Not all farm buildings in Pittsburgh need to be insulated, but it’s a great feature if you want to ensure your building is comfortable year-round. If you want to make sure your post frame buildings in Pittsburgh are well-insulated, but you don’t know much about insulation, we suggest you start here. These are the most important components of a well-designed insulated pole barn.
Wall Design
The most important place to start when designing insulated farm buildings in Pittsburgh is the walls. These are the two most important things to consider in wall design:
- Thicker walls hold more insulation.
- Fewer obstructions in a wall cavity mean that you can use larger continuous pieces of insulation for greater efficiency.
If you want the best-insulated building possible, don’t be afraid to use larger columns and stuff your walls full of insulation.
Vapor/Moisture Barrier
One of the most significant differences between an average insulated building and a well-insulated building is moisture management. A building with a warm interior and cool exterior will have to deal with condensation inside the building. Moisture is best handled with three different components: insulation, ventilation, and moisture barriers. A well-insulated building needs a vapor barrier below the concrete floor, in the walls, and on the underside of metal roofing. Most pole barn builders in Pittsburgh can help you choose the best materials for your building’s vapor barrier.
Ventilation
Most insulated pole barns are equipped with soffit vents and ridge vents or cupolas. These are essential for removing warm, moist air from your building and drawing fresh air inside. Many farm buildings in Pittsburgh require additional forced air ventilation from exhaust fans and ceiling fans.
Insulation
Your insulation choice will depend on your building design, budget, and insulation needs. The most common types of pole barn insulation include spray foam, fiberglass batts, fiberglass rolls, extruded polystyrene (XPS), and reflective foam core insulation.
Make sure you discuss how you intend to use your building with your builder during the design stage. Professional pole barn builders can help you construct a well-insulated and energy-efficient building, no matter what you intend to use it for.
MQS Structures
Custom Post Frame Builders in Pittsburgh
At MQS Structures, we are post-frame and pole barn building specialists. If your barn needs repair or you are interested in building new post frame buildings in Pittsburgh, we can work with you to ensure you get exactly the building you want. If you want to build a garage hobby shop in Pittsburgh, we can help with that too. We can build a highly functional and attractive building no matter what you need.
Our founder and owner, Caleb Miller, began his building career with his Amish Mennonite family and applies the same work ethic and expert craftsmanship to all the custom pole barns in Pittsburgh we build.
Call us today at (855) 677-3334, or contact us online to receive a free quote on your next project. We look forward to hearing from you soon! We also offer a free mock-up service on our website to help you visualize how your new custom pole barns in Pittsburgh will look.
