Help me insulate my pole barn

[NonTypicalCPA]

As I have advised a number of times, bite the bullet and use prefinished white metal liner panel for the ceiling. It weighs less so you don't add as much load to your trusses and it eliminates painting for the next 40 or 50 years. Plus it looks a lot better than any kind of plywood, OSB, drywall etc.

That's what I'd really like to do. Will have to price it out.

Where are you located in SW Michigan? I'm in Paw Paw.

 

[GManBart]

As I have advised a number of times, bite the bullet and use prefinished white metal liner panel for the ceiling. It weighs less so you don't add as much load to your trusses and it eliminates painting for the next 40 or 50 years. Plus it looks a lot better than any kind of plywood, OSB, drywall etc.

That's what I'm doing for my shop. To cover a 24x40' section of ceiling worked out to $650 from Menards (haven't bought it yet). I'll have the metal liner, then the insulation already in place, then I'll blow insulation on top of it all...should be more than enough.

 

[Mendonsy]

Thanks for the link Mendonsy, I was planning on looking into that type of heater, but wasn't to that point yet. Any idea how much they cost compared to a forced air unit?

I don't have any real solid numbers for you, but a couple of the places that I work with have installed them. They both think that they are great. I suspect the unit is a bit more than a similar size forced air unit but there isn't any cost for ductwork so it probably comes out about even.

 

[ovrszd]

As I have advised a number of times, bite the bullet and use prefinished white metal liner panel for the ceiling. It weighs less so you don't add as much load to your trusses and it eliminates painting for the next 40 or 50 years. Plus it looks a lot better than any kind of plywood, OSB, drywall etc.

I agree. I also agree with Kenny concerning blown in insulation on top of the metal liner. It's the cheapest system you can install. You can also add R value at whatever pace your budget will allow by simply blowing in more insulation. This system also minimizes the cubic feet of space you have to heat.

 

[ovrszd]

Near me is an Amish community. One of the businesses is a metal fabrication business. I bought 2500 sq ft of white metal liner panel for $1450.

 

[NonTypicalCPA]

Looks like our local Menards would run about $750 for a 30x40. Any tricks to install it? I hate working over my head.

 

[ovrszd]

Looks like our local Menards would run about $750 for a 30x40. Any tricks to install it? I hate working over my head.

Wheeled scaffolding or an FEL. Plenty of help. Patience and diligence.

 

[GManBart]

Looks like our local Menards would run about $750 for a 30x40. Any tricks to install it? I hate working over my head.

Find a friend with one of these....makes life way easier! I bought this for $1K, added $250 worth of batteries, and I'll make money when I sell it, but I may think about renting it out a few times to see if it can pay for itself.

Assuming you don't have a friend with one, they aren't that expensive to rent for a day, and you can almost certainly do your whole ceiling in a day using one. I've been using mine to run electrical wires, hang lights, build the partition wall, etc and it makes things way faster. You can put a whole sheet on one, raise it up into the general position, tweak it by hand, and hit it with the cordless screwdriver....done.

 

[KennyG]

I installed my pole barn ceiling (40 x 48 with 12 foot ceiling) essentially by myself. I got a high lift drywall lift and I have two rolling bakers scaffold units. There was a lot of climbing up and down but nothing that hard to do. Other people have done things like build a platform on the back of a truck.

Did we ever find out what the truss spacing is? Liner panels are rated for 4 foot spans. Anything larger will require some added structure.

My recommendation would be to first frame in attic access holes. Then install a vapor barrier (about 6 mil) under the trusses. Then the metal goes on and finally blow in the insulation. I installed wiring and outlet boxes for hanging lights before I installed the ceiling. I would not do that again. It caused a lot of extra work in cutting the outlet access through the metal panels. If I were doing it again I would complete the installation and then run conduit under the ceiling surface for the lights.

CPA, I'm not that far from you (St. Joe). I've been thinking about selling my drywall lift so I will send you a message.

 

[NonTypicalCPA]

My truss spacing is 2' I believe. I have attic trusses with a pull down ladder for access, but I don't plan on heating the attic space. The attic does have a floor in it, so I would have to insulate below that before I installed the ceiling. The attic is only about 12-15' wide, so a good portion of the ceiling is open to the roof.