To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Vapor Barrier Needed before Insulating Pole Barn to reduce humidity?

igrout

Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2018
Messages
6
Location
Buffalo, NY
Writing to ask for advice if I need to add a vapor barrier to the walls or ceiling of my pole barn style garage before insulating and heating? I'm insulating both the walls and ceiling of this building to make the building usable in the winter to work on classic cars (I live in Buffalo, NY) but also to reduce the humidity so my tools and cars won't rust.

My garage is 25'x32' and has a poured concrete floor. The garage is currently uninsulated. The walls are built pole barn style, sheeting is OSB (the sheeting was not wrapped with any vapor barrier under the vinyl siding on the outside of the walls) engineered truss roofing, 2 basic windows, and a man door and an overhead door. There is no ridge vent, or spinning roof vents.

Insulation plan is to build interior walls to hang fiberglass bat insulation and luan plywood interior walls with luan plywood ceiling below the trusses with blown in insulation on top.

Currently the humidity is very high 80 to 90 percent (are feels damp) as the temperature hovers around freezing according the hydrometer, and tools not treated with fluid film have started to rust. I'm concerned that the cars will start to rust too, just bought this property in the past year.

Do I need to add a vapor barrier, or just the insulation, plus heat, plus a dehumidifer bring the humidity down to 50? Do I need to add a ridge vent so there is more air exchange in what will become the attic?
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Dodge

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Messages
557
Location
Illinois
My son just had a Wick pole barn built, finished last week. It was additional cost, but he had the vapor barrier behind the steel. He is going to insulate and cover the interior walls with steel also. Heat will be radiant floor heat. I can't add to why the vapor barrier, but apparently with insulation and heat it is a good idea. He never cuts corners. His building is 40X60, 16" walls. I think the added cost was around $1500, but not positive on that. I'll have to ask him about the ridge vent, not sure about that.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom