Wrap it up! Or not.

markrahn · Jul 7, 2011

Just finished erecting the frame of my 40x60x12 steel building. It's gonna be my "barndominium". I ordered this with the 3" vinyl insulation, which delivers tomorrow. I have to build the frame for the windows and entry doors. these are what is called "field engineered". So I am using wood for that. the question is, even though this is a steel building , should I use house wrap?
If so, do I wrap before insulation, after insulation but before the steel? Metal frame, how do I secure or atttache the wrap? Anyone wrapped a steel building before? Is there a type of wrap product I should be looking for or one better than the other?

thanks for your input on this. Sorry for so many questions.
Here is a little pic.

markrahn · Jul 8, 2011

Just scored a big buy on house wrap.

Got 4 rolls of 9ft x 150ft WeatherSmart housewrap by Fortifiber.
brand spanking new from CL. $50.00 a roll. I went to pick them up and the guy threw in 4 rolls of the tape for freeeeeeeee:thumbsup:

Talking with him he said the wrap needs to be the first thing past the siding. So I will hang the insulation, then wrap and tape then put on the Rpanel siding.

Thanks guys.

MacLawn · Jul 8, 2011

Well, you answered your own question! Great! And, a good question at that too; I have wondered the same thing about wrap.

Now, tell us about that concrete; is it all poured at one time, the footings? It looks so thick, I am wondering how it is done on that high side in the photo...

Larry Caldwell · Jul 9, 2011

They vinyl is a pretty good vapor barrier. If you want to be really tight, tape all the seams. Any moisture that gets through the vapor barrier will condense against the metal, which is a tighter vapor barrier than anything else. The insulation will block air flow through the ribs. Give particular attention to the north wall. The sun will bake the moisture out of the other walls, but anything in perpetual shade will stay wet if it gets wet.

markrahn · Jul 12, 2011

Well the concrete goes something like this.

Slab is on a gentle slope, so one corner is 9" above grade and the other (opposite) corner is 33". I did a monolithic pour. it is a 40 X 60 slab (Actually it is 40' 11" x 60' 11" because I poured a 5 1/2" brick ledge all around) with a 10 x 30 front porch and a 20 x 15 back porch. all poured together. I have grade beams running through the slab. I used crushed concrete as fill. Formed it all up and used #4 rebar and remesh. footings are minimum 22 inches deep by 12" wide. I used 89 yards of concrete. Did everything myself except the finishing, which I hired a local crew who did a good job.

This deal is taking forever to get finished because with the heat, I can't put in a full day, I work on it till about 1 and then have to go inside till about 5 or 5:30. That slows it down. But I should be in the house by winter which is about middle december around here.

xtn · Jul 12, 2011

Does your pre-engineered structural design not include x bracing of any type? If so, please please please install it prior to anything that can catch the wind. In fact do it now if possible.

xtn

markrahn · Jul 12, 2011

xtn Re: Wrap it up! Or not.

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Does your pre-engineered structural design not include x bracing of any type? If so, please please please install it prior to anything that can catch the wind. In fact do it now if possible.

xtn

as a matter of fact it does. we have 2 wind columns that are installed. they are perpendicular (?) to one set of the main columns. Then there are these long 5/8 ? threaded steel rods that x brace up in the rafters. I have those in. then there are other short bracing about 2 feet long that brace certain purlin down to the rafter. And of course there are some bracing that runs from purlin to purlin every other one.

Sounds kinda like you have experience with wind hitten before the bracing got installed.