How to Insulate a Metal Barn
Options for Insulating your Metal Barn
Metal barns and buildings are great. They offer affordable storage solutions and offer other functions as well. People often say that metal barns and buildings are cold and are sometimes drafty. This causes a hesitation and they forego this renovation in favor of no renovation at all. There’s also the common misconception that insulating metal structures is tough or not possible at all. The good news is metal barns can be insulated just like wooden barns.
You’ve decided to insulate your barn, but where do you start? That’s a great question. Your first step is determining if you’ll be doing it yourself or if you will have an installation team do it for you. Then, you will need to decide how much and which type of material you will be using.
We Install Insulation for You
You may have the best of intentions when it comes to insulating your barn but sometimes it is just a better idea to have us do the insulation for you. We carry and install insulation during the construction process. The product we offer and install with a building is a vapor barrier wrap insulation. This is used to keep the metal building from sweating or potentially dripping condensation that can occur in high temperature swings. It does carry a low R value as it’s a lined insulated barrier, but for high thermal performance traditional or spray foam insulation are the best options.
Fiberglass Insulation
Among the least expensive options, fiberglass insulation offers an affordable solution for your insulation needs. Most homeowners will recognize fiberglass insulation from the rolls it comes on and because it’s often times found in your homes. For structures such as metal barns you should seek fiberglass insulation that has a vapor barrier.
This last bit of information is important because it will help ward off any rodents that may try to build homes inside of the material. It is also important to note, if you are doing this installation yourself you should wear protective layers, a mask, and protective eye-wear. While fiberglass is an inexpensive solution is does shed fibers that can cause pain and irritation.
How to calculate how much fiberglass insulation you’ll need: Square footage of space. Most fiberglass insulation rolls will have an indication of how much square footage they will insulate.
Batt and Blanket Insulation
Batt and blanket insulation is pieces of insulation cut from a roll to specific dimensions and is also a great and inexpensive option. The trade-off is that you really need to be sure of what you are doing as this insulation requires a little bit more planning to achieve maximum efficiency. That being said your metal barn with feel great all year round when properly installed.
How to calculate how much batt and blanket insulation you’ll need: square footage of space. Much like fiberglass insulation.
Spray Foam Insulation
Spray foam insulation is one of the quickest ways to insulate your metal barn. The beauty of spray foam insulation is that it’s similar in nature to spray painting. Sure, there are obvious differences in both the application and the material type, but the principles of good spray painting apply. Because the spray foam comes in a liquid form its application can go quickly.
Spray foam insulation also works wonders of getting into your barns hard to reach areas and an added benefit is there are no additional structure requirements. Meaning, you don’t have to build extra barriers between the insulation. While this method is generally more expensive than most insulation types it does provide a great barrier and helps regulate temperatures.
How to calculate how much spray foam insulation you’ll need: sq. ft x depth in inches = board footage
No matter which route you choose you are now one step closer to an insulated metal barn. So choose your material and calculate your needs and you’re on your way to a more comfortable barn no matter what it’s used for!