To insulate or not?

[GramaCindy]

Tim and I have gone through this conversation several times….Do we want to insulate the roof of the shack or not? I say no. We have OSB for roof sheathing, covering it with metal roof, and lining the inside with the tongue and groove siding. No sealer on that of course.

My opinion is that, it's going to be very wet, and the insulation would get shot in no time anyways. More air leaks the better kind of?

Any thoughts?

[Haynes Forest Products]

I'm with you on the insulation if its the spun fiber type inside the joust spaces. BUT you can put in a layer of the blue/brown silver backed foam onto of the OSB and lay the tin on that. Put the foil side down. You don't want soggy insulation breading nasty things all year.

[3rdgen.maple]

I dont know about everyone else but mine is not insulated and it gets so hot in there when boiling I got to open doors and windows all the time. Cant imagine it being insulated. Like you said wet soggy mildew fungus growing insulation not for me. lol Im sure you can find mold resistant moisture proof insulation but dang your not living in the thing year round. Let it breath.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

there is a metal roof out there that has like a felt linning on the bottom side so it doesn't sweat.

[3rdgen.maple]

Flat all the steel I have bought her in NY the manufacture requires you to put down a minimum of 90 felt under the steel to keep the warranty on it.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

oh, by B.I.L. sugar house has a reg metal roof and before he had the steam stack up into coupala you would get rained on inside. But I just finished a 40x80 horse/alpaca barn and when I was up next to roof running wires a noticed it looked different. So I asked about it and was told the covering is in there to keep it from dripping back down.

So 3rd if you put up a metal roof you have to put down sheathing, felt then the metal?
Thats why I'm going metal so I cut out those extra steps, and I'm thinking of extending my steam hood stack up into the coupala(im sure I am spelling it wrong)


Cindy why OSB down on metal roof extra cost you dont need, just strap it and put the metal on

[oneoldsap]

If you just strap the roof and lay on the metal , you will have a rain storm everytime you boil . Your sugarhouse will be either wet or icey all season long , and you'll need to wear rain gear when you boil ! I have never seen the roofing with a backing on it , but I'd be willing to bet that it wouldn't perform very well in the sugarhouse enviornment . I'm sure it's designed for regular application , on heated or unheated buildings , I really doubt it would like all that steam .

[GramaCindy]

oh, by B.I.L. sugar house has a reg metal roof and before he had the steam stack up into coupala you would get rained on inside. But I just finished a 40x80 horse/alpaca barn and when I was up next to roof running wires a noticed it looked different. So I asked about it and was told the covering is in there to keep it from dripping back down.

So 3rd if you put up a metal roof you have to put down sheathing, felt then the metal?
Thats why I'm going metal so I cut out those extra steps, and I'm thinking of extending my steam hood stack up into the coupala(im sure I am spelling it wrong)


Cindy why OSB down on metal roof extra cost you dont need, just strap it and put the metal on

Flatlander, We were going to put siding, (tongue and groove pine) up on the roof rafters first to avoid the raining inside thing, but decided to go to the extra expense to put OSB down and then the siding on the inside so it looks finished on the inside. My husband just doesn't get it that this is a SUGAR SHACK for BOILING sodas for cryin' out loud!:o
We just weren't comfortable putting down lathes for the roof, when Tim builds something, we all kid him that if there is a tornado, go to the sugar shack, deck, whatever he is building! LOTS AND LOTS OF SCREWS!

[GramaCindy]

Flat all the steel I have bought her in NY the manufacture requires you to put down a minimum of 90 felt under the steel to keep the warranty on it.

We put down felt too!

[3rdgen.maple]

The felt paper I was told is not so much as a moisture barrier but a friction buffer between the wood, nail heads and the expanding and contracting metal roofing.

[Rhino]

3rd, your exactly right about the felt, haveing a metal roof put on my house in October and contractor told me thats what its for. On a side note.....our sugar house is just rafters with metal roofing with no barrier between, with our piggyback, and hoods on all the pans we get minimal dripping from it, even on cold days or nights.......Just lucky maybe??

[adk1]

great, add another thing to the never ending list! I have a metal roof, but I also have a plywood floor in the crawl space of the attic so I guess I wont get rained on too much