Insulate the walls of a pole barn?

PLanning on building a pole barn shop with a concrete floors and heat. I will line the inside of the shop with metal like the outside. I would like to place insulation between the outside metal and the inside metal so that I sandwich insulation in between. Anyone ever insulate the walls of a pole barn like this or is there a better way. the inside will have a metal roof screwed to the trusses with insulation up on top of that. Trying to think ahead and any pointers would help.

Thanks
 
I built a 40 x50 pole barn and lived in it for 5 years it was insulated and sheet rocked the one thing I would do different is to Tyvek the outside before putting metal up keeps the drafts out
<image src="http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto7376.jpg"/>

<image src="http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto7377.jpg"/>
 
I've done that up here where I am before. I used the old dock foam you can pick up for nothing and then used a chain saw to cut it down and fill the walls. That is the reason I still have a whole lot of the stuff laying around
 
Ask the builder about that as there are differences in the specs for insulation. For instance the ceiling either needs to be framed or posts and trusses closer than standard or the ceiling sheets will sag. On the one I got a bid on they were going to frame between the posts with 2x6 to hold the insulation and sheeting.
 
Check with your local concrete contractors to see if any of them do aircrete (aerated concrete). If so, you could have the aircrete poured between the wall layers and not only have insulation, but 100% wind and water protection. But the best part is, that stuff is fireproof! The lighter the mixture (more infused gases), the weaker it is -- as in, you can't use this "AS" a foundation in your garage or shop. You could, however, pour an aircrete slab with concrete footings, then have full-strength concrete over that. As for the walls, the lightest material can be somewhat fragile, so it'll be best to do as you planned and keep that inside layer of metal siding, or other (wood, drywall, etc).

If you have access to LOTS of shredded paper, you could also make papercrete. When making that, mix boric acid into the mix and it will be fire resistant also.

.....Or, you could just go the normal route and use commercially available insulation. :wink:
 
On my brothers barn we just put the roll insulation on first, and put the sheet metal on top of it. In the Texas summers just having the roof roll insulated really keeps you from getting cooked.

7390.jpg


7391.jpg


Finished.
7392.jpg
 
I put up a new 30'X48' pole building several years ago, and a couple of years ago insulated one side wall before I put some shelves up.

I put 1 1/2" white Styrofoam next to the outside steel, then put 2" pink Styrofoam over that. Finished by putting white steel over it all. Had to cut it to fit inside the framing. So, in effect, I have 3 1/2" of Styrofoam in the wall.
 
I did my pole barn with 6" fiberglass bats laid horizontally. 2x4's were mounted with joist hangers. I also stapled Foil Faced Bubble insulation on the inside of the girts to reduce wind infiltration and to reflect outside heat in the summer. (I can keep it comfortable in the summer with a 14,000 Btu window air conditioner for the 1200 sq. feet shop.) I used OSB to line the walls to keep noise down. The ceiling is also 6" fiberglass; the roof has a ridge vent and soffit venting. Floor heat is very comfortable.
a249887.jpg
 
Sounds like you have a good plan, I would put 6 inches in the walls like jaden mentioned, and blow a foot or more on top of the ceiling. In MN we put 2 feet in our attics! Using the steel inside is a good idea, it's fireproof, already painted, and easy to clean.
 
Do you really need metal in the inside? It seems an unnecessary expense. The roll insulation has a white vinyl face on it which would give the building a finished look without the expense of metal to cover it. Still if you put the roll insulation on the framing before you put the outside metal on you would have no problem putting metal over it from the inside.
a249892.jpg
 
Did you ever think about or talk to anybody about spray-on insulation? I know that is about all they use when they build new houses around here now. It has become a full time business for some contractors. Just a thought.
 
On my shop we put 1 inch pink foam board out against the metal then had 1 1/2 inches of spray foam sprayed inside to seal everything and then steel on the inside. The reason for the foam board against the metal is so if for some reason someday you need to replace a sheet of outside steel you do not destroy the foam seal. We also blew 18 inches of cellulose in the ceiling. My shop is so well insulated that we run a window air conditioner in the summer to make a cool place to work. Tom
 
Spray a layer of spray foam to the R value you want and then apply the inside steel over a vapor barrier.
Dupont also offers ridged Styrofoam panels cut to length for the application, with a 1 hr. fire rating that range in thickness from 1-4" thick for interior walls.
In the pics. you can see the spray foam applied to the inside of exterior walls before the wall board was applied, and on the bottom 8' high course steel applied over the Dupont wall board for protection and place to mount work benches and wall fixtures and in bottom pic. the wall board above where no protection would be needed. The wall board is applied to the inside of the girts and there was a 4" air gap between the spray foam and the back of the ridged Styrofoam wall board. A very easy building to heat. The pics are of a new shop that I built for a CNH dealer. We built 3 shops using this insulation package with conventional and radiant heat.
Loren
a249889.jpg
 
I put my trusses on 4' centers. I put steel on the bottom of those trusses and insulated on top of the steel, between the bottom webs of the trusses. I used closed cell foam, 2". It was sprayed in by a business that does that work.

The closed cell is water tight so provides a built in vapor barrier. It also seals all nooks and crannies so it is like a sheeting also.

It was sprayed in the walls before I put the interior liner on and sprayed in the attic above the ceiling liner.

It has been great. I am thinking about putting additional insulation in the attic/ceiling as I heat the shed in the winter and air-condition it in the summer.

Make sure they don't overspray your soffit vents closed.

Paul
a249895.jpg
 
A insulator 35 years in the business told me to Tyvek wrap around the outside. Put on outside sheeting. Spray foam inside and finish off inside with fiberglass. Put on inside sheeting.

The Tyvek was in case a outside sheet needed removed.
 
I will add my own suggestion to look into spray foam. It's critter proof, moisture proof, can be applied directly to the metal without ventilation, and carries a higher R-value than fiberglass.

Critters love to make homes behind that roll-on insulation, and in fiberglass.
 
I ended up putting my 2 X 4s horizontal as well. On the inside, I put on a small layer of styrofoam then the 6" of insulation, vapor barrier and then the steel. The company that put up the building did the ceiling but I finished the whole inside myself.
a249903.jpg
 
I could not afford the extra $$$$ for spray on. This seems to sound like the best if you can afford it though. I put 6" fiberglass batts in and then another set of purlins on the inside and then metal liner panel on the inside. Mine did not have vapor barrier on the outside walls and I wonder if it should of had ? Metal in the ceiling and then blown in fiberglass on top of it. For this you need vented eaves. Local insulation company recommend this way said they did a lot of them this way. They did it for the same as I could buy the materials for. They also said spray in could make them too tight and need air exchange system ? Mine does seem to get damp too so I run a dehumidifier.
Did a lester building kit years ago with the roll of vinyl backed fiberglass over the outside frame and then the metal nailed on top of it. I'd not do another like this ! Too easy to damage later and in spots the siding is rusting through from trapped moisture !
 
The shop I used to work at was post/beam construction. We had blown cellulose in the walls, steel siding inside and out. Same for the ceiling. Can't remember where we used the vapor barrier, but I think out was inside, under the inside siding.

One tip- turn the interior siding around backwards- the screws can be put down inside the channels so they don't grab, and every color is white on the back- so you can buy scrap colors or mix/match. The semi-gloss finish is a little cooler on the eyes.

Also, be sure to insulate the ends of the slab even more than the underneath- most heat is lost from the ends.
 
I don't waste money on that thin roll insulation. I use spray on cellulose, has the boric acid for fireproofing and rodents and I'm very happy with it. Installed price was almost the same as fiberglass batts. Sprayed loose cellulose in the attic with metal on the ceiling spanning 5 ft between trusses. Very energy efficient.

The spray foam insulation is very good but very expensive too.
 
What I did was to nail 2x2s vertically to the purlins every two feet, giving a gap of 3 inches between the inner and outer walls. I put <a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Corning-R-13-Kraft-Faced-Insulation-Batts-23-in-x-93-in-BF11/202585859a">23 inch R-13 insulation</a> between the 2x2s. My inside walls are 1/2" OSB. I've heard of other folks putting 2x2s horizontally on the purlins; I chose to install them vertically to reduce heat loss through the purlins.

There are plenty of places for heat to escape from a post-frame building. Plug the space between your inner and outer girders with insulation and close them off. Stuff insulation in the space between the posts and outer walls and any other empty spaces where you can squeeze insulation. Insulating the slab is a pain, but worthwhile; even insulating around the perimeter will help.
 
I put this barn (24x40) up in 1986. Floor about 10 years later. When I heated it in 2002, I built 2x4 walls between the posts and put in 4" insulation leaving the air gap between the outside metal and the wall. I also have 4"s in the ceiling and nothing under the cement. I used OSB on the inside because I got it used for 50 cents a sheet. I have a 125,000 btu natural gas radiant tube heater in the ceiling. I keep it at 45 in the winter (SE MI) and raise it to 60 when I'm out there. It costs me less than $300 a year to heat.
a249939.jpg
 
Fred,

Although have not had the chance to insulate inside yet, did cover outside with TyVek and recommend doing same. You will be surprised how much wind gets around the metal siding. Use some sort of reflective bubble rap under the roof. Thanks for the post.

7462.jpg
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top