Shop Insulation? Options and looks?

[tex8569]

I have a ~450 square foot shop at my house. It is uninsulated and has no interior Sheetrock/walls but is well wired and framed. It obviously gets hot, even though I have a small AC unit. I would like to insulate but dont know what route? I dont really want to sheetrock it and would liek to leave it exposed, but want to leave that option open in the future. We've also talked about making it a man cave/media room.

Is there a decent looking exposed spray insulation? Is the simplest route a roll/pre cut fiberglass matt? With all the wiring in place does that rule out spray foam?

Thanks for the input!

[Blank]

2x4 or 2x6" studs. What about the ceiling and attic area?

Cheapest - fiberglass batts, 50 cents per sq. ft., works OK but no structural strength and leaves voids for mice and insects to nest in. Needs a vapor barrier added after stapling.

Mid-range - open cell spray foam, good R value, minimizes pest intrusion. About $1 per foot.

Best - closed cell spray foam, durable, sealed, no pests, strong structural strength, $1.50-2.00 per foot.

[Banded Drake Calls]

I have a ~450 square foot shop at my house. It is uninsulated and has no interior Sheetrock/walls but is well wired and framed. It obviously gets hot, even though I have a small AC unit. I would like to insulate but dont know what route? I dont really want to sheetrock it and would liek to leave it exposed, but want to leave that option open in the future. We've also talked about making it a man cave/media room.



Is there a decent looking exposed spray insulation? Is the simplest route a roll/pre cut fiberglass matt? With all the wiring in place does that rule out spray foam?



Thanks for the input!

I did spray foam for a few years and know the ins and outs. Wiring in place wont affect installing spray foam, but make sure it's where you want it, how you want it, and that it's all done because it will all get covered if its within the depth of the foam.

As far as looks, it all depends on the applicator. Some guys are really good and making closed cell foam look like a smooth wall, some a little textured, some just flat out dont care what it looks like. Look at lots of pics of their closed cell work before deciding on a company. In your case, it may be worth spending a little more for the right guy.

If the walls are bare metal that they will spray against, and you want it to last, DO NOT use open cell. Many will tell you that you can and it's a cheaper route and closed cell is a waste of money. I have helped gut 2 metal buildings recently for remodels that had open cell applied within the last 8 years, and the amount of rust that was found on the inside of the metal where the open cell was applied was a prime reason why folks who actually know how spray foam works do not apply open cell to bare metal.

Foam is also paintable, so get a smooth coat of closed applied and paint it whatever color you want.

You'll want a minimum of 2 inches all the way around, 3 inches on the roof if you can afford it, itll make a difference. Cost wise, you should be anywhere from .90-1.10 per board foot. Anything more, they're either getting greedy or you live a long way from them. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions

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[tex8569]

Its all 2x4s throughout the shop including the ceiling. Its open air to the roof. Anyone have pics of sprayfoam left open?


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[Bisch]

Shop Insulation? Options and looks?

I have a metal bldg shop and went with 2” closed cell foam. It looks awesome!



Bisch

[glpoe1]

I have a storage container and my barn/shop spray foamed with the dense closed cell foam. Our house is sprayed with the softer foam and they can trim the excess with a saws all and special long blade and it can look very clean. It can be painted over to harden it up a bit but it will still be soft enough to dent easily. Good, good, good insulation for noise as well.

[bowhntrmatt]

I have a metal bldg shop and went with 2” closed cell foam. It looks awesome!



Bisch

This is the way to go!

[Banded Drake Calls]

This is the way to go!

Agree

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[tkuehn5410]

I really love closed cell. I had the foam crew leave up the plastic and wall coverings and used exterior semi-gloss in paint sprayer a couple days after it had been sprayed in.

[Quackerbox]

If the walls are bare metal that they will spray against, and you want it to last, DO NOT use open cell. Many will tell you that you can and it's a cheaper route and closed cell is a waste of money. I have helped gut 2 metal buildings recently for remodels that had open cell applied within the last 8 years, and the amount of rust that was found on the inside of the metal where the open cell was applied was a prime reason why folks who actually know how spray foam works do not apply open cell to bare metal.


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I didn't know that. Great info. Mine is bare metal and we're trying to decide what to do

Thanks

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[Banded Drake Calls]

I didn't know that. Great info. Mine is bare metal and we're trying to decide what to do

Thanks

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We had a few customers that had to wrap the frame of the building in house wrap before attaching the sheet metal because the sheet metal companies would void their warranty of foam was applied directly to the metal. With this option you could apply the open cell foam, but you will still have moisture issues and you'll have the added cost of the house wrap for the whole building

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[Quackerbox]

We had a few customers that had to wrap the frame of the building in house wrap before attaching the sheet metal because the sheet metal companies would void their warranty of foam was applied directly to the metal. With this option you could apply the open cell foam, but you will still have moisture issues and you'll have the added cost of the house wrap for the whole building

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Mine is already built. Its just a shop, but will serve as a place to hang out and stay on some lake property via travel trailer for a few years

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[RascalArms]

As stated already...go with closed cell and get a good applicator as I’ve seen some finishes that aren’t attractive. I just had my pole barn sprayed with closed cell. I went with 2” in the ceiling and 1” on the walls. I was very pleased with how it turned out.

One thing that surprised me that not a lot of folks talk about is how much more structural strength the closed cell spray foam adds to the building itself. It’s sturdy...almost concrete like and has also greatly dampened the sound as well.

https://youtu.be/rQOB4dx02c0

[Grumpy1911]

2" of closed cell all over. Spray it whatever color u want. Cant beat it.

[tex8569]

Heres what mine looks like right now










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