Pole Barn Insulation Options
Whenever winter is approaching, we get a lot of questions about how best to insulate pole barns. Insulating your pole barn is as easy as 1-2-3; or more accurately walls, roof, and ceiling. Deciding which insulation product is right for your specific pole building is the tough part. Let’s dive into the batts, blankets and loose-fill options to see if we can make any sense of it.
Batts & Blankets
The time-tested standard is rolled fiberglass batts – primarily known for its itchiness, it’s affordable, available and easy to install. While this is probably the most commonly used type of insulation, there are many more options in the world of insulation – each with unique properties that may help you decide which insulation suits your needs.
Rockwool insulation has a higher thermal efficiency than fiberglass and is primarily used for its fire-resistant properties, but has the potential to retain moisture.
Cotton / Denim (or “Blue Jeans”) insulation can be tough to find and is more expensive, but can have a very high R-value and has better noise reduction. With that said, it’s not typically used for floors or ceilings.
Loose-Fill Insulation
Loose-fill insulation is commonly used for ceilings, attics and hard to reach places. Installing loose-fill insulation is a job you can do yourself, but it requires an insulation blower – which you can rent (or sometimes is included with your insulation purchase) from your local home improvement store.
Loose-fill fiberglass is lightweight, but may not perform as well as you’d like in all temperatures or without a denser top-layer of insulation. Loose-fill cellulose is effective at all temperatures, but is far heavier than fiberglass and can potentially retain moisture.
Structural Insulated Panels & Spray Foam
Both of these types of insulation have their uses, but require special equipment and are typically more difficult to install and aren’t what we would consider do-it-yourself solutions.
We know it can get tricky figuring out which insulation is best for your pole barn – So, we’ve compiled all this information into a great pole barn insulation infographic – check it out below and find out which type of insulation is best for your pole barn!
Did you find this infographic useful? Feel free to share it with your fellow DIYers, builders, and contractors!
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