How much insulation would you do in a barn

[wgc517]

Everyone has been giving me great advice for the barn I am designing.

My new question now is do you insulate the walls and if so how much R value would you use? The barn will be 12 stalls (7 for horses) with a hay loft on the 2nd floor.

thanks for your advice

[yukidragon]

Are you going to live in it?
How about water heaters etc...
Key word is Barn .A shop or house would be a different story .

[KamiBrooks]

Remember that insulation stops air flow. For hay storage air flow to takes away moisture. For stalls it takes away moisture, amonia and odors. Once you open the end doors of a barn, the value of the insullation is basically lost.

I have a small 10 stall barn and if I close the end doors in the winter, 10 horses keep it above freezing w/o any insulation. I met one person who did insulate behind stall walls and after only a brief time, she wasn't happy about it, but I can't remember what her problem was with it. But it wasn't related to ventilation.

[skeenan]

Remember that insulation stops air flow. For hay storage air flow to takes away moisture. For stalls it takes away moisture, amonia and odors.

Exactly what I was going to say. We live in a cold climate. The wind chill last week was down to -30º. The wind hits the front, so there isn't any air moving in the barn at all with the front door closed. It's comfortable inside. I blanket my guys on those windy days so they can choose to go out if they want to. And they do just fine. Horses also throw off a ton of body heat, as Kami pointed out... sometimes condensation (water dripping from metal roofs) happens in some barns because of it.

We used rough lumber and haven't put the batting on yet. But the stalls all have kick boards (run horizontal), which adds an extra layer to prevent drafts.

As long as the wind isn't howling through and there aren't any drafts down low, it's much healthier for them. I've read that once amonia gets to the point where you can detect it, it is strong enough to cause repiratory damage in horses.

Insulation will encourage pests to nest, too. Because of the wacky warm weather this fall (I'm guessing) we have been battling rats this winter, as with other folks we know—we've never had them before, and neither did the people we've talked to. What a pain. They've been tunneling everywhere. The only double walls are in the stalls, so I'm able to drop poison in between (we have cats & dogs, so I have to be very careful). The fewer places you give vermin to nest & hide, the better.

Just my two cents!

[tbrace]

Don't use any insulation. Joe Taylor, who built Taylormade into what it is today, said in his book, regarding building barnes: "If its 5 below outside, you want it to be 5 below inside."

[madelyn]

Careful. If you don't insulate, especially the roof of, a metal barn the condensation gets awful and rots out all your work.

If you build inside stalls with 2" oak, and the outside of the barn is also wood, you're done.

It really depends on the project.

[Linda_d]

Careful. If you don't insulate, especially the roof of, a metal barn the condensation gets awful and rots out all your work.

If you build inside stalls with 2" oak, and the outside of the barn is also wood, you're done.

It really depends on the project.

You need roof ventilation to prevent condensation. If you have a shingle roof, the ridge vents used on houses should take care of it. If you have a metal roof, there are probably be similar products.

Vents on the gable ends up on the peak will also work -- especially if you're in a snowy area -- as will cupolas (which was their original function!).

For metal barns, there should probably be a space between the walls and the roof for warm air to escape.

[skeenan]

We have metal panels for our roof. The eaves are all open underneath for ventilation. We don't have any negative issues because of it and it allows air up & around the hay. And we don't have any problems with condensation, but it could also be because our stalls are open to the second-story roof (we have a half-loft on the opposite side). It's great for ventilation, throwing down hay and we used some translucent panels so it's nice & bright inside.

[gemini]

for a metal roof (for the condensation problem) they make a "bubble wrap" type of rolled insulation that works great. helps deaden the sound a bit in addition to preventing the dripping, but it's only 1/2 thick so it's not a huge benefit for holding in heat.

[Topsmeade]

You don't need insulation. To prevent a draft you can use tyvek, but don't go crazy wrapping it around the entire structure.

[Dave C]

Whether or not to insulate depends on your local climate. I would recommend that you talk to your local ag extension specialist. He will be familiar with your local climate, and even if he can't make a recommendation specifically he can point you towards some really useful reference materials. Your tax money is paying his salary, make use of the service if it is available.