Metal Building & Barndominium Insulation in Fayetteville, AR

Metal building insulation is a big part of our work in Northwest Arkansas. Rural acreage around Fayetteville, Prairie Grove, Lincoln and Elkins is full of steel shops, barns and garages, and steel-framed barndominiums have become a popular way to build a home and shop together.

Why steel sweats

Steel panels cool quickly at night. When warmer, humid air inside touches them, it condenses and drips. That means rust on tools, wet equipment and stained ceilings in a barndominium. Closed-cell spray foam bonds to the steel, insulates it and keeps humid air away from the cold surface. It also seals laps and gaps and adds stiffness to thin panels. HomeGuide lists closed-cell foam at $3.00 to $5.00 per square foot installed.

Barndominiums

In a barndominium, the living area should be insulated like a house and the shop like a metal building. We usually spray closed-cell foam on the steel shell, and frame-and-insulate interior walls between the living space and the shop as needed. Washington County is in Climate Zone 4A, where the Department of Energy suggests R-60 for an uninsulated attic and R-19 for floors.

Shops and garages

For a heated or air-conditioned shop, insulating the walls and roof makes the equipment smaller and cheaper to run. For an unconditioned barn, foam on the roof alone may be enough to stop drip.

Permits

Rules for building and insulating outbuildings vary between cities and counties. Benton County, for example, does not require building permits for detached residential group U structures like shops in unincorporated areas. Check with your city or county for your property. Get a free estimate