Is It Worth Insulating a Metal Building?

Q: First off, why would I even need to insulate my metal building?

1. When it’s hot outside, it becomes super-heated on the inside. Much like an oven. Metal is a wonderful conductor of heat, and the heat of the sun’s rays radiating directly onto the metal will cause the inside of the metal building to literally act like an oven. However, simply using radiant barrier on the walls and ceilings will reflect up to 95% of the radiant heat from the sun, which makes a liveable temperature easier to maintain, keeping workers and animals much healthier year ‘round and saving lots of money on your energy bills.
2. When it’s cold outside, any moist air inside the building that comes in contact with a metal wall/roof that is colder on the outside will cause condensation to form on the interior of the metal panels. It doesn’t take much condensation forming for the water to start pooling. This phenomenon can make it appear that your roof is failing and rain-water is getting through. Water + metal = a recipe for disaster, and in a building with any insulation batting, the batting will quickly become ruined.

Q: Oh. OK, I’ll cut my costs and maintain comfort by insulating. What is the best choice?

The solution is to carefully consider the purpose of the metal building and determine the best/most cost-effective way to insulate the building. We offer versatile and extraordinarily useful products for all applications. Is the building being used as a home, or perhaps it is it a pole barn, an office, or a livestock living quarters? Give us a call today if you’re unsure of your options.

Our two most commonly used solutions are Polyshield TRIPLEX-MBI R21 as well as the Polyshield VRR-Premium system.

The Polyshield TRIPLEX-MBI R21 material is over 1” thick, and, when installed with 3” of dead air space between the insulation material and the metal, it created an R21 value (and has an R-10 value when installed without that dead-air space!). There is a layer of radiant barrier (95% reflectivity) and a layer of top-quality bubble insulation on each side of an XPE foam center.

• XPE Foam (cross-linked polyethylene foam) if a highly effective moisture barrier. It won’t allow any heated moist air to touch the surface of the metal, so condensation won’t occur.
• That same foam center also provides excellent sound-deadening properties, and a higher level of fire protection which passes building codes.
• The double-bubble material provides excellent insulation, as air itself is a highly effective insulator. The double-bubble which lines the 3” of fiberglass batting provides   At R-21, it provides the highest R-value of all bubble insulations.
• The metal-facing liner is our world-class radiant barrier, which also serves to keep out 95% of the heat that is transferred to the metal sheets by the sun’s radiation.
• This system was designed for metal buildings that were originally pole barns but have been converted into homes or workspaces.

Another cost-effective solution with a high Performance-to-Price ratio is called the Polyshield VRR-Premium system. This is the most commonly installed insulation facing in metal buildings and is made of only the highest-quality materials.

• Front side is made of durable polypropylene insulation facing, which acts as your moisture barrier, keeping the inside of your metal building from forming its own rain clouds.
• It has a metallized 95% reflective polyester (foil-like) backing, providing excellent radiant barrier protection from the radiating heat of the sun.
• Our polypropylene-facing, metallized-backing layer is so much better than the cheap stuff imported by our competitors. Ours has a higher reflectivity, better tensile strength, and greater puncture-resistance. You could run into the wall with a forklift and the polypropylene layer would not even be punctured, let alone ripped through!
• Between the layers of polypropylene and the reflective foil-like backing is a thick layer (48”- or 60”-width) of fiberglass insulation, providing an effective air-gap and up to an R-19 value!
• It comes with a lifetime warranty against failure, and at such a low cost per square foot, is an excellent choice for both your comfort and your wallet!

Give us a call if there is anything else you’d like to know before placing your order. We have all the science-backed proof you need, and we’re excited to share it with the world! 972-836-4829.