Should I Insulate My Pole Building?

Pole buildings are a convenient and inexpensive way to build large structures quickly. In southern Pennsylvania, people use pole buildings as workshops, garages, and barndominiums. For others, a pole building is ideal for AG and equestrian uses. But do you need to insulate the pole building? If you don't insulate it, will you face problems down the road?

South Central Services has insulated hundreds of new and existing structures with spray foam. Not every pole building needs insulation, but some uses benefit significantly from investing in insulation.

By the end of this article, you will understand:

• Why pole buildings don’t have to have insulation
• When to consider insulation for your pole building
• What benefit pole building insulation offers

Pole Buildings Don’t Have To Have Insulation.

One of the best parts of putting up a pole building is the lack of specific building regulations. These structures are simple to assemble and put onto your property. There are no codes requiring these metal buildings to have insulation.

Whether or not you insulate your pole building is entirely up to you. However, there are some uses of pole buildings that benefit from insulation.

There's one main question you have to ask.

Do You Want To Control The Temperature In Your Pole Building?

If it is below-freezing on a wintery day, do you want to step into your pole building and feel like you're still outside? Probably not. You may run a space heater to warm up the space, but without insulation, that heat will slip outside the structure's walls.

You might experience something similar in the summer. In our service area, summers tend to be hot and muggy. When you go to your pole building to work, do you want it to feel as sticky as it does outside? To avoid this, you might run some fans or install HVAC equipment to keep it cool. But just like in winter, the conditioned air will leave your pole building without insulation.

Reliably controlling the temperature of your pole building starts with effective insulation.

Let's run through some examples of the uses of pole buildings and how likely they are to need insulation.

Barndominiums Need Insulation.

Barndominium is the term for pole buildings being used as residential spaces. If you want to live in your pole building, it would be called a barndominium.

As you might imagine, you will definitely need insulation in your pole building if you plan to use it as a living space. Barndominiums need insulation to stay at a comfortable temperature year-round.

For a barndominium, you likely want heated floors. Before your structure is built, you should insulate the underslab where it will stand before installing in-floor heating. Additionally, you will want wall and ceiling insulation.

Storage Spaces And Garages May Need Insulation.

One of the most popular uses of pole buildings is as a storage facility or garage. Initially, you might not think about it, but even a storage space may need temperature control. Some things may need to stay at, below, or above a specific temperature, regardless of the weather.

For a pole building garage or storage facility, the walls and roof of the building could be insulated with closed cell spray foam. A liner or protective coating could be installed on top of the insulation to protect it from UV rays.

An AG Pole Building May Need Insulation.

Although traditional barns may not be insulated, that doesn't mean pole barns shouldn't be insulated. If you use your pole building for equestrian purposes, your animals may appreciate a consistently conditioned environment.

Depending on what farm equipment you may be storing, you may or may not need insulation in the pole building.

Do You Want To Save Money On Energy Bills?

Pole buildings are often large spaces. If you pay to heat and cool these spaces, effective insulation will help save money on the cost of heating and cooling.

Our best recommendation for pole building insulation is closed cell spray foam. Closed cell offers an airtight seal and a vapor barrier. Spray foam also adheres in place and lasts forever, unless exposed to UV rays without protective coating.

Closed cell spray foam can be sprayed directly against the metal, forming a seamless barrier between the outside world and your pole building.

If your pole building will experience any moisture, closed cell spray foam is your best option. Otherwise, you could opt for other insulations like dense pack cellulose or blown-in ceiling insulation. Budget and performance become your primary considerations without the concern of moisture or rust.

No matter what insulation you choose for your pole building, an effective thermal barrier will save you significant money on heating and cooling costs.

The Bottom Line About If You Should Insulate Your Pole Building

You don't have to insulate your pole building. There are no building code requirements for pole buildings like other traditional structures. However, any pole building usage that wants to control the temperature inside should invest in insulation.

Without insulation, any temperature change efforts will be wasted as conditioned air exchanges freely with the air outside the pole building. Heating and cooling costs will also be incredibly high since heaters and fans work constantly to produce conditioned air that leaves the space.

Our general recommendation for pole building insulation is closed cell spray foam. There are other options to consider, but it depends on the usage of your space and your budget.

Now that you understand if you need to insulate your pole building, your next step is to:

• Discover how to insulate a pole building
• Estimate the cost of pole building insulation
• Learn why others choose South Central Services for pole building insulation