Steel Building Insulation



Now that you have designed your steel building, it is important to consider what the environmental conditions are on the outside and the inside of your structure.

The most important aspect to consider is what the structure will be holding. If your structure will be holding live-stock, or if people will have to work inside the structure, insulation and air-conditioning are key. One of the mistakes that consumers often make is that they build the structure, and then they start to consider what their environmental requirements are. This is a mistake because this increases the costs for installation and design. Air channels and pipes that are used to affect environmental stability have to be built around an already built design. If you consider these requirement ahead of time, you will have the advantage of building these elements right into the design of the building.

Whether you live in a hot or cold climate will affect what kind of insulation you will need. Pitched roofs with large amounts of insulation should be used in cold climates to reduce heat-loss and the build up of ice and snow on the roof. You can decide whether you want to include a large space into the roof so that blow-in insulation can be used, or whether you want strip insulation to be included instead. These are up to your space requirements, but is also depends upon the air-flow inside your structure. These aspects can be considered during the architectural design of the building.

Insulation is one of the most important cost-saving elements of any proper steel building design. Refrigeration and heating costs are always on the rise, so it is important and key to include quality insulation in your building.

Insulation is not only used for the conservation of heat or for retention of cool air. Another important quality of insulation is noise reduction. If you will be using your steel building for commercial purposes, this will be an extremely important consideration. If you are manufacturing products inside your building, you may be required by law to protect your surroundings from loud noises emanating from your shop. On the other side, it may be that your steel building is used as an office. Workers inside do not want to be disturbed by the sounds of cars, construction, and any other noise from the outside. Always, therefore, consider the laws in your area when deciding upon insulation for noise-reduction.

With steel buildings, the water vapor reduction inside the building is less of a concern than it is with wood or stone, but still, it is important to halt it, when possible. This is obviously important in climates that are hot and humid. Any organic materials, live stock, or antiques will have to be protected from the building up of water vapor inside the structure, which at its least dangerous can lead to rot, and at its worse lead to the growth of bacteria and molds that may be unhealthy to workers or live stock. In line with water vapor reduction is the reduction of vapors from chemical processes. Insulation should be purchased with this consideration in mind. Be aware that insulation for sites with chemical vapors should always be installed by an insulation professional. Build-up of toxic chemicals inside the insulation can be dangerous.

Another quality of insulation is that it protects against fire. Insulation is not combustible, and therefore will protect your materials from lightning strikes or electrical shortages.

Making the right choice about insulation can lead to a pay-back to you, as the consumer. Reduction of refrigeration and heating costs are significant, so always consider the quality of the insulation. In line with savings, you must consider the kind of elemental issues you are trying to solve. Water and vapors are dangerous, and you must account for this with the kind of insulation that you purchase. Whether you purchase blow-in insulation or panel insulation is a consideration of space and airflow inside the building. Both have advantages and disadvantages. As a consumer, be aware the blow-in insulation is only really appropriate for spaces that have minimal air flow and movement involved. Because fibers can freely float as a result of too much airflow or movement, you have to make sure that it remains away from live-stock or people.