Hey everyone, I'm gearing up to tackle insulating the roof and ceiling of a pole barn and really need some advice. I want this space to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter without breaking the bank. I've been looking into a few options like spray foam, fiberglass, and foam boards, but it's tough to decide. Plus, I'm worried about moisture and don't want any mold or rot problems down the line. If you've got experience with this or any smart tips on how to go about it, I'd really appreciate your insights. What works best, and how do you keep costs reasonable? Thanks a lot!

Posted By yimeb on 03 Mar 2024 07:12 AM
Hey everyone, I'm gearing up to tackle insulating the roof and ceiling of a pole barn and really need some advice. I want this space to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter without breaking the bank. I've been looking into a few options like spray foam, fiberglass, and foam boards, but it's tough to decide. Plus, I'm worried about moisture and don't want any mold or rot problems down the line. If you've got experience with this or any smart tips on how to go about it, I'd really appreciate your insights. What works best, and how do you keep costs reasonable? Thanks a lot!

Thanks in advance for your help!

If you are just using a pole barn structure to create living space, from an insulation perspective, it isn't much different than any other structure. Maybe you first need to place furring strips to allow fastening exterior/interior sheathing. Then place OSB or plywood sheathing on the exterior side, wrap it in Tyvek or equivalent, and finish the exterior side with cement board, metal, or wood siding. Then fill the wall cavity with whatever insulation gets your required wall R-value at your price point, and place drywall or some other vapor permeable material on interior side. Do the ceiling/roof in a similar manner. As long as you maintain a water vapor drying path to one side (which is to the inside in this buildup example), you won't have any moisture problems. We have a calculator that you can run the numbers for your specific buildup to confirm that you are good to go:

https://www.borstengineeringconstruction.com/Building_Assembly_Moisture_Analysis_Calculator.html

Gayle

I've recently insulated my pole barn roof and found a few tricks that worked great. First, I used reflective insulation to reduce heat transfer, which made a noticeable difference in temperature control. Second, consider using spray foam for those hard-to-reach gaps—it provides excellent coverage and seals well. Finally, don’t forget to install a vapor barrier to prevent moisture build-up. Good luck with your project!