Steel shop question

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71340Duster

71340Duster

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I'm hoping to gain some knowledge on the rough cost of having insulation added at the time of construction for a 30 x 40 gable steel shop. Also are there any gotchas or recommendations on type of insulation? Thanks.
 
71340Duster said:
I'm hoping to gain some knowledge on the rough cost of having insulation added at the time of construction for a 30 x 40 gable steel shop. Also are there any gotchas or recommendations on type of insulation? Thanks.
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don`t use spray on fiber type, will start falling off eventually.
 
My neighbors example. Shortly after they handed him the door key he realized it was nothing like what he was accustom to. Cant just drive a nail wherever you want to hang a clock on the wall. Anyway, a thick hedge around the outside was a good start.
A lot of time and labor went into the inside. 2X2, 2X3, and 2X4 notching and framing, hard styrofoam sheeting, 1/8 paneling. White paint reduced the amount of electric lighting needed. The dead air space between the insulation and sheet metal is a big part of it. ( I do question how much condensation is going on in there. ) A small window unit keeps it like a ice chest in summer. A vent free propane cast iron stove keeps it toasty in winter. Wiring, plumbing, cabinet hanging, whatever, is much more like conventional stick built.
I should add that at our age there isn't a lot of real working in our garages. More like man caves.
 
If you're using fiberglass with the plastic covering, make sure you protect it down low with plywood or metal- grinding/welding sparks tend to destroy the covering quickly
 
Thanks all, all good points. I am not doing the work myself and I wonder how much cost it will add. For example, I've seen kits with varying prices from 13k on up. I am trying to figure out about how much having it insulated will add for a 30 x 40 with 12 foot walls. Several thousand?
 
when I did mine about 7 yrs ago, the insulation was under 1K to add it at time of building erection.

30x40 with 14ft walls, rolled 4 inch with that white plastic backing, walls and celing, with a 12x12 and 12x16 door, and 2 skylight panels.
 
When my friend built his large (5 car) garage he had it insulated with spray foam (between the beams) by the builders. We live in a very hot climate (95 to 100 degrees most of the year) and the 5" thick foam amazingly keeps most of the heat out of the shop. In the winter when it's 40 degrees outside the shop stays nice and comfortable (ground heat through the slab). I've worked in there many, many months and I would highly recommend the spray foam that was used in my friend's building!! He did have to install 2 X 4 studs to get some wall space for his tools and man cave stuff. You can see his shop in the background (second pic) and in the first pic you can see the spray foam between the girders.
I personally didn't think the spray foam would make that much difference but believe me IT DOES!!!

Treblig
 

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I would agree that spray in foam insulation is the way to go. Two years ago we had the shop at work done 6" on the ceilings and 4" on the walls. The difference both summer and winter have been tremendous. The building is 70x90 with 12'ft walls. I will look up how much it was tomorrow how much it was to give you an idea. The benefits are many and it has one over fiberglass that with a shop you are keeping your cars in that is really important. Mice will not nest in it. I have fiberglass in my garage and when I recently replaced the water pump in my Sebring I found a giant mouse nest made from the fiberglass under the intake manifold.
 
The spray foam is better than nothing but... Nothing does work where there is a dead air space. Many homes still exist that have asbestos shingles, etc.., on exterior and plaster on interior, nothing in between. Thickness and density of those exterior sheetings make a big difference. Anything against the thin sheet steel will wick the temperature of the metal. To what level the foam transfers temp' ? I really don't know.
Forgive my old school mindset showing through here. I just don't like the foam or anything that I cant take down and put back again, or work with. As far as I know, any foam that is removed, for any reason, goes to the landfill.
 
I went with this stuff called Double Bubble, basically two sheets of bubble wrap with a foil insulator, in my 30x40 metal building after losing a couple walls to a tornado in 2011. With an R-19 value at $160 per 6' x100' foot rolls, it adheres with F26 construction adhesive. I have a big thread on GarageJournal.com (same user name everywhere) with lots of pictures. Pay attention to the temp gun photos!! Those are actual before and after insulation as measured on the same west-facing wall -- and the difference was amazing.

It's worked soooo well that the two window mount a/c units we installed at the same time have only been turned on TWICE since it was installed ... and one of those times was just to test them.

I've been very happy with it and would recommend it again.
 
CudaChick1968 said:
I went with this stuff called Double Bubble, basically two sheets of bubble wrap with a foil insulator, in my 30x40 metal building after losing a couple walls to a tornado in 2011. With an R-19 value at $160 per 6' x100' foot rolls, it adheres with F26 construction adhesive. I have a big thread on GarageJournal.com (same user name everywhere) with lots of pictures. Pay attention to the temp gun photos!! Those are actual before and after insulation as measured on the same west-facing wall -- and the difference was amazing.

It's worked soooo well that the two window mount a/c units we installed at the same time have only been turned on TWICE since it was installed ... and one of those times was just to test them.

I've been very happy with it and would recommend it again.
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I am using it on my ceiling, good stuff.
 
The spray foam (Icynene) I had applied to a new home build in Fl, $2.23 sq ft, 2500 sq ft home no windows opened since move-in in May till this month A/C running, electric bill less than $100 a month, pays for it self over 3 years. IMO..........
 
71340Duster said:
Thanks all, all good points. I am not doing the work myself and I wonder how much cost it will add. For example, I've seen kits with varying prices from 13k on up. I am trying to figure out about how much having it insulated will add for a 30 x 40 with 12 foot walls. Several thousand?
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if you do the roll insulation/heat barrier the cost will be about 1500-2k or so total for a 30x40x12 added during construction.
that insulation is 4 ft wide or so and in rolls of about 100ft and looks like bubble wrap that is white on one side and silvered on the other. it works ok, mid to low R value but does have to go on during installation of the walls and roofing. more of a heat barrier for warm climates like here in Florida.

http://www.fifoil.com/products/advanced-solutions-systems/retroshield®-system
they also have another type that goes on after construction over the purlins and girts but that makes it difficult to run your wiring after you have it up unless you go to conduit for your electrical.
If your going a different type insulation with bat type or blown in fiber insulation you WILL need to add a Sweat protection from the steel walls. The above insulation works great for that.or just use the radiant barrier which looks like an embossed metal like plastic sheet.
http://www.fifoil.com/products/radiant-barriers/radiant-shield
Blown in closed cell foam does not need vapor barrier for sweat protection according to the vendor.
I got an estimate here in Florida for my 30x40x12 @ 7300 for closed cell foam and 3700 for blown in fiber.

just look around on this site to get ideas.(good info bad prices) this site is EXPENSIVE to ship from so another site is advisable
 
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