How To Insulate A Pole Building

If you’ve found this article, you are likely in one of two situations. You either have a pole building that could use some insulation, or you hope to construct a pole building soon. Either way, you need to know where pole building insulation can go and what products can be used.

South Central Services has insulated hundreds of structures with spray foam insulation. Pole buildings are popular in and around Greencastle, PA. Whether people need a garage, a workshop, or a barndominium, pole buildings can be a relatively inexpensive solution for a big building need.

By the end of this article, you will know:

• Where and when pole buildings can be insulated
• Which insulations are best for pole buildings
• How to insulate each area of a pole building

Don't have time to read right now? Check out everything you need to know at a glance.

3 Areas Of A Pole Building Can Be Insulated

Like any other structure, pole buildings have a thermal envelope. When you want to control the temperature of your pole building, that thermal envelope needs insulation. These are usually huge buildings, so you can offset significant heating and cooling expenses with sufficient insulation.

The three areas where pole buildings can be insulated are as follows:

1. Pole building walls
2. Pole building roof or ceiling
3. Pole building underslab

Not all of these areas have to be insulated. Depending on how you plan to use your pole building, you may not need insulation in your underslab. You also cannot retroactively insulate the underslab of your pole building foundation if the structure has already been built.

How To Insulate Pole Building Walls

Pole building walls have the greatest number of insulation options. Depending on your budget and your plans for your pole building, one of the following insulations will meet your needs.

1. Closed cell spray foam
2. Dense pack cellulose

Fiberglass insulation is also popular for pole building walls. However, we do not recommend it, so it does not appear in the list above.

Let’s examine spray foam, dense pack, and fiberglass in more detail in the following sections.

1. Closed Cell Spray Foam Is Best For Pole Building Walls

Closed cell spray foam insulation is our top pick for pole building walls.

As a spray-applied product, closed cell adheres in place against the walls. Once applied, spray foam insulation isn’t going anywhere without intentional elbow grease to remove it. Closed cell spray foam can be left exposed on the pole building walls, or can be covered with a liner.

Spray foam can deteriorate if it is exposed to UV rays. So, exposed spray foam must be coated to protect it from sunlight.

Closed cell spray foam also creates a vapor barrier and an airtight seal. This is especially useful because the metal walls of a pole building can condensate. Closed cell will ensure that vapor does not transfer through your walls.

If your pole building plans involve any moisture inside, you should use spray foam insulation for the walls. Outside of this stipulation, your best insulation choice is a matter of performance and budget.

Spray foam insulation is not a DIY option, especially for a project at the scale of a pole building. If you opt for closed cell spray foam, you’ll need to hire a qualified professional contractor.

How much would spray foam cost for your pole building? Learn how to estimate the cost of closed cell for any pole building.

2. Dense Pack Cellulose Is The Next Best Choice For Pole Building Walls

If your pole building plans don’t involve any moisture inside, the next best option after spray foam is dense pack cellulose.

Dense pack cellulose does not adhere in place like spray foam and also cannot be left exposed. If you choose dense pack cellulose, you will need a liner to cover your walls.

However, dense pack cellulose can create an airtight seal like spray foam. Dense pack insulation can stop unwanted air transfer when installed correctly in your pole building walls.

Dense pack cellulose is also not a DIY option. Installing this type of cellulose into your walls requires professional-grade equipment. To properly install dense pack, professional contractors must first install netting against the pole building walls. This netting creates a cavity to fill with dense pack.

3. Fiberglass Is Not Suitable For The Metal Of Pole Building Walls

Fiberglass insulation is a popular choice for pole buildings and traditional homes alike. When it comes to pole building walls, fiberglass can be used in two different ways.

1. Most commonly, fiberglass blankets are fastened to pole building walls.
2. Fiberglass batts are used to fill the wall cavities if walls are studded out.

In either application, fiberglass is a poor choice for pole buildings. As we established in our conversation about closed cell spray foam, metal condensates. We experience this phenomenon whenever we drink a cold soda from the can. Condensation forms on the surface.

Fiberglass insulation is not designed to combat vapor. Over time, as the metal walls condensate, moisture can become trapped in the fiberglass insulation. The fiberglass holds the moisture against the metal, which rusts out the walls.

Fiberglass can be tempting due to its DIY capabilities. However, fiberglass should not be used on pole building walls in our climate zone. Either closed cell spray foam or dense pack cellulose, installed by a professional, is the insulation of choice.

How To Insulate A Pole Building Roof Or Ceiling

Just like in the attic of a traditional home, you do not insulate both the roof and the ceiling. Pole buildings either have insulation on the roof, or a ceiling is built beneath the roof and is insulated.

Closed Cell Spray Foam Is Best For Pole Building Roofs

Like pole building walls, roofs are best insulated with closed cell spray foam. Closed cell offers the airtight seal and vapor barrier necessary for direct contact with metal.

As a spray-applied insulation, closed cell stays adhered in place on the roof. The insulation will not sag, settle, or shift.

Once again, this is not a DIY project. Even if the pole building roof was quite small, spraying overhead is always challenging. This type of insulation requires hiring qualified professionals.

Blown-In Insulations Are Best For Pole Building Ceilings

Only some pole buildings have roof insulation. For others, a ceiling is installed beneath that roofline.

The most cost-effective insulation method for pole building ceilings is blown-in insulation. This blown-in insulation could be fiberglass or cellulose, though we recommend blown-in cellulose.

Because the insulation is not in direct contact with the metal ceiling, condensation is not a concern for ceiling insulation in a pole building.

Spray foam insulation would also be an effective barrier, due to its high-performance. However, in this application, it would be incredibly expensive. Closed cell spray foam also offers more performance and features than the pole building ceiling requires.

Traditionally, blown-in insulations are DIY-friendly. Home improvement stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot offer blower machine rentals. However, the sheer size of a pole building ceiling would make this project incredibly overwhelming. Rental blower machines are slow. It would take an immense amount of blown-in and significantly more time than hiring a professional with a professional blowing system.

How To Insulate Pole Building Underslab

The final area where pole buildings can be insulated in their underslab. This area can only be insulated before the pole building is constructed.

Underslab insulation is generally recommended when planning on in-floor heating. In our service area, in-floor heating is rather standard.

The insulation product you need for underslab insulation is closed cell spray foam. Closed cell is the only type of spray foam approved for below-grade use.

Professional spray foam contractors insulate the underslab by spraying a layer of closed cell directly against the stone. By spraying this layer before installing the in-floor heating tubes, the heat rises towards the floor instead of dissipating into the ground.

The Bottom Line About How Pole Buildings Can Be Insulated

Depending on where you are in the process of constructing your pole building, you have several areas where you can insulate. Any insulation product that will deliver reliable results for your pole building requires hiring a professional. No DIY insulations will serve your structure well over the long term.

Our general recommendation for pole buildings is closed cell spray foam insulation. This product can go on the walls, roof, and onto the underslab. However, if your use of your pole building does not generate moisture, you can also consider dense pack cellulose for your wall insulation.

Now that you know where pole buildings can be insulated, your next step is to:

• Weigh the pros and cons of dense pack cellulose
• Estimate the cost of pole building insulation
• Learn why homeowners choose our team with their pole building insulation