How To Insulate A Pole Barn
Want to know the best ways to insulate a pole barn or metal building? We created two original tests and studied the best and most common insulation methods. And today, we will dive deeper into all this pole barn insulation. Comparing these four common insulation types and answering some of the more frequently asked questions at Troyer Post Buildings.
Should You Insulate Your Pole Barn?
Insulating your pole barn is always a good idea, especially if you or anyone else will be spending time in it. The level of insulation needed can vary by usage and climate needs, but the more insulation you have, the more efficient and long-lasting it should be. The main point of insulating is that even at the lowest insulation levels, it provides a vapor barrier for your building, working with your ventilation system to prevent condensation, which could lead to water damage, rust, and mold.
Factors to Consider
Climate
Climate is an important factor to consider when considering how much and what kind of insulation is best for your building. The common factor to consider is the variability of your environment. If your climate is very hot, cold, wet/humid, or all the above, the higher R-value, thicker, and or more traditional insulation is recommended. Live in a moderate climate year-round, only looking to take the chill out of a building, or including insulation as a vapor barrier. You can use the thinner, non-typical insulation options. It’s important to note that the hotter your climate is, the more imperative it is to have a ventilation or cooling system. Even the best insulation will slowly increase temperature if not ventilated or cooled internally.
Cost
Cost always plays a factor, no matter which way you look at it. Any insulation will help the longevity of your pole barn building. But over the long run of your building, the more power, or heating and cooling, needed to keep a moderate temperature, the more important a higher quality insulation will be. The higher quality of the insulation, the less money or energy you will need to keep the temperature stable in the long run. If you’re looking to build a pole building, send us a custom quote.
Buildings Function
The function that your building will perform will additionally help narrow down what kind of insulation may be needed or recommended. If you are primarily using your pole barn for storage or to house animals, a little insulation is helpful, again for the vapor barrier, but also to naturally keep the building slightly warmer or cooler than the temperature outside. Having insulation for equipment storage makes it easier and or more comfortable to do maintenance on said equipment throughout the year. If your pole barn is going to be used as a shop, garage, etc. It can be nicer to have a thicker insulation to ensure more comfortable working conditions. Again, the hotter or colder the climate, the more energy input will be required to keep temperatures more consistent.
The Four Most Commonly Used Insulation Materials For Metal Post Frame Buildings.
In our original tests, we compared the four insulation types commonly used by us and others in our field. If you want to watch the video test versions from where this blog comes from, see our real-world insulation cold test or heat insulation resilience test. For these tests, we created identical metal boxes that were sealed around the bottom to ensure consistent and controlled testing environments.
1. Closed-cell Spray Foam
For our tests, closed-cell spray foam was the first insulation used and was sprayed an inch and a half thick directly on the inside of the metal. Spray foam is a newer type of insulation over the last few years. It’s a very thorough insulating material and even adds a structural boost to your building. While being more expensive, it is one of the best insulating materials. When insulating a metal building, closed-cell spray foam can be sprayed directly onto the back of the metal. We recommend adding a layer of Tyvek house wrap before spraying. That way, if an exterior panel ever needed to be replaced, it can be done so without needing to respray the damaged area. Lastly, closed-cell spray foam does have a yellowish coloration to it, but once dried, it can be painted or enclosed for a more pleasing aesthetic if needed.
2. Therma-Guard
Therma-Guard is a newer insulation product for us at Troyer Post Buildings. It’s a nice, lightweight product that is easy to handle for contractors to install and work with. It is rated at a 7->9 R-value. Due to it only being an inch and a half, it performs similarly to the double-bubble, though it tends to be more durable in the long run.
3. Double-Bubble
Double-bubble is an insulation type that Troyer has used for a long time. Many people love it and use it in their shops to keep the heat out in the summer, and it works a bit for insulation in the winter. It also works well in the warmer summer months to provide some light cooling. The only downside to this product is that it can become brittle or flaky over its lifecycle. But it is a regular choice when needing an affordable insulating option.
4. Fiberglass Vinyl back
Fiberglass Vinyl-back is one of the oldest insulating products and product types used by Troyer and many others for ages to insulate metal pole barn buildings. It is fiberglass insulation (shown above) but with a white vinyl backer and has been primarily used in many steel buildings. This type of insulation is an actual insulator, like the closed-cell spray foam. Only an inch-and-a-half-thick section was used when testing. This insulating material leaves your shop with a nice white finish due to the white backing. However, it is not a contractor’s first choice due to the more intensive labor that the insulation type requires. It’s important to note that this will be a more expensive insulating material, comparable to the closed-cell spray foam insulation.
What is the most efficient insulation for a pole barn?
When discussing insulating efficiency, it’s important to note what defines it. At their base level, insulation materials are created and tested based on how well they resist heat flow. This means slowing down the heat going in on a hot day and keeping that heat in on a cold day. These insulations and insulation types are categorized and organized by R-value, the metric that standardizes how well an insulation material can resist heat transfer. So, each material used in our testing is around an inch and a half thick, so typically, the thicker the insulation, the higher the R-value. So for our tests, closed-cell spray foam sits around an 11-12 R value. (Please note that open-cell spray foam insulation has a lower R Value, ~ 7-8 R Value.) Our vinyl-backed fiberglass insulation will be around a 6-7 R value. Double bubble insulation is around a 5 to 6 R value. Thermo Guard is rated in the 7-9 R value range. Please note that R-values are in the 30 to 60 range for residential insulation. For reference, here in Tennessee, our winters can be around 35-40°F at the lower end, with around 90°F as a humid high heat.
Winter
During our winter insulation test, we tested the four kinds of insulation. Higher R Value Insulation is needed the colder your climate regularly is to achieve similar results. During our heat tests, the closed-cell spray foam insulation was the best insulating, with the vinyl-backed fiberglass insulation coming in second, with double bubble and thermo guard taking 3rd and 4th, respectively. Insulation is helpful in the winter to keep the chill out in any workshops or production facilities. The closed-cell spray foam insulation was the insulation to get the hottest and driest environment out of all the options. So, the efficiency here is that the least energy would be needed to heat a space quickly and continuously, thus making it the most efficient of our four insulation types.
Summer
For our summer test, the insulation efficiency again depends on the thickness or R value of the insulation. Please note that in warmer climates, buildings need to have a ventilation or cooling system in place. Regardless of how good or thick the insulation in your building is, it will slowly heat up to the same temperature as any other building. And with hot environments, insulation can increase temperatures inside buildings if not ventilated due to the sealing of the space.
Case in point for this test, Thermo-Guard was hotter inside than the control test due to the natural ventilation. For the rest, the closed-cell spray foam insulation stayed the coolest with the vinyl-backed fiberglass (91°F) and double bubble (97°F) coming in second and third. Even the closed-cell spray foam only kept temperatures to 84.5. So, fans and ventilation systems may be enough with the closed-cell system, depending on the work environment.
If you have anymore questions about either of these tests, contact us or give us a call!
What’s the most cost-effective insulation for pole barns?
The cost effectiveness of insulation depends on many factors, including climate, building location, electricity or heating and cooling costs, work being done inside the building, the style of pole barn building, and materials pricing in your local area. Ideally, the longer you can extend the lifespan of your materials and decrease your continual input, the more cost-effective insulating a building will be.
If you need a cooler working environment, it will be more cost-effective to invest in more traditional insulation, such as closed-cell spray foam and vinyl-backed fiberglass insulation. If you just want to take the chill out of a building in the winter and give some reflective protection in the summer, then double bubble insulation or Termo Guard-style insulating material can work. They will be cheaper over the long run if a building does not need to be temperature-regulated. If you are looking to build a pole barn, submit a custom quote for a price estimate, or contact us with any questions.
How Should I Insulate My Pole Barn?
Insulating a pole barn can be done DIY, with a separate insulator, or by the pole barn company after installation is completed, if that service is offered. Insulation should be placed on the roof and walls to ensure the building is as air-tight as possible. It’s important to ensure that the bottom of your metal panels, or where your pole barn meets your foundation, is sealed so that moisture will be less likely to get to your insulation if you are not using a water-resistant insulation like closed-cell spray foam. The rule of thumb is that water, bugs, or dust could come wherever light can be seen, so the tighter your building is sealed, the longer and better your insulation should perform over time. If you have a garage door for your pole building, adding door brushes to the framing is a way to go the extra mile. Any insulation material can be used once everything is sealed from the elements.
Any of the materials can be bought either from a local building supplier or from an insulation installer. Often, local areas where pole barns are regularly installed will have insulation precut to fit the wall and ceiling framing. It is also helpful to add insulation support rods for any fiberglass-type insulation; this is to ensure long-lasting contact between the ceiling and the insulation, as it will sag over time. Double-double or Thermo guard will not need these, as they are designed to be securely fastened to framing during installation.
How to find the best pole barn insulation for you?
Regardless of what kind of pole barn you have or are looking to have, we at Troyer Post Buildings are here to help answer any questions. Feel free to check out our YouTube channel or our other blogs for information about permitting guides, pole barn foundations, and more! If you have any questions, please call or contact us. Looking to build a pole barn? Check out our 3D builder or some of our stock models before requesting a free quote on any of our commercial, residential, or agricultural pole barns.