Blow-in insulation behind pegboard?

[AGRIMAN]

Have you ever had any complaints from people that have used Attic Cat blown in insulation?

Eddie,

No, not so far. A few mouths back we sprayed 2" of closed cell in a crawl space for a guy and he asked us about coming back and spraying his roof line. He currently has the attic cat blow in, but he didn't really have anything bad to say about it.

All he really said was that after researching foam, he decided it a better choice for him. To the best of my memory, that's the only time we have ran into anyone that had it. Most people around here have cellulose.

 

[Sodo]

I'm looking at all the options and pretty much have to blow in AttiCat and get moving on my workbench. If I start tearing into the walls then it's moving outlets, taping, mudding and I don't have the time. Some of the tool pegs have the 1/4" peg and they are hard to pull out. The thinner ones practically jump out on their own.

I've torn out the old workbench - its now a clean slate (empty room). I'll repaint the ceiling and the floor. I wish the pegboard was white. Wonder if paint will stick to it, its kind of glossy. I might cover some of the pegboard with drywall (near the woodstove).

 

[AGRIMAN]

Not to be argumentative, but at what cost is spray foam the best?

I agree that it's superior to anything else on the market, but I struggle with the cost of it over fiberglass bats for the walls in a shop or barn with big doors in it that are rarely sealed, and usually wide open when working on projects. In my opinion, the best bang for the dollar is maxing out your R value in the attic and sealing off your exterior walls so the air cannot get through it.

Eddie,

It really depends on what kind of shop you have. If it's a house style structure (stick built wall, with a ceiling and roof line) then fiberglass bats can be and option, but if it's a red iron building or a included pole barn built with purlins than your options are fewer.

Either way, the same basic principles still apply. In the summer with the door open you are still trying to deflect the radiant heat off the roof and walls to keep it cooler inside. In the winter with the doors closed you are trying to stop any unwanted air flow to help keep the cold out. Foam is the superior product, but it come at a cost.


Everyone has to decide what's important for them. For the man that only works in his shop for a few hours a month, the added cost of foam might seem too much. For the man that spends most of his time in the shop, his comfort may be well worth it.

Here are two pictures of red buildings that we have sprayed foamed (and painted). One did not have any insulation, the other one had the normal fiberglass (with white plastic backing) which we cut out in order to foam it. Both were foamed mainly to keep them cooler in the summer.


3,000 sqf Welding Shop

19,000 sqf Car Action.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm all for closed cell foam. There is no doubt that it's the best of the best out there. The question is the cost of it compared to other options. With metal buildings, there really isn't anything else that will work. But for a work shop that isn't used every day, all day, year round, I struggle with the cost of it compared to fiberglass in the walls and attic cat in the attic. Maybe if I lived up North, I would think differently. Here, the heat is our biggest enemy, and summer will always be brutal!!! If I can lower the inside temp of my shop ten degrees, it's night and day different. Attic cat accomplishes this nicely.

 

[Gary Fowler]

What is the cost of AttiCat vs blown in fiberglass?

 

[EddieWalker]

What is the cost of AttiCat vs blown in fiberglass?

I haven't seen blown in fiberglass in a very long time. The main two choices for blown in insulation in attics is Atticat and that nasty, dusty, smelly stuff. I haven't used it in years, and forget the brand name. The price per bag is a lot more for Atticat, but when you do the math comparing it to the other stuff, it comes out to be the same per square foot and thickness. On the houses that I've done, most don't have enough insulation in their attics to cover the 2x6 ceiling joists. For about a grand, depending on the size of the house, I can bring that up to 24 inches. In every case, their energy bills drop dramatically. I don't know of anything else that will give you such a quick and easy to see payback.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I had my basement walls foamed. When I burned the scrap, I was alarmed at the explosiveness of the burn process, and am reluctant to use it anywhere else. Our rather large local Ice Cream plant was completely destroyed when a welder touched off that foam! Unless you want to save adjacent structures, there isn't even much use calling the FD when that stuff goes off!

I just have to look at pegboard hooks and they fall out. Why not blow in glass behind the pegboard and re-panel it over the pegboard along with a vapour barrier?

 

[Sodo]

If I get tired of pegboard I can just bury it. Thats a good suggestion it lets me get going.

 

[AGRIMAN]

I had my basement walls foamed. When I burned the scrap, I was alarmed at the explosiveness of the burn process, and am reluctant to use it anywhere else. Our rather large local Ice Cream plant was completely destroyed when a welder touched off that foam! Unless you want to save adjacent structures, there isn't even much use calling the FD when that stuff goes off! ?

I would really like to know the brand name of the explosive foam that was sprayed in your basement. Modern quality foams will not burn (melt) without a direct flame source. Take the flame away and it will stop.

 

[KennyG]

I just have to look at pegboard hooks and they fall out. Why not blow in glass behind the pegboard and re-panel it over the pegboard along with a vapour barrier?

I'm in agreement with you on the vapor barrier and blown in insulation but I would go with cellulose instead of fiberglass if there is a good moisture barrier on the outside (like house wrap). If there is not, moisture will get into the insulation (fiberglas or cellulose) and be a problem. Also, if you have trouble with pegboard hooks, go to Ebay and search for "plastic pegboard hooks". I've been using them for years and never had one fall out.