The arch is the part of a Quonset that works. Quonset spray foam insulation in Wainwright usually turns out to be a job about the two parts that do not: the end walls, which are framed and clad separately from the arch and never match it, and the base of the arch where the steel meets the concrete or the ground.
The end walls are a different building
An arch is a continuous, strong, weathertight shape. The end walls are typically a stick-framed or post-framed assembly built to close off a curve, which means a long curved joint between two dissimilar structures, plus a large door opening in the middle of one of them. That joint is the leak, and on flat open country with a persistent wind it is a driven leak: the windward end is under positive pressure and the far end is under suction, so air is pushed through the entire length of the building. Fine dry snow comes with it and lands well inside.
The base of the arch
At the bottom, the arch is bolted to a knee wall or to a footing, and the detail there is structural rather than an envelope joint. Soil, gravel and moisture sit against it from outside, and from inside it is the lowest and often the coldest band of the building. It is where we find rust, and it is where a cut-to-fit insulation product can never be made to seal, because the curve is tightening exactly where the obstruction is worst.
Nothing flat fits a curve
There are no stud bays and no flat planes in an arch. Batt has nothing to sit in and rigid board cannot follow the radius without leaving a void behind every sheet. A fibreglass blanket has to be mechanically held up, and once it has been wet a few times it sags and holds water against the steel instead of keeping it off. Closed-cell foam is sprayed onto the steel, bonds to it, and takes the shape of the rib and the curve, which is why it is used on these buildings rather than preferred for them.
What is in the building changes the specification
A Quonset used for machinery needs the inside of the steel kept above the dew point so it stops dripping, which is a shallower application. A Quonset holding grain, seed or fertiliser is a harder case, because the stored material gives off moisture of its own and is also what the condensation lands on. A heated Quonset shop is a third case again and needs a full conditioned-space specification. Tell us which one you have, because the depth we quote is set by that answer rather than by the size of the arch.
Preparation is most of the quality
Foam goes onto clean, dry steel. Any active rust at the base of the arch is dealt with before anything is applied, because spraying over it seals it in where it cannot be seen or treated later. Where a Quonset has been in the yard for decades and the base band is suspect, that inspection happens at the quote visit and it changes the scope honestly rather than at the end of the job.
Who does the work
For Quonset spray foam insulation Wainwright, we quote and manage the whole job and our own installers do the work. The free quote comes from the people who will be on site.
Quonset Spray Foam Insulation Wainwright: Common Questions
Where does a Quonset actually leak? Along the joint between the arch and the end walls, around the main door, and at the base of the arch. The arch itself is usually the soundest part of the building.
Why does snow get inside a closed Quonset? Because dry driven snow follows the air path, and the wind pushes air through the building end to end. Where you find snow indoors, you have found the air route.
Can a curved building be insulated with board or blanket? Not well. Board cannot follow the radius and a blanket sags and traps water against the steel. The curve is the reason foam is the material here.
How much does Quonset spray foam insulation cost in Wainwright? It is priced over the sprayed arch and end-wall area at the depth required, and the depth depends on whether the building is heated, kept above freezing, or simply being stopped from dripping.
How do I choose a Quonset spray foam contractor in Wainwright? Ask what they intend to do at the end walls and at the base of the arch. A quote for the arch alone has priced the part of the building that was already working.
Size the depth with the R-value calculator, then get a free Wainwright quote. More on Quonset Spray Foam Insulation Alberta province-wide.