# Insulation in roof in metal building



## blueridgehay

Need input. I'm fixin to start a hay shed. All metal building 40x90. My question is how much a concern will condensation be? I can get the spray in foam done for 'round $1300, which should take care of this, but that's 1300 I could save. Thoughts?


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## rjmoses

I used aluminum backed 1/2" thick foam 4x8 sheets. This had the heaviest possible aluminum cladding possible to keep birds from pecking through it. 1/2" is enough to keep condensation away.

Hope this helps

Ralph


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## NewBerlinBaler

Been there, done that - I have a 40 x 85 metal building. Go ahead with the spray-on foam. I had plastic-faced fiberglass installed during construction. If I could do it all over again, I'd go with spray-on as it's much more durable. In the long run, $1,300 ain't much.

Another thought. If the goal is only to prevent condensation - in other words, you never plan to heat the building - you only need ½" of so of insulation as Ralph said. What thickness does $1,300 buy?

Gary


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## Vol

blueridgehay said:


> Need input. I'm fixin to start a hay shed. All metal building 40x90. My question is how much a concern will condensation be? I can get the spray in foam done for 'round $1300, which should take care of this, but that's 1300 I could save. Thoughts?


It would definitely be advantageous to get some form of insulation if you are storing hay as condensation is a PITA. Spend the $.

Regards, Mike


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## vhaby

Whether to insulate the ceiling or not likely depends on the design and layout of your hay barn and humidity and wind conditions. We have a 50 x 100 metal hay barn that is open on the north and south ends with the east and west sides closed. The center line of the roof is raised compared to the sides. Humidity often reaches the high 90s here. The ceiling has no insulation. The hay barn functions like a wind tunnel when there is even a slight N:S or S:N breeze. Perhaps I haven't been paying sufficiently close attention, but I haven't noticed condensation occurring. If condensation is occurring, it should run to the lower sides of the roof. There is no apparend water damage on the top bales when I remove and unwrap them for feeding.

A greater concern might be the barn's flooring. We have a dirt floor and even after four years, the bottom bales still become caked with soil and the lower few inches of the bale are molded. When we can afford it, the long range plan is to cover the floor with limestone aggregate rock.


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## gradyjohn

vhaby said:


> Whether to insulate the ceiling or not likely depends on the design and layout of your hay barn and humidity and wind conditions. We have a 50 x 100 metal hay barn that is open on the north and south ends with the east and west sides closed. The center line of the roof is raised compared to the sides. Humidity often reaches the high 90s here. The ceiling has no insulation. The hay barn functions like a wind tunnel when there is even a slight N:S or S:N breeze. Perhaps I haven't been paying sufficiently close attention, but I haven't noticed condensation occurring.
> 
> A greater concern might be the barn's flooring. We have a dirt floor and even after four years, the bottom bales still become caked with soil and the lower few inches of the bale are molded. When we can afford it, the long range plan is to cover the floor with limestone aggregate rock.


I have a hay customer who spreads out busted bales and or the bales I remove from the bale chamber at the end of the job. Over the years it is spread out pretty good. He also put in screenings for the floor. That is the dregs of rock crushing. I think it is pretty cheap. Of course a lot of the land in the blackland area of Texas have a white rock base. I don't know of anybody around here that insulates a hay barn.


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## Vol

Here in Tennessee, condensation is at its worse right now. My hay storage barn is metal...it is 108x52 and is open on the East side with venting on the enclosed West side. The North and South ends are enclosed with 18 feet sliding split doors. My prevailing wind is out of the West. Mornings that get into the 20's and then hit daytime highs in the 40's or higher causes alot of condensation to start dripping around 10a.m. or so when the temps get above freezing. The roof on my building is gabled, but most of the times the condensation does not run completely to the sides as the roofing is nailed to wood stringers which stops the water and causes it to drip at that point. The East side condensates worse than the West due to the direct heating of the sun. I plan on having it sprayed with insulation soon.

Regards, Mike


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## Teslan

gradyjohn said:


> I have a hay customer who spreads out busted bales and or the bales I remove from the bale chamber at the end of the job. Over the years it is spread out pretty good. He also put in screenings for the floor. That is the dregs of rock crushing. I think it is pretty cheap. Of course a lot of the land in the blackland area of Texas have a white rock base. I don't know of anybody around here that insulates a hay barn.


My location is very different then everyone that has commented here with regard to humidity, but I use old hay to put on the floor also and that's it for my barn floors. No problems with bottom bales. No condensation problems here either.


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## blueridgehay

I'm more in location similar to Mike, so I've decided to go with the insulation. It will be completely inclosed, except for a 24ft. door on north side, so it won't get any cross ventalition.As for the floor, it will be dirt. i plan to use pallets with a cardboard layer. I also grow pumpkins, and have a good amount of the cardboard "gaylord boxes", which when folded up, make a real good mositure barrier. Since all I do is square for resale, I really don't want to chance any moisture damage
Jim


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## jeremie

Did you ever think using reinforce fiberglass as an options? We are also using it and in fact it saves us a lot.


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