On Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:52:03 -0500, Roy
wrote:



SWMBO has finally retired and we're fixin' to abandon Houston and move to the
mountains of eastern Tennessee. The place we bought has a 5 year old metal
barn, aka, The Shop. The shop is 38x40 with 14 feet to the joists and has 8
large skylight panels in the metal roof. The former owner blocked off four of
these because it overheated the barn in the summer. There is an insulated room
about 12x20 in the back left corner of the building.

Unblock them and add opaque filters (white corr. fiberglass?) under
the skylights. It will give you the light without the heat. Be sure
to match up the position in the inner building's roof to let the light
into your environmentally controlled space.


The building is pole construction, well, actually 6x6 posts with 2x6 or 2x8
stringers on the outside about 2 feet apart. The metal siding is fastened to
the stringers. There are X braces between the posts fastened to the stringers.

I don't know anything about metal buildings except that the shed in the back
yard severely rusted after 12-15 years. I am concerned insulation might create
a dead pocket against the metal that would eventually cause rust damage to the
siding. I do not know if there is a moisture barrier under the slab.

Have you talked with any of the steel building manufacturers about it
yet? The guys at FutureSteel were great to talk to, giving me all the
info I asked for, and then some. I decided against buying a building,
though. (no cashish)


I plan to heat with propane and install a/c in the shop area. I have not decided
how much square footage to convert to the shop, but will probably keep one bay
(13x38) unconditioned to store trailer, mowers, tractor, etc. I won't be there
until the middle of next month, so that's about all the info I can supply

Or maybe go with an inexpensive heat pump setup? Set the condenser
unit outside both buildings with a lean-to over it for added lifetime.


So what is the best way to insulate this thing so the walls don't rust? Closed
cell spray foam? False wall with batt insulation and gap between it and the
metal siding? Other???

False wall/inside building would be my choice (wood's cheap here) with
2x8 or 2x10 ceiling & wall thicknesses. Use the top, under the metal
shell, for storage of your extra "stuff."


I shudder at heating costs with 14 foot ceilings. I'm willing to replace the
existing room walls if that is needed. That room needs more outlets anyway.
Maybe I'll only ramp the heat level up to minimum gluing temperature in the
winter, say 55-60F (13-16C, Jeff) .

Why limit yourself? With thick walls in the insulated space (say,
half the shop and 10' tall?), enviro costs will be minimal.


This new shop is the first time I've owned
anything with a metal skin, outside of my pickup truck and BBQ smoker. Couple
of my old trucks could have been mistaken for a smoker.

Metal roofs and buildings are said to have 50 year lifetimes. YMMV.

--
The business of America is not business. Neither is it war. The business
of America is justice and securing the blessings of liberty.
-- George F. Will