New to me workshop.

[fcat]

Just bought new house and have a detached 40ft x 30ft metal workshop, looks like the previous buyer started studding it out to insulate it.

I'm a newbie to this, whats the best insulation to use ? whats the best boadring to use after the insulation? should i get a guy in to do spray foam ?



thanks

 

[JuncleJohn]

Where about are you located? Insulation types vary.

John

 

[fcat]

Where about are you located? Insulation types vary.

John

Sorry, should have said, Northern VA so can be hot and humid and freezing cold!

 

[PoorUB]

One large concern is air infiltration.
Years ago I worked for a contractor and installed floor heat in an existing metal building. Anytime the wind was blowing the heat wouldn't keep up. We went back a couple times and of course the heating system worked fine. We kept asking about insulation, and the building contractor kept claiming there was something wrong with the heating system.

One day they called and complained again about being cold. I went out there and I could stand in the middle of the space and feel air moving. I went over to the bathroom and grabbed a piece of toilet paper and ran it around the bottom of the walls. The TP would blow right away from the wall.

Fortunately, they put up birch plywood panels on all the walls. The contractor that was responsible for the job came out, removed all the wall panels, removed the fiberglass insulation and had all the walls and ceiling spray foamed, then they put the panels back up.

So, I would be tempted to spray foam it all to make certain it is sealed up well. when it was built it should of had wind barrier, Tyvek put up, if they had known it was going to be finished and heated.

 

[danski0224]

Might want to determine your climate zone, and then search for insulation guidelines based upon that.

IECC climate zone map | Building America Solution Center

basc.pnnl.gov

And yes to air infiltration.

 

[fcat]

So I got a quote today, I’m in northern VA so climate zone4. The guy measured up and for closed cell spray insulation of an R15 value on the walls and roof, total of 3200 sqft it’s $7k

Thoughts ?

 

[1320stang]

So 2" of closed cell. My 40x50x14 w/ 2:12 pitch was I think 4500‐4600 sq/ft and was between $11-$12K. About $2.60/ft, central Oklahoma, its hot right now, it gets cold...

 

[danski0224]

Oklahoma, its hot right now, it gets cold...

Basic training at Ft. Sill... can confirm.

 

[aggie113]

Mine was built with insulation in mind. I decided on closed cell foam. The cost for 30x40x18 was ~7k for 2" walls/ceilings. Wish I'd been able to afford more at least on the ceiling to help with the summer heat. You may also have to move some outlets if they get buried in the foam.

 

[jmiller_2308]

I won't comment on insulation other than it will be very important to have. If you add a ceiling be sure to put a lot of insulation on top and also make sure the upper space is vented so you don't get ice build up in the winter.

What I will comment on is that in the picture I don't see nearly enough power in those walls. Unless you plan to run conduit on the outside of the finished walls I'd spend some time getting wiring completed before doing any insulation, and especially before doing any spray foam. You should also talk to HVAC folks to determine exactly how much power and what locations you might need to heat/cool that much space.

My neighbor thought ahead and had his shop pre-wired for a mini-split when he built. This year when he was ready to finally install a mini-split he did the actual heat calculations and found that his shop was too large for a single mini-split with dual heads and now he is stuck trying figure out how to minimize reworking the shop to get either more mini-splits or a conventional a/c in there.

 

[WisJim]

I like spray foam insulation--but--there are a lot of contradicting opinions about spray foam directly on the metal. My building has wafer board sheathing under the metal so the foam doesn't contact the metal at all. I think the foam insulation was worth it, it sealed the building better in addition to the insulation value.
And I agree about the wiring and number of circuits and outlets. I put receptacles every 4 feet in some areas and wish I had done more. In spite of lots of planning with cut outs of my machines and equipment on a floor plan, I still have situations where receptacles are covered or I wish there was another one in-between some of them.

 

[fcat]

Mine was built with insulation in mind. I decided on closed cell foam. The cost for 30x40x18 was ~7k for 2" walls/ceilings. Wish I'd been able to afford more at least on the ceiling to help with the summer heat. You may also have to move some outlets if they get buried in the foam.

Thanks for the reply, i got a quote from the same guy to have the ceiling R19 and the walls R15 and it was $1500 more, you think it would be worth it ? Do you have a heat/air unit in yours ? thanks

 

[fcat]

I won't comment on insulation other than it will be very important to have. If you add a ceiling be sure to put a lot of insulation on top and also make sure the upper space is vented so you don't get ice build up in the winter.

What I will comment on is that in the picture I don't see nearly enough power in those walls. Unless you plan to run conduit on the outside of the finished walls I'd spend some time getting wiring completed before doing any insulation, and especially before doing any spray foam. You should also talk to HVAC folks to determine exactly how much power and what locations you might need to heat/cool that much space.

My neighbor thought ahead and had his shop pre-wired for a mini-split when he built. This year when he was ready to finally install a mini-split he did the actual heat calculations and found that his shop was too large for a single mini-split with dual heads and now he is stuck trying figure out how to minimize reworking the shop to get either more mini-splits or a conventional a/c in there.

Thanks for the comments, i already have a 38,000BTU heat/air system in there, (on the end wall in the picture) but at the moment its totally useless without any insulation at all!

Noted about the outlets, I have installed a single 50amp circuit for a welder and one for an RV/ EV charger, i was planning to add another 20 amp circuit with outlets on though

 

[fcat]

I like spray foam insulation--but--there are a lot of contradicting opinions about spray foam directly on the metal. My building has wafer board sheathing under the metal so the foam doesn't contact the metal at all. I think the foam insulation was worth it, it sealed the building better in addition to the insulation value.
And I agree about the wiring and number of circuits and outlets. I put receptacles every 4 feet in some areas and wish I had done more. In spite of lots of planning with cut outs of my machines and equipment on a floor plan, I still have situations where receptacles are covered or I wish there was another one in-between some of them.

Ive read about this, "oil canning" i believe its called and can happen with dark colored metal and if done when the metals very hot.

 

[larry4406]

Sorry, should have said, Northern VA so can be hot and humid and freezing cold!

Update your profile to include your location.

I’m in NoVa as well.

Call Southland Insulation in Manassas. Also call Davenport Insulation. These 2 firms handle all our new homes at the day job.

I used Southland at my house remodel projects as I have worked with them longer.
- purged attic and spray foamed with overblow
- crawl space foam
- basement band board foam
- The Master Bath Project all 6 surfaces spray foamed.

 

[aggie113]

Thanks for the reply, i got a quote from the same guy to have the ceiling R19 and the walls R15 and it was $1500 more, you think it would be worth it ? Do you have a heat/air unit in yours ? thanks

Not sure what that equates to in inches. I'm zone 1, so r19/15 may be enough for you. I can say, my 30x40x18 (to uncovered rafters) was maxing out a 2 ton mini split. I'd set it to 76 and it would only hit that right before sunrise, then during the day it would warm up to 82+ when it was ~92 outside. Good enough to work in, until you raise the garage door and bring a car in, then it has no chance of re-cooling the space.
My solution was to spend $2,300 on a second 3 ton DIY mini split over the area near the 2 post lift. This way it can hit the new hot spot with cold air and keep things comfy. Of course this will also cost me more electricity (unless/until I go solar). With my 2x6 construction I could have gone with 3-4" on the walls and 4" on the ceiling for the foam and might have been good with a 2 ton unit. It can be hard to know when enough is enough for insulation in the calculation of value, but I'd say spending more up front would be better than the costs year after year of the increased power usage, especially if you plan to use the space for many years.