Metal Building Insulation Help

[jyblood]

Just moved into my new place. It has a 40 by 60 by 14 ( at eves, 18 at peak ) metal building. It is insulated with the white vinyl covered fiberglass. The edges of the ceiling insulation have been pulled away from the top of the walls at various spots. Every place they are pulled away looks like water leaking has been happening. Well, it rained and the roof is definitely leaking. I can push up with a pole at every place the insulation has pulled away from the top of the wall and is sagging, and it pours water ( literally buckets full ). So, I am going to have to figure out how to fix the roof ( it is screwed down panels ). Any tips on locating/fixing the leaks would be appreciated. My guess is that I am going to have to wait to spring as we are getting our first snow.

Besides any hints on fixing the roof leak, my questions involve how to deal with the insulation. Even if I could get it dried out, I am not sure how to stretch it out, tuck it under the roof and make it hold. Additionally, I would like to add a lot more insulation so as to add heat and finish out the shop. My concern is that I believe the vinyl is a vapor barrier and I do not want to bury it in the wall/ceiling and create condensation issues. I am sort of out of my depth here, so any help would be appreciated.

Thx's, Fred.

 

[matt_i]

You are going to have to go up there to analyze the roofing. First make sure you are working safely and minimize fall danger. I would snap some chalklines to give yourself a grid system to work on like an archaeologist making a dig, so you can break it into smaller pieces rather than a giant expanse of galvalume with 1 bad fastener.

The insulation you speak of is generally trapped between the metal and the steel frameworks, so not a lot of movement is possible. I think there is some kind of tape that's used to seam the insualtion at original install, but I can't tell you specifically what should be used. Its not going to be perfect but I think you can make it less obvious to someone walking in for the first time.

 

[Woodman920]

How old is the building? Screw gaskets deteriorated? Once you seal it up, you can sray it. Pricey but no more air leaks and pretty much water proof.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Empty Pockets]

Welcome, jyblood. You;ll find a good bunch of folks here, with a wealth of knowledge. You might want to update your profile with a general area of the country where you live. Some answers will vary by your location.

If you are looking at a metal roof, you might want to consider going to a nearby home center (Menards, Home Depot or Lowes). They sell a fiber infused roof coating for use on mobile homes.

You could just seal the spots where the leaks appear to originate, or seal the whole roof.
In years past, I used to buy a gallon can of Rutland (Not sure if they are still in business) roof coating for small areas. For large areas or the whole roof, they sell 5 gallon pails from various manufacturers.

As always PLEASE work safely.