What is the Best Insulation for Metal Buildings?

Unless you plan to use your building only seasonally, you should consider including insulation in your building purchase. Insulating your building is typically much cheaper when you do it at the time of construction, rather than afterward, and you have numerous options available to you in terms of how you might insulate it.

Not all metal building insulation options are created equal, though, and some insulation types far outperform others. A high-quality insulation system saves you substantial money over time by lowering your building’s lifelong energy expenses. Insulating your building also helps prevent condensation, which can wreak havoc on your metal building by leading to mold growth, foul odors, and related issues. So, what type of insulation system might work the best and save you the most money?

Types of Insulation for Metal Buildings

Fiberglass Insulation

At Steel Building Insulation, we have found that fiberglass insulation is the most effective – and cost-effective – way to insulate your metal building. This type of insulation traps heat and stops it from moving through the walls or roof of your steel building, keeping warm air outside during the summer and inside during the winter.

There is a good deal of design flexibility that comes with using fiberglass insulation, too. For starters, it comes in a wide range of R-values (“R-value” refers to the capacity of the insulation to resist heat flow). You can also use larger, thicker amounts of it to improve thermal performance in certain areas or even double-layer insulation systems if you are building in an especially hot or cold environment.

Vapor Retarders

We recommend purchasing a fiberglass insulation system that includes a vapor retarder. The vapor retarder helps prevent condensation even further by reducing how much water vapor enters your building through its walls or roof. Metal building condensation can lead to a wide range of problems including poor air quality, diminished resale value and high interior humidity, among others.

Alternative Options

While we consider fiberglass insulation the best way to insulate your steel building, you may also hear about spray-foam insulation, among other types. We do not recommend using alternative options for several reasons. Considerable research and a series of studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency have shown that spray-foam insulation, for example, may contain a dangerous mix of chemicals that may prove harmful to your health.

Air leaks may also arise when you use spray-foam, rather than fiberglass, insulation. This is especially likely if the installers do an inadequate job when filling your building’s crevices. It also tends to pull away from your building’s framing over time, which may require you to make costly repairs. Other types of steel building insulation systems include bubble insulation systems and loose-fill insulation systems, to name a couple.

There is a reason fiberglass insulation has long been the insulation of choice among metal building buyers, contractors and building erectors. When it comes to durability, attractiveness and overall effectiveness, fiberglass insulation reigns supreme.

Why Insulation is Critical for Metal Buildings

Metal is highly conductive by nature, so in the absence of insulation, the inside of a metal building can become too hot or too cold to use comfortably throughout the year. Adding roof insulation, wall insulation or a combination of both can lead to a host of financial and practical benefits, improving the building’s performance while keeping it suitable for use year-round.

Why is it Important to Insulate Your Metal Building?

Thermal Control: Insulation helps regulate internal temperatures by reducing heat transfer through a building’s roof and walls, allowing heated or cooled air to remain inside, depending on the season. This is necessary for interior comfort, and it’s also important if you plan to store anything temperature-sensitive inside.
Moisture Management: Insulating your steel building also helps protect it against moisture and condensation, which can compromise the building’s structural integrity. Doing so also guards against mold, rust and mildew, leading to cleaner air and a healthier interior environment.
Soundproofing: Insulating your steel building also plays a key role in keeping inside noise in and outside noise out, which is particularly important if your building sits close to other buildings, homes or businesses. Metal can amplify sound, but insulation installed in a structure’s roof, walls or both functions as a sound barrier, minimizing noise disturbances.
Energy Efficiency: Because insulation keeps heated or cooled air inside and unregulated air outside, it reduces your dependence on heating or cooling systems. This leads to substantially lower power bills over the lifetime of your structure.
Structural Integrity: Insulating a metal building also minimizes variations in temperature that can otherwise cause steel components to expand and contract, potentially weakening the building over time.

While the benefits of insulating a steel building are clear, not all insulation options perform at the same level, so it pays to do your homework before deciding where to start.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Insulation for Metal Buildings

Many factors help determine the best way to insulate your steel building and how to get the most bang for your buck when doing so. Before selecting an insulation package, consider the following.

Budget: While the upfront costs involved in insulating a metal building are certainly important, you’ll also want to consider the long-term savings an insulation package provides through a combination of reduced energy bills, reduced maintenance needs and improved durability. The better an insulation package performs, the more energy efficient your building will be, and the more energy efficient your building is, the lower its heating and cooling expenses. Certain steel building owners have reported a 50% savings in energy expenses, with full payback in just two years.
Climate: The climate conditions of your geographic area play a big role in determining whether your building needs insulation. Unless you use it minimally and the temperatures outside of your building remain steady and mild throughout the year, you’re going to want to insulate it for the reasons outlined above. As you might imagine, the more prone your area is to extremely hot or cold temperatures, the more your building will benefit from the addition of insulation.
Building Use: How you plan to use your steel building should also influence insulation decisions. For example, if your building will function as a residence, you’ll likely want an insulation package that prioritizes interior comfort, soundproofing and energy efficiency. In a steel commercial building, moisture management may also be a primary concern, especially if you plan to house vehicles, valuables or other business assets inside. Industrial buildings, meanwhile, may be noisier than other building types, making soundproofing a priority in addition to comfort and energy efficiency.
R-value: Different insulation options offer varying R-values, with “R-value” indicating how well a particular insulative material resists heat transfer. The higher the R-value of your insulation blankets, the more effective those blankets are at keeping heated or cooled air inside your building.

Insulation is a long-term investment that will affect your budget and comfort level for years to come, so it’s important to choose insulation options that align with both the climate characteristics of your area and your steel building’s intended use. The more time and care you take when choosing an appropriate insulation package, the better the long-term benefits of the package you ultimately choose.

Conclusion

At Steel Building Insulation, we’ve found that fiberglass insulation blankets are well-suited for most metal building applications, as they are affordable, effective and easy to install. However, foam-insulated panels and thermal spacer blocks can also prove highly effective for certain building types, geographic areas and uses.

Not sure what insulation options will serve you best given your building’s specific use, needs and geography? Consult the experts at Steel Building Insulation by calling 720.734.5503 or by requesting a quote today.