Best materials to DIY insulate an 30 yr old 40x60 metal building in Mississippi

[newbury]

This is a spin off of the "best materials to insulate metal pole building

thread which has a lot of good info but is over 6 years old. (Tried to post it as a link but Chrome complained)

I tried searching for recent threads but didn't find any and I know prices change greatly over time.

I'm thinking of adding insulation to the walls and ceiling while I can still get to the walls. Right now I've already got it fairly full but am planning to do a massive reorganization and thought "Heck, if I'm going to bare that 60 foot wall I might as well insulate it".
There is no permitting or inspection required in the county.

By "Best" I mean something I can install myself in stages, (I realize I need to do the ceiling and it won't be very effective until it's all done) does not require a lot of equipment, and is low cost. I'm looking for about R15 on the sides and R30 on the ceiling.

Based on the referenced thread

If you search on your local Craigslist for Ridged foam insulation or contact some commercial remolding contractors, you can find anywhere from 1"-6" 4x8 or bigger sheets of rigid foam insulation from remolded buildings extremely cheap. The sheets are in like new condition too. There are two companies in New England with warehouses all over with various sizes and tons of it. For example, one quote was $5.40 for a 4x8 sheet of 4" Rigid foam insulation (1" 4x8 new at lumber yard is like $19, never mind 4"s).

recycled rigid foam looks like a good bet for me.

I've found it in bunks of E15 for about $0.50 to $1 per square foot within about 100 miles. The second choice would be fiberglass batting which new is about the same price but may require more work.

I've got plenty of space to store the stuff, tools to install it etc. And I'm retired with time to do it.

So is there anything a lot better?

 

[kneedeep]

Where are you located in MS?

 

[texasranger556]

What are you planning to cover the insulation with? If you're not planning to frame between your steel posts, then I'd consider loose fill cellulose for a ease of install but I've personally only used it in ceilings. Interested to hear other feedback.

 

[newbury]

Where are you located in MS?

Fulton

What are you planning to cover the insulation with? If you're not planning to frame between your steel posts, then I'd consider loose fill cellulose for a ease of install but I've personally only used it in ceilings. Interested to hear other feedback.

I was thinking of using that metal they use for ceilings.

 

[ovrszd]

Ceiling metal is referred to as Panel Liner.

I insulated my walls with R19 batt insulation for
37 cents a square foot.

 

[3930dave]

Don't know exact cost (I expect it varies regionally anyway....), but a wise wrench I know uses spray-on soy up here on his projects (large commercial garage, and smaller personal one). Not DIY, but installation is fast, and not crazy money according to my buddy.

Soy Based Foam Insulation: What It Is, and Why You Should Use It

One thing to watch with rigid board product is flammablity. Not exactly sure where soy-based stuff rates, but I'd expect a modern product should be good in that area......

Having lived through the UFI debacle up here, off-gassing is worth considering too...... not that I'm an ultra-greenie, it's more that I've seen good results with the soy stuff up here in industrial applications.

I've used fiberglass in residential construction, can be itchy, but works .

Rgds, D

 

[newbury]

Ceiling metal is referred to as Panel Liner.

I insulated my walls with R19 batt insulation for
37 cents a square foot.

That looks like a strong contender. One of the reasons I was initially looking at the rigid foam was that I was thinking of putting it up just using battens, thus no need for liner panel (that's what Menards calls it).

Don't know exact cost (I expect it varies regionally anyway....), but a wise wrench I know uses spray-on soy up here on his projects (large commercial garage, and smaller personal one). Not DIY, but installation is fast, and not crazy money according to my buddy.

Soy Based Foam Insulation: What It Is, and Why You Should Use It

One thing to watch with rigid board product is flammablity. Not exactly sure where soy-based stuff rates, but I'd expect a modern product should be good in that area......

Having lived through the UFI debacle up here, off-gassing is worth considering too...... not that I'm an ultra-greenie, it's more that I've seen good results with the soy stuff up here in industrial applications.

I've used fiberglass in residential construction, can be itchy, but works .

Rgds, D

I'll steer clear of any soy based stuff, might just be mouse food. And it's got to be either DIY or GDC (god darn cheap).
From your link:

Soy based insulation is more expensive than regular fiberglass, but the investment will pay for itself over time.

How much more expensive? Well, I couldn稚 find an exact number from the companies I researched (they all say to call for a quote?igures!).

I did find one couple who installed soy based installation in their Arts and Crafts style home, and they said the cost was three times that of regular insulation.

3 times the price doesn't sound good.

 

[ovrszd]

In studying Close Cell Spray Foam insulation I read that it has an R value of 6.5 per inch of thickness. I also read that it reaches 95% of it's insulation capability at 2" thickness. Hmmmm.... Have to let that digest a bit....

 

[Deere Dude]

My BIL framed his in with studs, then 6" (Wisconsin) fiberglass batts then covered with OSB. The ceiling I forget exactly but am guessing fiberglass somehow.