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Building vapor barrier

L

liskahen

New User
I"m building a machinery storage building and would like info on what vapor barrier I should or should not use. It will not be heated and will be metal roof & sides. Thanks for your knowledge & info.
 
Just put in some vents in the peak and the end walls.

If you keep the inside the same temp as the outside it will not vaporize.

No vapor barrier will work with the temps being uneven inside and out. It will vaporize on the inside of your vapor barrier.
 
I would go with some insul board on the ouside of the structure, under the steel. At least the roof and the sides down to where you might have a dropped ceiling. That way if you later close up the interior and insulate you won't have rain falling in the "attic".

Gordo
 
Never thought of that Gary, but it is basically what we do with a house attic. Good idea. A gable vent at each peak sized for the roof area. Any windflow/draft will be at the top and not down below. Won't affect the temperature since the building isn't heated. Could build an insulated shed inside anywhere and heat it. Even if a wood burner was used, it won't affect the floor that much anyway. It would also get rid of some of the heat in the summer. Might want to think about some kind of side wall vent like on a house.
 
A metal roof in Indiana will form condensate if you don't put down insulation and a vapor barrier before you put the metal down. I had a pole barn built with a wood/shingle roof and have had no problems. Don't plan to heat it. Enough air comes in around the metal seams to dry things out. No problems with moisture in the winter, even if I pull in a wet snow covered truck.

I know I'm going to catch it for saying, "I'm not a fan of metal roofs". Some people have metal roofs on their heated buildings, they were built by the book and still have leaks, condensation.

Price out putting trusses on 2 ft centers and going with 35 year singles, you may be surprised. The company I went with the price was the same, $10/ square foot with 10 ft walls, 1 ft overhang and they built it.

George
 
I've seen it raining inside on cold days when the sun starts warming up the frozen condensation. The best thing is to keep lots of air flowing through. I leave a window open about 4" and sometimes I leave the overhead door up about 4" as well to get air flow, that helps a great deal and pretty much eliminates the condensation, but you still get some. My roof is well vented with the vent running the length of the peak,80'.
 
50 years ago we had a metal pole barn for the cows. The south side was open so the cows could come and go as they pleased. Guess you could say it was well vented. In the winter, the inside roof looked like it had a layer of frost. When the sun came out, look out, it was a rain forest. That memory has stayed with me and I will never be a fan of metal roofs. However, I don't think anything would help with cattle. Cows produce lots of moisture.

Neighbor has an old barn with metal and he has to painted every few years.

Sister has a 12,000 + square ft boat storage pole building. Couldn't stop the roof from leaking. Finally had to re-metal it.

A church put on a metal front on the building. Years later, they removed it. Moisture/mold problems.
 
liskahen, How safe is your neighborhood? The company that built my pole barn told me they got a call back to remove all the screws holding the metal siding on and replace them with nails. Someone broke in by removing a few screws. Something you may consider too.
George
 
Then they can go break in with a claw hammer instead of a screwdriver. 6 of 1, half dozen of another. Knew a rooftop burglar years ago. Then he got sentenced to do many years. He was very adept at going through the roof in down town businesses. Vents and skylights and so on. Once on the roof, he couldn't be seen.
 
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