Quonset spray foam insulation in Westlock is work on some of the oldest buildings still earning their keep on these farms. The arch-rib quonset went up across grain country decades ago, and a great many of them are still in service as grain storage, equipment shelter or a shop that grew into the building. They are also the single building type on a farm where foam is not one option among several; it is close to the only one.
There is no wall and there is no cavity
A quonset is a continuous curve of corrugated steel from the slab on one side to the slab on the other. There is no stud, no girt, no plate and no flat face. Nothing cut to a size fits it, batt cannot be friction-fitted into a curve, and any rigid board has to be cut into narrow strips and fastened through the steel, which puts a hole in the only weather barrier the building has. Every attempt to insulate a quonset with sheet goods ends up as a hundred seams and a thousand fasteners, and each of those is both an air leak and a thermal bridge.
Sprayed foam is applied to the shape in front of it. It follows the corrugation, bonds across the rib crowns and the valleys alike, crosses the rib joints without a seam, and ends up continuous from the base on one side to the base on the other. That is the whole argument.
Condensation runs downhill to the base
The curve has a specific failure signature. Moist air inside the building reaches the cold steel, condenses on it, and because the surface is curved the water runs rather than drips, tracking down the inside of the arch to where it meets the slab. That is why a quonset's rust always starts at the bottom and why anything stored along the walls gets wet before anything in the middle does. With a winter here that stays below freezing for months without a thaw, that moisture arrives as frost and accumulates all season before releasing in one go when the weather finally turns.
What the building is being used for sets the depth
A quonset holding grain needs the deck sealed against moist air, and the depth is set by keeping the dew point inside the foam. A quonset used as cold equipment storage needs the same seal at less depth, because the objective is only to stop water forming on steel. A quonset that has become a heated shop needs enough depth to make heating it defensible, which on a curved shell with no shade and full exposure to wind off open stubble is more than people expect. Tell us which of the three it is and the specification follows.
The two ends and the base
The end walls are usually the newest part of the building and the worst-sealed, because they were framed and clad separately, often more than once, and the joint between a flat end wall and a curved roof is difficult. The base rail where the arch meets the slab or the footing is the other recurring leak. On an older quonset those two details are where most of the air is moving, and they are detailed work rather than square footage.
Who you are dealing with
Quonset spray foam insulation Westlock is quoted, scheduled and sprayed by us. Our own installers are on the job, and the number you are given is the number we stand behind.
Quonset Spray Foam Insulation Westlock: Common Questions
Can a quonset be insulated with batt or board? Not without a liner frame built inside it, which costs headroom and leaves a fastener and seam at every panel. Foam against the steel avoids all of that.
Why does the rust start at the bottom of the arch? Condensation forms on the curved steel and runs down it rather than dripping, so the water collects where the arch meets the slab.
Is it worth insulating a quonset we only use for storage? If what is stored can be damaged by water, yes. Sealing the steel against moist air is a smaller job than making the building habitable.
How much does Quonset spray foam insulation cost in Westlock? It prices per board foot over the developed area of the arch at the depth your use requires, and the end walls and base rail are detailed separately. The curve means the sprayed area is larger than the floor plan suggests.
How do I choose a Quonset spray foam contractor in Westlock? Ask how they will handle the end walls and the base rail, and whether they have sprayed a curved shell before. The arch itself is the straightforward part.
Size the assembly with the R-value calculator, then get a free Westlock quote. More on Quonset Spray Foam Insulation Alberta province-wide.