I am planning to convert part of an old barn into a heated workshop. The part I will use as a workshop is the section where the animals used to be. Three of the sides are exterior walls. The exterior walls are made of stone (I believe it's in two layers with insulation in between).
What I am thinking of doing is building an insulated interior wall to separate this part from the rest of the barn. The question then is exactly how I should construct this wall.
My idea is to put up studs, insulate with fiberglass, and then nail on drywall. What I'm considering is the dimension of the studs and whether I need any plastic or similar, and where it should be placed if so.
I am currently leaning towards putting up standing studs of 50*100 on the cold side of the wall and then having horizontal studs of 50*50 inside of this. The standing studs will also act as a way to reinforce the ceiling a bit extra (it feels good anyway
).
Should I put in two layers of fiberglass (a 10 cm thick layer between the standing studs and a 5 cm thick layer between the horizontal studs)?
Is plastic or house wrap needed? (The wall isn't directly exposed to wind, as the other side of the wall is also inside the barn, albeit in the unheated part).
I thought I'd make this wall as a first step. After that, I can arrange some type of heating to be able to work there in the winter. The next step is to level the concrete floor and add insulation there as well. I'm thinking of laying Styrofoam and then some type of sheet material on top.
In the ceiling, there is already a layer of sawdust. If further insulation is needed, it can be done in the loft.
I'm unsure whether I should insulate the exterior walls at all (since I believe there's already insulation from long ago).
What I am thinking of doing is building an insulated interior wall to separate this part from the rest of the barn. The question then is exactly how I should construct this wall.
My idea is to put up studs, insulate with fiberglass, and then nail on drywall. What I'm considering is the dimension of the studs and whether I need any plastic or similar, and where it should be placed if so.
I am currently leaning towards putting up standing studs of 50*100 on the cold side of the wall and then having horizontal studs of 50*50 inside of this. The standing studs will also act as a way to reinforce the ceiling a bit extra (it feels good anyway
).Should I put in two layers of fiberglass (a 10 cm thick layer between the standing studs and a 5 cm thick layer between the horizontal studs)?
Is plastic or house wrap needed? (The wall isn't directly exposed to wind, as the other side of the wall is also inside the barn, albeit in the unheated part).
I thought I'd make this wall as a first step. After that, I can arrange some type of heating to be able to work there in the winter. The next step is to level the concrete floor and add insulation there as well. I'm thinking of laying Styrofoam and then some type of sheet material on top.
In the ceiling, there is already a layer of sawdust. If further insulation is needed, it can be done in the loft.
I'm unsure whether I should insulate the exterior walls at all (since I believe there's already insulation from long ago).
In your case, the inner wall becomes like an outer wall since one side faces a cold space. This means you should place a plastic on the warm side. The way you've planned with a horizontal framework is a very good solution that is now practiced quite often.
However, you must not place the plastic more than a maximum of 1/3 of the wall's total thickness from the warm side, but you manage that in this case. The advantage of moving the plastic is that it minimizes the risk of puncturing it and thereby risking releasing warm air into the construction which can condense on the colder parts. On the outside, you should place some form of wind protection since there is always a bit of convection in the air even if it is indoors, and this reduces the insulation capability. I wouldn't use windpaper/fabric but wind-protection drywall as it's a bit neater, but of course, that is each person's own choice.
However, you must not place the plastic more than a maximum of 1/3 of the wall's total thickness from the warm side, but you manage that in this case. The advantage of moving the plastic is that it minimizes the risk of puncturing it and thereby risking releasing warm air into the construction which can condense on the colder parts. On the outside, you should place some form of wind protection since there is always a bit of convection in the air even if it is indoors, and this reduces the insulation capability. I wouldn't use windpaper/fabric but wind-protection drywall as it's a bit neater, but of course, that is each person's own choice.