shed. Poles and trusses 8' on center. Under the exterior wall tin is house wrap. Girts on each side of the poles, 24" on center. On the inside walls, under the 1/2" drywall, is 1" Polyiso foil faced foam panels, giving R-6. In between all of that is 8 1/2" of dense pack cellulose, giving around R-28, all for a total of R-34.
In the ceiling is 19" of blown in cellulose that will settle to a little over 16" or so, for an R-62+. 3, 52" ceiling fans round it all out. Heat is handled by a little 75,000 btu propane hanging furnace.

Part of this 2800 sq ft area is walled off into a 12 x 32 apartment. The walls dividing it are just 2x4 with dense pack cellulose.

 

[Falcon67]

2x4 wall, R13, exterior HardiPanel, interior 7/16" OSB. Exterior wall faces west, when painted barn red surface temp would be 160~180F. Interior 90~98F. Repainted the sun facing walls light gray, cut surface temps to around 130F. Inside can still get to 90F+ but it helps. Shop without cooling in the summer will hover around 90, not bad. Underside of the reflective roof deck runs 120+, outside dark gray three tabs run 150~160. The way to keep the interior below 90 all day without AC would be to run the AC all night to cool down the 68,000 lbs of concrete in the slab.