Looking for pole barn insulation advice

   / Looking for pole barn insulation advice #1  

zmansmac

Gold Member
Joined
May 21, 2003
Messages
256
Location
Arcadia Township, Michigan
Tractor
Kubota B7500
I moved into my retirement home last year and now have a little larger pole barn than the last home. The barn is a standard 30 x 40 x 12 with steel sides with asphalt shingles. There is a large door at both ends and only one service door. I am a hobbyist wood and metal worker and my original intent was to use the whole barn for my new shop. I also needed some room for garden equipment and such and my plan was to build a small lean to shed off the back. But, unfortunately, local ordinances require permits for that but not for a stand alone shed. So to save a little money I decided to shrink my shop area a little. I built a wall inside at the second last 6 x 6's which gives me an 8 x 30 area for a shed. The wall I built is 6 inches thick, and like the other sides in the workshop area are already insulated with fiberglass batting. For the ceiling I have 1/4 inch plywood that will be nailed to the underside of the truss bottoms and then I intend to blow 10 - 12 inches of cellulose in. The wall I built only goes up to the bottom of that truss and above that I was only going to put some thin plywood about 2 feet up to retain the cellulose in the shop ceiling area. There is about a one foot overhang on the 40 foot sides of the barn with a fully vented soffit. Now my question is should I completely cover that truss above the wall to isolate the ceiling air space over the shop area from the shed area, or does it make any difference if I don't.
 
   / Looking for pole barn insulation advice #2  
I don't think it makes any difference if you cover it or not. Also, make sure you use a vapor barrier between the plywood ceiling and the insulation.
 
   / Looking for pole barn insulation advice
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Thank you both for the quick reply and backing up my theory. Thanks for the advice DuckSlayer; I will use a vapor barrier as you suggest. And truckdiagnostics, I didn't go into all the detail but I have already stapled up the styrofoam vent panels between all the trusses in the shop area.
 

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