Last year I built myself a 28x32 pole barn, with metal skin, both on side walls as well as the roof. No insulation was installed at build time due to my tight budget.
Now I'm wishing I had insulated during the build process. I live in Florida, just north of Tampa Bay, so the winters are mild and summers are the killer time for me in the shop. I would like to be able to heat the shop, just to take the chill out of the air. I don't need it roasting hot, just sweatshirt type of comfort.
My walls are of 6x6 corner posts, with 4x6 on 8 centers, 2x4 running verticle, on 24" centers up the wall. Roofing is just the metal skin.
My question is, what is the best, cheapest method of insulating a standing pole barn? I'm not interested in closing the walls up with drywall, nor the ceiling area.
I was thinking of using the rigid poly(?) board insulation for the ceilings, the stuff that has silver coating on both sides, attached with roofing nails, with plastic washers.
How about the walls?
Does this sound OK? or does anybody have any different approaches I should investigate?
Do you have birds getting into your barn? One thing to consider is that they will pick at any exposed edges of the foam insulation for nest material and make a mess. In Florida, I don't know if it would be worth it to spend the money on insulation if you're just trying to take the chill off. If I'm working in my (uninsulated) garage here in Michigan during the winter, I just plug in an electric heater. I just move it to where I'm at and it allows me to work without a coat and gloves. It doesn't even run full-time.
I'm concerned with the condensation of warm air of the underside of the metal roof to the cold air outside, moisture!
I do have quite a few wood working tools with cast-iron tables that I want to protect from moisture as much as I can.
I am also concerned with the heat from the summer months, which is my real pain in the backside. My roof is exposed to some heating from the sun, I do have trees blocking some of it but when it gets over head it's heats the shop up.
I do have a 30" exhaust fan on the gable wall and leave my rollup door open as well as a side door for circulation but it still is a bear to work in.
I live in MN and I am planning a new barn. What I was told was that there is a spray on type of insulation. Not sure if the birds would go after that as well though. here is one link that I found on the subject, lots more. http://www.performancefoam.net/
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