Cellulose insulation, moisture control and metal buildings
Built a light gauge steel building. Metal studs installed in metal tracks with sheet metal for walls and roof. Going to be shop space. I’m trying to use cellulose for cost savings. Plan to use 7/16 osb for the walls.
1. I’ve heard from the internet that the borates in cellulose can corrode metal although green fiber representatives have told me it doesn’t. A representative is supposed to reach out to me, hoping he has some kind of data to confirm it’s safe to use against metal. Anyone have any research articles that address this or any first hand experience?
2. As for moisture control… normally I’d use faced batts but since I’m considering using cellulose loose fill should I use house wrap against the insulation on the conditioned side? Trying to make sure I don’t end up with water condensing against the metal damaging it and my insulation.
There are no codes to worry about where I live. Saving money is always high on my list but doing it right and not having to do it again is of greater importance to me.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
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Replies
Trying to eat your sweater to keep warm?
With a metal frame building the only effective place to put insulation is on the outside of the building. Other wise you are in essence shoving your sweater between your ribs and hoping it will keep you warm. So says Joe Lstiburek.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaozbiujnWM&ab_channel=RooflogicLimited
Walta
Built in such a way that I’ll have insulation between the stud and the exterior metal. There is a gap that will be filled with cellulose or fiberglass.
Plus the stud is hollow and will be filled with insulation also.
Please take the time to watch the video I linked to learn a little and laugh a lot.
Your metal framing had a R value of zero. the average R value for a wall with metal framing will be very low regardless of what you put between the metal.
The truth is pole barns are great low-cost places to keep your stuff dry but terribly expensive places to keep warm stuff in the winter.
You will get lots of positive help with your pole barn on the Garage Journal forum.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/
Walta
Never posted over there before. They as smart as the guys here? Came back here because I asked a question in the past and was impressed with the folks here.
I watched some of his video, can’t burn anymore day light watching but I’ll watch it after dark.
Return on investment for insulation is so great that I figure even if the structure can’t utilize it to its fullest it’s still a no brainer to install it.
Are metal buildings considered pole barns?
I’m thinking loose fill with a vapor retarder such as house wrap on the heated side should work but wanted to bounce it off some greater minds than mine.
“They as smart as the guys here?” I say yes but about different things.
I think this site tends to think of a “high performance” building as one that costs less to heat and cool. Fuel costs per square foot.
My opinion Garage Journal tends to think of a “high performance” building as one that costs less to build. Dollars per square foot.
“Are metal buildings considered pole barns?”
In my eyes I say yes. I am sure the people that build and sell them would disagree.
https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/insulating-a-metal-building
https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/insulating-pole-barn
Walta
After reading those I see why both could be considered a pole barn. I mostly have my design figured out from those articles. I won’t be using metal building insulation but I will be copying the basic principles. I’m leaning back towards batts.
Only thing I haven’t decided is if I’m going to run insulation along the underside of the roof or enclose the attic and blow in loose fill and vent the attic excluding it from the thermal envelope.
I’ll be back on my next project. This shop is for the building of cabins I’m working on. Short term rentals. Didn’t really want to build cabins but where I live it’s the low hanging fruit. Plus it’s something I can leverage and borrow against. Eventually I want to make unique stuff like earth structures, toy with geodesic domes in artistic arrangements and such. Construction is probably the closest thing to art I’ll ever do but I want these units to be living art basically, or a living time capsule.