How Do You Insulate a Barndominium (Cost, Option and Tips)

You just bought your first barndominium, and you’re excited to move in… or are you? This might be your first home on your own, but it’s not the first one you’ve purchased.

How do you insulate a barndominium is a major question you will always have on your mind.

Usually, you can insulate a barndominium using blow-in insulation, roll roofing insulation, or rigid board. But again, just like every other aspect of your property, there are many more things to consider.

And as a concerned homeowner, you already know that choosing the right type of insulation can help ensure that your home will be comfortable year-round, rather than just when it’s hot or cold outside.

So, let’s get started with how do you insulate a barndominium to bring peace and comfort to your barndominium.

What is Barndominium Insulation?

A barndominium means barn and condominium – is one of those beautiful, unique types of homes that you don’t see much anymore.

It’s an actual house that has been built into what used to be an old barn.

Some people prefer to call these barn-style homes, but no matter what you want to call them, they are definitely unique and fun!

As with any type of home (or building), insulation is key to ensuring comfort inside your home as well as energy efficiency.

Insulation refers to all manner of things that are designed to block out cold drafts or hot air so it can keep you comfortable all year long.

The objective here is simple – create a healthy, safe environment for everyone who lives in your home while keeping utility bills down in order to save money.

That sounds like something we can all get behind, right? So, without further ado, let’s learn more about insulating your barndominium!

How Do You Insulate a Barndominium?

As mentioned above, there are numerous different types of insulation available for your barndominium.

The best choice will largely depend on what type of climate you live in, how cold it gets, and how hot it gets.

For the best possible result, we recommend that you engage with local insulation experts in order to come up with a tailored solution for your home.

It is well worth any time and money you might spend in order to find out more about the many products that exist today.

If you want to ensure comfort all year long, then insulation should be high on your list of priorities when making plans for remodeling!

How Much Does Barndominium Insulation Cost (Per Sq. Ft.)?

$1.25 to $1.75 sq. ft is the average cost of insulation for barndominiums.

Of course, if you are building from scratch, then you will need far more material than someone who wants to upgrade their home so take these numbers with a grain of salt!

That said, even if you are adding insulation because your barndominium has none at all, don’t get too hung up on saving money by skimping on materials!

If it means having chilly nights where everyone ends up sleeping in one bed together, then it may be worth spending that extra bit of cash in order to stay cozy and save money down the road on energy bills.

What Type of Barndominium Insulation You’re Getting?

There are three main ways you can insulate your barndominium: blow-in insulation, roll roofing insulation, or rigid foam board insulation.

Which one is best for you depends on factors like how you plan to use your barndominium and what materials you will be using to build it.

Regardless of which option you choose, however, proper insulation is vital if you want your barndominium to keep warm or cool air during winter and summer.

So, let’s take a look at each option available!

Blow-in insulation

Blow-in insulation is one of the most popular options among homeowners looking for ways to insulate their home because it’s very easy, quick, and affordable.

Not to mention that blowing in insulation into walls saves homeowners from having any large holes that might need to be patched later on.

This option is a little more DIY than some of our other options. To be honest, it may sound easier than it actually is.

The main goal here is to blow insulation in between your barn’s rafters.

The tricky part about doing that is finding enough space in between them for all of that insulation.

In some cases, you can add foam boards before blowing in between them if you don’t have enough room in between your rafters.

The second problem with blow-in insulation is that getting fiberglass or cellulose deep into those places isn’t always easy!

If they don’t get pushed all of the ways down, they aren’t going to be very effective.

And even if they do make it through everything, not every granule will make it through undamaged.

Which means eventually you are going to end up with voids where mice, bugs, etc., can move right in. The last thing we want is gaps inside our barndominium walls!

In essence, while blow-in insulation may seem like an attractive option at first glance.

There are definitely downsides to take into consideration before choosing it unless you choose to work with a professional who knows exactly what they are doing.

Drawing on their decades of experience in product testing and determining customer needs, they can help you save time, money, headache, and hassle, so your investment lasts longer.

Roll roofing insulation

These days, you can find rolls of reflective insulation that are meant for lining a house’s roof.

This can be a great option if you have wooden rafters and don’t want any holes in your walls—or it can even work if you have metal or aluminum rafters if they happen to be insulated at all!

The way it works is pretty simple. At its most basic level, all you need is wood support boards on top of your barndominium where it’s insulated so that once again, foam boards are on each side of those support boards.

Then, your rolls of the reflective membrane will go on top of those boards so that they rest against everything on top and everything on the bottom.

But there are some downsides to consider when choosing roll roofing insulation over other options.

For one thing, these rolls aren’t exactly cheap since they must be specially designed for specific types of buildings like barns.

That said, roll roofing insulation is effective at stopping heat transfer—but it isn’t necessarily built with durability in mind.

Rigid Foam Board Insulation

This option is considered to be one of the best ways to insulate your barndominium.

While it does require you to do some fairly serious digging into your walls, rigid foam board insulation is meant for long-term durability and can really help you save money over time!

The key with rigid foam board insulation is that it’s made out of polystyrene or polyurethane, both of which expand when heated, so they act as an effective barrier against heat transfer.

This isn’t just about saving money either. Insulating your barn means making sure you’re able to stay cool in summer and warm in winter.

And doing all of that without causing any holes in your interior walls or damaging them while adding insulation is definitely important.

Even if it takes a little more work than other options, we think rigid foam board insulation could definitely be worth looking into!

Which Type of Barndominium Insulation is Best for You?

That depends on how much work you’re willing to put into insulating your barn.

Like we said, rigid foam board insulation can be time-consuming and will require you to dig down in your walls a bit.

But if you go with rigid foam board insulation, you should be able to get an effective barrier against heat transfer that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

How You Can Complete Barndominium Insulation at Lower Budget?

Though DIY might seem like an attractive option, it’s actually something you should probably avoid if you want your project to go as smoothly as possible.

For one thing, you could end up spending more money on materials than necessary since DIY stores tend to overcharge for things they don’t have a lot of.

To make sure you don’t go over budget and that your insulation process is as smooth as possible, we recommend hiring professionals.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can you spray foam insulation Barndominium?

Yes, but it may not be worth your time or money! Spray foams are really expensive, and they’re not necessarily all that durable either.

2. How do you cool a Barndominium?

By making sure you’re well insulated!

Since reflective insulation is really great at keeping heat out, it’s important that your walls and roof are well insulated so that all of that heat stays outside.

And if it gets in, it doesn’t get transferred around your barndominium or make its way through your walls to where your barn animals live!

3. Can you have a fireplace in a barndominium?

Yes, but be very careful! Fireplaces can cause serious heart damage if they’re not handled properly.

That means they’re best left out of your barndominium unless you’re able to install it safely and use it responsibly.