What's the best insulation for your pole barn? is it fiberglass, is it foam board
or is it spray foam? Let's talk about it.
Welcome to Foam University. Today we're going to be discussing the best
options for insulating your pole barn. We're going to be looking at
fiberglass, foam board, and spray foam. Before we dive into this, please go below
hit that thumbs up button for us. Thank you. So, the first thing we're going
to be looking at is overall effectiveness.
so, if we're looking at fiberglass, foam board and spray foam,
we can look at that as a good, better, best situation.
Whereas fiberglass can be a good enough option, it can effectively insulate your
pole bar. Whereas if you look at foam board it is
a step up in effectiveness, and what we mean by that is,
it will have a better r-value, therefore it will have a better thermal resistive
capability and it can also have some added air sealing,
and the next thing. spray foam. Again, you're stepping up in effectiveness.
You're stepping up in longevity. There's a lot of different things to
consider in that, but if you're just looking at,
what material does its job best? Again, spray foam will take that
because of its air sealing capabilities, as well as its outstanding thermal
resistance. Step down a little bit with the foam
board because you do lose a little bit in air seal.
You lose a little bit in thermal resistive, depending on what you're using
and going back down to fiberglass. Again, it can be good enough but keep in mind
it won't be quite as good as the other options. So, the next thing we want to
talk about is maintenance. What type of maintenance do
these three materials require for your pole barn? Well, first let's look
at fiberglass. Keep in mind over time fiberglass
will break down. That's just the way it is. You will have to eventually replace
some batting over time. Now, the next thing is, if it is
exposing your pole barn and it gets damaged in any kind of way,
again you may want to replace that. Something else keep in mind, we've seen
with pole barns that are insulated with fiberglass,
is fiberglass can act as an air filter. What I mean by that is, if you have
exposed fiberglass, over time you will look at the edges of it and it
will be very dark. It'll be black and brown because it has collected
dust and pollen and exhaust fumes and all kinds of nasty things.
So, keep in mind if you have fiberglass that's exposed, you're keeping
all that stuff inside your pole barn, of course you're going to be breathing that
in. So, just something to keep in mind
leading into the thought that you may have to replace it
a little more frequently. Now, foam board what's the maintenance like on foam
board? Not as much, because you don't have to
worry about it breaking down. However, keep in mind foam board can be brittle.
So, if you're going to have it exposed, anything that leans against it, bumps it,
will likely crack that foam board. Not a huge deal
but you will have to reseal it. Canned foam is usually the best option for that
because it's an insulator, as well as a sealant. Now, can
foam can be a little tricky to use. Sometimes it's very sticky. Please make
sure you wear gloves so you don't ruin your hands for a week.
But, keep in mind if anything gets bumped up against that foam board, it can likely
crack and break and you will have to repair it,
or replace a whole sheet, depending on how bad it is.
Now, spray foam itself, there's no maintenance to it. You don't have to
worry about it breaking down over time and it's usually really durable. So, if it
is exposed and something bumps into it, it's not going to ruin the foam. Even if
you get a large chunk torn out, sure, you can use some canned foam and
fill that in. Like again, that would have to be some pretty
significant damage to require that, but that is the option, if something like
that happens. So, the next thing we're going to look at
is, what are some added steps you may have to consider,
if you're looking at using these materials? So, first let's look at
fiberglass. Again, it does not establish an air seal.
So, you're going to have to do some things to make sure you're giving the
building that proper air seal. Now, that could be
going as far as putting an entire wrap around the building, so that
you have an air seal from the inside. Now, you could
also just put batts up and make sure you're caulking and siliconing all the
seams and joints around the outside of the walls.
That will take a considerable amount of time, however there are people that want
to do it and that options out there. But keep in mind, the point is, you will
have to add some steps with fiberglass to make sure you get
that seal. Moving on to foam board. Again now, foam board itself does provide
an air seal as long as you're using a material that has one of course.
Now, the material itself like i said, can have an air seal but the edges around it,
where you're putting that foam board onto the wall
does not. So, you'll have to make sure all of those seams are
completely sealed off. Whether you use caulk or silicone, whatever the case,
you will have to go around all that to make sure no air is getting through,
and that building envelope is established all the way around the walls.
So, keep that in mind. Moving on to spray foam.
When you're looking at adding an air seal or anything like that, there's
nothing you need to worry about because spray foam does provide an
in air seal, with the material itself. Once it's sprayed on your building will
have that air seal right with the foam, so there's no added steps needed. So, keep
those in mind when you're comparing these materials.
So, the last thing we're going to discuss is cost. How much does
each one of these materials cost? Well, fiberglass will be the lowest cost.
This will be the most inexpensive and the most readily available option to you.
So, if you were considering doing some type of DIY project for your barn.
Fiberglass may be a good way because there's so
many options. So readily available to you, and again it is going to be the lowest
cost up front. Moving on to foam board. It is also very
available at many different big box stores,
but there may not be as many options on hand. You may have to order something and
go pick it up later, but again it can be a DIY option for you,
so keep that in mind, but foam board is typically a step up in
cost. Now, going on to spray foam. Ss usual
spray foam will be the most expensive option.
However, keep in mind you're getting a high pressure system, you're getting a
contractor, with a truck and trailer, you're getting that warranty for the
lifetime of the structure, all those things adding in, of course the
material itself does cost more. So that will all
add into spray foam being the most expensive option,
at least up front. So, now we're going to talk about what's the best option for
you and your pole barn. Well, it's all going
to come down to your priorities and your goals.
Now, if you want something that's just going to get the building complete, you
want the lowest cost option, and readily available, just to get
everything done, well then, fiberglass would be a good way
to go. You can likely finish this in a weekend or two with some help. Now,
if you want something that's a step up, you know, it's going to have an air seal,
you're still going to have to work with it a little bit, maybe you want to do
this project yourself, but you want a step up. Foam board would
be a good option for you. It has that air seal and that better thermal
resistiveness. So, again that is the next step. Now if
you want the absolute best, if you want something that you don't have to worry
about working on over the years, you don't have
to worry about adding anything to it, and you can afford spray foam, then that
would be the clear cut option. You're going to have to decide which one
of these categories you fall into.
If you want to learn more about what's
best to insulate your pole barn fiberglass, foam board or spray foam,
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