I was just outside with a jack on a board in the snow. I live it all the time.So, I assume no one considers me working under a big Tx. pine on the dirt is "high tech!??"
Yea, I have a floor jack and a sheet of plywood.
Insulating a metal shop?
- Thread starter ESP47
- Start date
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SNOW. That is an ugly word here in Tx.!!!!!!!
I've been shoppin all around since this thread popped up and it seems like the most affordable insulation is the good old fiberglass batt insulation.
I’ve been watching this one as well, and I’m about 90% certain I’m NOT going to spray foam the walls in my place next summer, but just go with fiberglass batts and call ‘er good. I can use the money saved on the spray foam elsewhere.
hemifiedbird
Well-Known Member
I worked in a metal shop that had the spray foam. Owner of the building was either cheap or maybe couldn't afford to line the shop after the spray foam. It was that way for years and it collected dust and grime. You couldn't do a thing without a trouble light. Place was very dark with the spray foam
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
The kraft paper on the batts kills the lights too. You need to put up Sheetrock or OSB and paint it white, either way.
In my previous two garages I installed 1/2" (nominal) OSB panels and then painted them white. In comparison to sheetrock, much less risk of punch something through it (bicycle handles, for instance), and much easier to mount storage accessories and what not. And the white finish just made the place all that brighter.
Since it's worked twice before, looks like I may do it again in the new place.
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64mopar
Well-Known Member
This is an option to wrap the inside with.
I thought about it for mine,still might use it along with the spray foam.
I thought about it for mine,still might use it along with the spray foam.
BlueTex™ Supreme 6mm 62
BlueTex™ Supreme is a tear-proof insulation material made of XPE foam and 97% reflective aluminum foil, used for cold climates that require maximum heat retention and moisture prevention.
bluetexinsulation.com
CNC-Dude
Well-Known Member
The company that put mine up was going to charge $1200 to insulate mine. It's a 30'x40'....I thought that was too much then but wished I had now....
i have a 30X50 pole barn cut the 1.5 foam board to fit between the cross beams then framed between the poles in 2x3 used fiberglass to fill in then sheet rocked over that
but its the home shop so just do a secton or two at a time didn't hurt the pocket that way have about 75% done
her need the cooling and heating to play year round
but its the home shop so just do a secton or two at a time didn't hurt the pocket that way have about 75% done
her need the cooling and heating to play year round
mopowers
Well-Known Member
Curious how this one turned out. What'd you end up going with?
I suggest you Spray foam it and then cover the walls with plywood so you can drill things into the wall.
I have one shop 30x40 and it is insulated with bat, blown in the ceiling, metal walls with a heat pump installed and it is amazing, but the metal inside can sweat with out HVAC.
Second shop, 40x40, I started putting insulation foam boards up in, got the walls done, no plywood walls and I have about 2500 into the insulation and many hours doing the work myself… roof isn’t finished because I need new scissor trusses first so I can install some lifts. Honestly though if I could go back, I’d spend the 5-8k and have it spray foamed, lift the trusses and be done with it.
I have one shop 30x40 and it is insulated with bat, blown in the ceiling, metal walls with a heat pump installed and it is amazing, but the metal inside can sweat with out HVAC.
Second shop, 40x40, I started putting insulation foam boards up in, got the walls done, no plywood walls and I have about 2500 into the insulation and many hours doing the work myself… roof isn’t finished because I need new scissor trusses first so I can install some lifts. Honestly though if I could go back, I’d spend the 5-8k and have it spray foamed, lift the trusses and be done with it.
Love the 69
ESP47
Well-Known Member
I don't know what's up with this forum but it hasn't notified me on this thread in a long time. I thought it died out a while back and had no idea people were still posting in it.
It's real easy for people to just say spray foam it but it's not easy to cough up $15k for spray foam. I even attempted to see what the ceiling alone would cost and that was $7-8k depending on who I talked to. These videos on youtube where the guys got these massive 2000sq/ft shops spray foamed for $4k are full of **** unless they knew someone or got it done pre covid.
I'm doing 2" polyiso foam board with the reflective side spaced 3/4" off the siding. I found a guy who sells factory rejects for a reasonable price. I'm using great stuff spray foam with the applicator gun to seal up the seams and then using foil tape to cover. I'm only about 1/3 done at the moment.
Covering the walls is a pain because the studs aren't 16 on center. They're anywhere from 4.5-5.5ft apart and it's random. I wound up finding a guy on marketplace selling corrugated metal sheets for 1/3 what Home Depot charges. I'm going to cover the walls up to 8ft with that and then use CDX sheathing to cover above that. I'd rather do drywall but I'm not going to waste 1/3 of each drywall sheet because of the stud spacing issue.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
That sounds like a good plan. You're doing the same on the ceiling, I'm assuming?
Do you have any photos you can share?
ESP47
Well-Known Member
Right now that's the plan for the ceiling but it could change. I might leave the ceiling uncovered in case I need to add extra insulation. I'd like to test it out this summer and see how it feels. As long as it's not miserable then I should be alright.
I'd prefer to lay the sheets horizontally but I think the corners will look better if I hang them vertically.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
That looks like it'll work nice. The air space seems like a good idea too. How are you attaching the foam and spacers?
ESP47
Well-Known Member
Yeah they don't actually tell you that you need a min of 3/4" to achieve the listed R value to take advantage of the radiated properties. You lose a couple digits if you just mount the foil side up against something.
Construction adhesive and wooden blocks for the attachment and spacers. You can see some of them up top. The adhesive is supposed to work up to 200* but even if it doesn't and it unsticks from the siding, it won't matter because the boards can't move once they're covered up anyway.
Definitely not a professional installation but as long as it works, I really don't care. I just need workable temperatures during the summer, more space, a lift and I'll be a happy man.
I’m as cheap as the next guy and did the same thing as you did. But…
If I could go back I would still have spray foamed it as it would have been done in a weekend, and the roof would have been done.
Your doing a great job, shop is looking nice.
I Have a 60x40 shop and my quote to spray foam was over $20k. no way that was gonna happen.
I have started doing rockwool batts, I like that I can do it in sections, and on my time, and not have to clean the whole shop out. It's frame with 2x8 lumber so I can use R30 rated batts, and then just put plywood/OSB panels over it and be done. Rockwool is great for a shop enviroment , doesn't absorb moisture and is fire retardant. In my research before starting it seemed to be the best option.
I have started doing rockwool batts, I like that I can do it in sections, and on my time, and not have to clean the whole shop out. It's frame with 2x8 lumber so I can use R30 rated batts, and then just put plywood/OSB panels over it and be done. Rockwool is great for a shop enviroment , doesn't absorb moisture and is fire retardant. In my research before starting it seemed to be the best option.
I did the same as above. 30x40 shop, done with R30 batt in all walls and ceiling. Ceiling was covered in white tyvek-like material so it's real reflective for lighting. The walls were done 8' up in 1/2" plywood. Now that I have the mini split installed it's warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It's pretty posh for a guy that used to work in the driveway in the weather.
Alan J Odze
AJ
I am having the same issue with a building I put up last year. 25x30x14. Spray foam 5500. I am not spending that kind of money. I tried doing spray foam myself. Comes out too watery.
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