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Closed Cell Spray Foam and a Really Loud Roof

Closed Cell Spray Foam and a Really Loud Roof

Reader JAMES in BRUSHTON writes:

“I have a pole barn with metal roof with 4.5 ” closed cell spray foam on underside of 2×4 strapping but it’s REALLY loud when it rains how can I make it quiet inside without causing a moisture/condensation trap.”

You can quiet your pole barn inside by installing a dropped ceiling with an air gap or adding an interior layer of sound absorbing material (like acoustic panels or mass-loaded vinyl) beneath your existing foam.

Even though you have 4-1/2 inches of closed-cell spray foam, it is rigid and dense. Because it is stuck directly to your building’s steel roofing, it can still vibrate when heavy rain hits, passing noise straight in.

Build a finished ceiling with an air gap. Hang a drywall or drop ceiling (acoustical tile) suspended a few inches below spray foam. Leaving an empty air space between foam and your new ceiling breaks vibration path and traps sound waves.

Fasten heavy mass-loaded vinyl (MLV) sheets directly to spray foam surface. MLV is a dense, flexible barrier adding weight to stop panel movement and block sound transmission.

Hang acoustic panels. Attach sound-absorbing fiberglass panels or mineral wool boards to ceiling surface. These panels will not stop vibration, but they soak up echos and reverberation inside building, making rain sound much softer and less sharp.

Install strapping and a secondary interior finish. Screw wood or metal furring strips into your framing, then attach plywood, OSB, or sheet metal panels over them, This creates a decoupled layer, interrupting sound waves.

We also know clients who have had open cell spray foam applied over closed cell. Open cell foam is soft, porous and flexible. Its interconnected structure traps sound waves and converts their energy into heat, making it much better at absorbing sound and reducing echos.

This entry was posted in Budget, Barndominium, Insulation, Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Design, Roofing Materials, Pole Building How To Guides, Pole Barn Planning, Building Interior and tagged close cell spray foam, open cell spray foam, loud roof, acoustic panels, acoustic tiles, spray foam on September 15, 2026 by Rick Ochs.

Texas Post Frame Barndominium Insulation

Reader KIMBERLY in LINDEN writes:

“We are building a 52x40x10 post frame home in East Texas. The entire thing will be living space. I have been researching as much as possible on the best way to insulate a post frame home with metal siding and roof. The information is overwhelming and you get a completely different answer depending on who you talk to. I know not to skimp on insulation, but the consensus on most “barndominium” FaceBook groups is that spray foam is the only way to go. I have reservations about that, because it may be a superior way to insulate, but it depends almost exclusively on who is doing the actual foam application. On top of that you need to spend more money on your HVAC system to add the proper ventilation/air exchange.

I want a well insulated home that is specific to the type of building material and location we live in. To me, “not skimping” on insulation doesn’t mean that it has to be the most expensive insulation either.

I also know the insulation world is constantly changing and evolving, but what would your recommendation be to insulate our home in East Texas?

Thank you so much for your time!”

Mike the Pole Barn Guru responds:

Your insulation requirements will vary depending upon where you are in East Texas. Climates zone 1 (closest to Gulf) require R-30 ceilings, R-13 walls. Zone 2 requires ceilings to be R-49 and zone 3 (farthest north) goes to R-20 walls. You can look up you county’s climate zone here: https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IECC2021P1/chapter-3-re-general-requirements#IECC2021P1_RE_Ch03_SecR301. I will cheat for you and tell you Cass County is Climate zone 3A.

For sake of discussion we will assume you have a dead attic space and will be insulating directly above a finished ceiling. I would ventilate your dead attic space at the eave (air intake) and the ridge (air exhaust). Make provisions for preventing condensation on the underside of roof steel by having some sort of a thermal break. My personal preference is by using an Integral Condensation Control (https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2020/09/integral-condensation-control-2/). You will want to order roof trusses with raised heels (https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2012/07/raised-heel-trusses/), so you can get full insulation depth from wall-to-wall with blown in fiberglass. Heel height should be R value of insulation divided by three and add two inches so you can achieve adequate airflow above insulation.

Should you want to condition your attic – delete ventilation, raised heels and the Integral Condensation Control. I would apply closed cell spray foam two inches to the underside of roof steel, then add open cell spray foam to desired R value.

For walls – best results will be from two inches of closed cell sprayed to inside of wall steel, then fill balance of wall cavity with either open cell spray foam, or unfaced batts (ideally stone wool https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2013/03/roxul-insulation/). You could also use BIBs to fill (https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/11/bibs/). Do not place a Weather Resistant Barrier (WRB) under wall steel or a vapor barrier on inside of wall.

As an alternative to spray foam, you can use a WRB between framing and wall steel, then BIBs with an interior vapor barrier or faced batt insulation.

Energy costs are not going to go down, so I would encourage you to err towards more insulation rather than less – and (since most heat loss is upward) invest more into added ceiling insulation than walls.

In warmer, humid climates like yours, your HVAC system should include an Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) regardless of what your choice of insulation systems ends up being.

This entry was posted in Steel Roofing & Siding, Ventilation, Pole Barn Homes, Insulation, Pole Barn Questions, Post Frame Home, Pole Building How To Guides, Pole Barn Planning, Barndominium and tagged ridge exhaust, open cell spray foam, stone wool insulation, integral condensation control, dead attic space, eave ventilation, weather resistant barrier, closed cell spray foam, insulation, Climate Zone 3A on March 17, 2026 by Rick Ochs.

Open Cell Spray Foam to Roof Steel – When Insulation is Done Wrong

Open Cell Spray Foam to Roof Steel – When Insulation is Done Wrong

Reader JOSH in FARMINGTON writes:

“I recently had a pole barn built and after doing a lot of research, went with 5″ of open cell under the roof and on the gables. I did not have any kind of vapor barrier, as I was worried the weight of the foam would cause it to sag and create air gaps where moisture could accumulate. I checked with the metal supplier to confirm it would not cause warranty issues and they said it would not. I am somewhat 2nd guessing the open cell, but I did it because I want to make sure I see any leaks that might occur from the exposed fasteners. I have not insulated the walls yet as I wanted to get all the electrical done. My plan was I would spray low expansion foam at the top and bottom of the metal sheets because right now there are no foam seals so you can actually see daylight even with the metal rat guards. To seal these up I want to use Great Stuff Pond & Stone foam. It’s black to match the trim in case it pushes out, it’s waterproof, it’s low expansion, and it’s UV rated. Then I was going to put 1.5″ foam board between the purlins, sliding it behind the posts. Following up with covering both with another sheet of 2″ foam board and use tape at the seams and some more foam at the posts. My thought is this would create a good vapor barrier, but I’m second guessing that now. For one reason, I don’t know how I’d seal things up above the header. They used a double 2×10 on each side of the post to act as the header. I do not plan to put a ceiling up and I will have a split system with a gas furnace installed soon to keep the space tempered between 60-80. I’ll heat it up or cool it down as needed when I’m using it. Do you see any issues with this setup? I’m a little worried about not having a vapor barrier on the roof. In Arkansas, we have all seasons, but it stays pretty muggy.”

My first concern is your open cell spray foam against roof steel. You have an application here I would never recommend. Open cell spray foam allows moisture to pass through, so you are going to end up with moisture condensing on underside of roof steel. I do not have a solution at hand for this – perhaps whoever installed your spray foam has some ideas.

As you propose to insulate your walls, you are creating a vapor barrier – meaning your walls will ‘dry to inside’ – adding even more moisture to potentially cause a problem in your open cell roof insulation. I would remove steel siding from a wall at a time, then install a well-sealed housewrap. Fill insulation cavity with rockwool batts (as it is not affected by moisture), with an interior vapor barrier. Walls will now dry to outside.

Chances are you are going to need to mechanically dehumidify your building in order to minimize condensation from moisture hitting roof steel.