Metal Building Insulation Upgrade

[Bib Overalls]

Hard to believe I put up my shop building over 12 years ago. When I built I used a package from Adam's Truss in Gentry, Arkansas. The package consisted of the five steel trusses, 1" thick AgBoard insulation, the tin, and all necessary fasteners. I sourced the wood for the girts and purlins locall and contracted the concrete work.

It is a nice sized, well constructed building but it is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. At 70, I just could not stand to be out in it working.

So, a couple of years ago I installed a 3.5 ton package heat pump. At the time I also insulated and finished the stud wall on the back, stick framed gable wall.

It was not long (1 electric billing cycle) before I knew that the building needed an insulation upgrade. I started with the ceiling and had 3 inches of foam sprayed. Made a big improvement but there was still more to do; 2 side walls and the stick framed front gable wall.

I had a plan/idea for the work but it called for 1.5" thick foam board and that stuff is expensive.

Then, a couple of months ago, I saw an ad on Craigslist for used foam boards measuring 4'x16'x1.5". Perfect and the price was right, $10 aboard. I bought 25.

Shop Remodel 092 by Bib Overalls, on Flickr

This is what I started with. Steel vertical posts and 2"x4" girts. The white stuff is 1" thick AgBoard rated 5R.

Shop Remodel 094 by Bib Overalls, on Flickr

I started by ripping 2"x6"x10' material in two. This became wall strapping. I attached it with deck screws.

Shop Remodel 095 by Bib Overalls, on Flickr

With the strapping in place I cut some of the foam material into strips.

Shop Remodel 096 by Bib Overalls, on Flickr

The strips were then cut and fitted behind the strapping.

Shop Remodel 097 by Bib Overalls, on Flickr

I used different strip widths depending on the width of the strapping and the posts. I wanted the foam to extend about 2" into the bay so the top layer of foam would overlap. This creates a void with little or no air movement. Contained air is a good insulator.

Shop Remodel 098 by Bib Overalls, on Flickr

The foam boards were cut to width and length using a table saw and a circular saw. In some cases I needed to adjust the strapping and the deck screws made this easy to do.

Shop Remodel 099 by Bib Overalls, on Flickr

The walls were finished with 7/16" OSB. 2 full and one ripped sheet went up first.

Shop Remodel 100 by Bib Overalls, on Flickr

The filler panels were scribed and fitted. Next step paint. The OSB will get 2 coats of Kilz oil based primer followed by grey and white latex. With the exception of the points where the girts and straps cross the walls have at least 2.5" of foam insulation. That works out to 12.5R. Better than a lot of houses around here.

Shop Remodel 101 by Bib Overalls, on Flickr

 

[bmxdad]

Good score, and nice job. Did this cover all four walls?

 

[Bib Overalls]

Did this cover all four walls?

I didn't have the foam when I did the back wall, It, and the front wall are stick built with horizontal girts. I used fiberglass batts although, on reflection, foam boards would have been better.

The side walls required 9 boards each and I started with 25. That leaves 7 for the remaining end wall which is mostly walk and overhead garage door.

I sourced the boards I used from a gentleman in SE Missouri that takes down old, obsolete chicken houses from time to time. When he has it it goes fast.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Looks great and wait till next winter with the cold returning, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

Smart idea with the staggering of the OSB panels.

 

[BuickFarmer]

Nice score on the insulation, about half what they ask for it around here. I regret not buying more of the 2'x8'x1" blueboard for $1 each when I had the chance. Can't even find any now and fiberglass insulation prices keep getting higher.
Nice job on the installation too, lot's of cutting eh?

 

[Spudland_Dave]

First off, real nice work.
Secondly...and please don't take this the wrong way, don't mean to critique your work, Its a comment & question..but I have to ask...why go with foam? I say that because given the work you did, and the end result is still only a gain of R7.5, And then factoring in the cost of Foam...I fail to see why people go gaa-gaa over foam board. Would it not have been the same work to just Conventionally frame the inside with 2x4's or 2x6's, stuff some Fiberglass Batts in there and pick up R13 or R19 at less cost...or even at same cost, R19 is more then R7.5...

 

[Bib Overalls]

I did give some consideration to studding out the side walls and using batts. Going that way required twice as much framing lumber and encroached on the floor space a bit. If the foam had not come along when it did I might have gone studs.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Shop Remodel 102 by Bib Overalls, on Flickr

Finishing up my South wall insulation project. At this point I have rolled on two coats of oil based Kilz and finished the top 6 feet with semi-gloss white latex enamel and I am putting the first of 2 coats of gray on the lower 4 feet. It is almost impossible to get a sharp two color line on OSB. The paint runs under the masking tape. So my accent line will be a 4" wide strip of 1/4" luan plywood painted a darker gray and stapled in place. I have two more walls to go. I would like to have at least one more done before the heavy air conditioning season and the other before winter.

 

[ADSR]

looks great!

 

[TheEquineFencer]

When I did a shop with OSB, I painted it laying flat, let it dry then put it up, it seemed easier to me to paint it all that way. Then I just touched it where I cut the OSB.

 

[tlmartin84]

How water resistant do you think your OSB is now with the kilz??

 

[Bib Overalls]

How water resistant do you think your OSB is now with the kilz??

Hard to say. The outside walls are steel panels so the only way out for any moisture that gets in the wall cavity would be through the OSB. So a little permeability is desired. I think the combination of Kilz and an exterior oil based enamel would be highly weather resistant followed latex based exterior enamel.

I don't think Kilz is rated as vapor resistant.

 

[tlmartin84]

Thanks,

I was just curious, I have a paint/wash bay that might get used once a month. I thought caulking the seams, nailholes, and following up with a good paint of some kind should make the OSB resistant enough...........

Some disagree, but as long as you aren't drowning it, and keep the edges up off the floor. I think it would be fine.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Friend of mine just redid his wash bay. It had OSB on three walls and, after about 10 years of hard use it was failing. He replaced the OSB (with fresh OSB) and then he glued on Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP). About $1.00 a square foot for the material itself plus glue and trim pieces. More expensive than paint but durable. Done right it should last a lifetime.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbrande...0-FRP-Wall-Board-MFTF12IXA480009600/100389836