Any,cheap,budget,econemy,ways to insulate shop

I got a 30x40 metal building with a barrel stove for heat it has been great so far, till the other night it hit 22 and the stove were normally choking off coudnt quite get it done so I though insulation,that is till I priced insulation, need a good place to buy or a cheap brand, or a contractor to buy it for me wholesale, or Im affraid Im going to be done with forward proggress till march NOT AN OPTION help?

What creates insulation is dead air. Any way that you can trap layers of dead air in between the outer wall and an inner wall will help. You can even use plastic sheets to create the inside wall but you will need some form of fiberglass or styrofoam in between to help it out.

Maybe if you contact a company that does insulation for a living they will have leftovers from jobs that they will sell you cheap. BTW, most heat is lost through windows and the ceiling (roof) , so if you can keep heat loss from going out through there it will help a bunch.

Or, move to Florida.

Don

I don't know of any really cheap ways to insulate

bluchvyguy said:

I got a 30x40 metal building with a barrel stove for heat it has been great so far, till the other night it hit 22 and the stove were normally choking off coudnt quite get it done so I though insulation,that is till I priced insulation, need a good place to buy or a cheap brand, or a contractor to buy it for me wholesale, or Im affraid Im going to be done with forward proggress till march NOT AN OPTION help?

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Mine is done in spray foam but was done when it was built...the storage area is not insulated at all but the wall between into my work area is also insulated...I would check around with the spray foam guys in MO and see what prices they give you...ain't nothin cheap these days....wish I could help more...

I just did the ceiling and it made a world of difference.

Good point, most of the heat escapes through the roof.

My roof is sheeted below the rafters...

motrhd said:

Good point, most of the heat escapes through the roof.

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Not sure why they didn't spray the roof....there is blown in insulation above my work area....just the outside walls were sprayed....

Roofing company's that rebuild flat roofs quite often have the used foam slab material (styrofoam) for a decent price, check it out with whoever is in your area. On the other hand, I have tossed all the styrofoam packing material I can get my hands on up into the attic of my shop. Styrofoam packing peanuts work great. Any larger pieces are broken up into small cubes and pieces so they lay together without large holes or tunnels for the warm air to escape through. Lay down a moisture barrier of 6 mil plastic sheet, and pile it on 6 or 8 inches deep in the attic. (Or deeper if you have enough of it.) Christmas is coming, and darn near everything uses formed styrofoam for packing. An ad in the classified section or even a notice at the grocery store bulletin board would likely net quite a haul of material for free, if you say you'll pick it up and recycle it. A bit of leg work, but free is as cheap as it comes.

The problem with recycled styrene is that most of its a fire hazard. The same applies to old fashioned insulation like wood shavings and fluffed up newspaper.
So you could end up with insurance problems down the track

We recently did a 2330 sq ft addtion that included a 30 x 30 x 13 ft attached garage. It was cheaper for us to have it done professionally than to buy the materials alone.

When I built my shop I priced the spray foam, and it was gonna cost $7000.00. So I went with with the vinyl back for $2000.00. I dont know how hard it would be to put on after the fact because its designed to go down before the metal is put on.

If you check with a door company, they have cut outs from the insulated doors when they put windows in them steel or fiberglass on both sides usually 18" to 24" by 48" to 50" and 2" thick

Jim

H H

here we have a habitat for humanity recycle store. they take housing stuff donations and have leftover building materials from house they build for a decent prices.

l got a lot of good things for the garage & house for reasonable prices.


Later

echnidna said:

The problem with recycled styrene is that most of its a fire hazard. The same applies to old fashioned insulation like wood shavings and fluffed up newspaper.
So you could end up with insurance problems down the track

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Ya, and you have to watch that with most spray foam as well. Years ago,we retrofitted tobacco kilns that were spray foamed,very toxic and will take your breath away if ignited. I have blown in insulation in my attic, it is treated newspaper with a fire retardent in it.
Brian

Every time I see this thread I think you should just wear a sweater like Jimmy Carter.

Some of us are just not as cold blooded.....lol

Sam_Fear said:

Every time I see this thread I think you should just wear a sweater like Jimmy Carter.

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even my wife thinks it too warm when I think it's too cold..she wants to move north when I retire, I want to get where it's warmer.....wonder what will happen in a few years when I do retire??[S

sgtpontiac said:

even my wife thinks it too warm when I think it's too cold..she wants to move north when I retire, I want to get where it's warmer.....wonder what will happen in a few years when I do retire??[S

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LOL.......Dude we're in Michigan, how much further north does she want to go ?!!

sgtpontiac said:

she wants to move north when I retire, I want to get where it's warmer.....wonder what will happen in a few years when I do retire??[S

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Move to Florida and build on a walk in freezer with a picture window for her [ddd

whos jimmy carter? J.K.

My entire shop is lined with a product similar to the stuff in the link below. Take it from a guy who lives through -40 degree winters, this is excellent bang for your buck and perfect for radiant heat apps like your barrel heater.

Vapor barrier, insulation and a level of fire resistance all in one stroke AND it reflects 97% of radiant heat.

http://www.insulation4less.com/Insulation4lessProduct-22-Prodex-Total-72-Inch.aspx


All the foil takes some getting used to (It looks like Ace Frehley took up residence in my place) and it's tough to get phone reception/wireless signals. Otherwise, I highly recommend the stuff.


P.S. Sarge, you should bring your wife up here in January. Stay for a week, then blast off for Arizona or Florida and shop for real estate. (Assuming the plane isn't froze to the tarmac) She'll never want to be cold again in her life, and should warm up to your plan.

Years ago I lined a rented two car garage with heavy plastic and used a 35K propane heater to stay warm ... worked pretty well even in a Wisconsin winter.