post frame building (pole shed) - ceiling inside

[WI Dan]

Absolutely. Some blown cellulose insulations will corrode metal panels because of the fire retardant in them. The plastic vapor barrier also serves a vital role of being a draft stop. Metal panel ceilings are extremely porous as far as air movement. You need to stop any air movement from getting into your insulation layer.

Porous metal...I hadn't though of that. I was thinking solid sheets, like siding or roof tin.

 

[WI Dan]

I went with a steel roof. I bought some metal hanging brackets for the 2x4’s nailed onto the trusses. Every 2 feet. The spacing between my trusses was 9 feet. Then I lined it with Poly. I picked up some white corrugated steel from Menards. It was a thinner steel than used on exterior surfaces. I was fortunate enough to have my kids do all the overhead work. You get a stiff neck, screwing all the screws into the steel. I’ll try to send a few pictures. I did make a trap door for access to the attic. then I insulated with fiberglass insulation. I put in two layers rolled one one way and the next layer the other way. I haven’t had any moisture issues. i’m happy with the installation. It reflects light well. Although it could be clean but it’s kinda hard to do when it’s 10 feet above your head. It’s a lot of work, putting all those screws into the 2x4’s and steel. The quality of the photos ain’t the best but you get the idea

You put the poly on the bottom of the trusses, right?
How thick of insulation was laid? either per piece, or the total thickness after they were criss-crossed?

 

[WI Dan]

I used OSB panels for ceilings (painted) and then fiberglass batts in the attic. The attic is vented by soffit vents and a continuous ridge vent. No moisture problems in 15 years.

That's a good idea.

 

[WI Dan]

You might want to make sure the trusses will hold the load. When I put up my barn many years ago the builder asked if I planned to finish the interior. He used a different style truss to support the ceiling.

I thought of that, yes. The building was built with 8' spacing for snow loads, so I'm pretty confident the trusses can handle the load. It's put together well.
But - it's why I'm leaning towards metal, lighter-weight than sheetrock and less 2x4 support needed.

 

[WI Dan]

WI Dan,
Was your bulding constructed to have a ceiling/insulation installed?

When we built our new barn, the construction company said a building is constructed differently if it will have a ceiling and insulation installed.
Maybe stronger or a greater number of trusses... or more wall height???
NOT SURE, as we did not ask how it is built differently because the cost was significantly higher... and my husband said he never plans to insulate it.

Thanks Sweetfeet. I understand exactly what you mean. The loads are different, hanging from the bottom chord of the trusses compared to the roof.

 

[john in la]

The only way to answer this is to know what specs the trusses were built to handle.
Usually they are built to just get past code.
With no ceiling at construction they are most likely not built to hold up a ceiling
IE. They may hold up a ceiling today but when you combine the added ceiling to a heavy snow load it may start to sag or even come down.

 

[montidale]

You put the poly on the bottom of the trusses, right?
How thick of insulation was laid? either per piece, or the total thickness after they were criss-crossed?

Yes, I put the poly up before I put the steel up. Just stapled it onto the trusses and two by fours with the staple gun. I can’t remember exactly how much insulation is up there. I think it was 6 inch unfaced one-way and eight or 10 inch the other way.

 

[jhwis]

Thanks db!

Why not use chipboard (OSB)?

 

[MarkB_MI]

I used 7/16" OSB for my shop ceiling. It's easy to install and can support quite a bit of weight. I intend to blow in insulation, but I haven't bothered to do so because the shop stays cool in the summer and relatively comfortable in the winter even though only the walls are insulated. I have a bunch of soffit vents and a full-length ridge vent; they seem to provide sufficient attic ventilation.