Absolutely! Many customers opt to install BlueTex™ metal building insulation on the roof portion only, and it's a great option, especially if your main goal is to control condensation.
Why Focus on the Roof First?
Condensation tends to form primarily on the roof of a metal building, though you can find condensation on the walls too. Condensation forms due to the temperature differences between the outside and the inside of the building. When warm, moist air comes into contact with a cool roof surface, condensation occurs. By installing BlueTex™ on the roof, you're addressing the main area where moisture can accumulate. BlueTex™ helps to keep the roof relatively warmer than the metal without BlueTex™ and this helps reduce the chance of moisture forming. The BlueTex™ 6mm Supreme is the best product for moisture control, so we recommend that for a roof-only application.
Benefits of Roof-Only Installation:
Condensation Control: Since the roof is the primary area where condensation forms, insulating it can significantly reduce moisture buildup. This is especially important in metal buildings, carports, and garages where condensation can cause rust or damage.
Instant Shade: Insulating your roof with BlueTex™ also helps to create an “instant shade” effect, significantly reducing heat gain during hot summer months because of the radiant barrier layer. You’ll notice cooler temperatures inside, even without cooling equipment, making the space more comfortable to use.
Efficient for Non-Conditioned Spaces: If your building is rarely or never heated or cooled, focusing on the roofline is an efficient solution to cut back on the heat gain. You'll get the most benefit from reduced heat transfer without the need to fully insulate the entire structure.
When to Consider Fully Insulating
If you plan on regularly heating or cooling your building (creating an office space, an apartment, or a full-time home), insulating your building with radiant barrier and R-value insulation is usually the best choice. For these applications you should plan to insulate both the walls and the roofline for maximum comfort and efficiency. We cover the basics of this type of application here: Insulating a Fully Conditioned Building.
In conclusion, installing BlueTex™ insulation on the roof portion only is an excellent way to control condensation and reduce heat gain, especially in spaces that aren’t regularly climate-controlled. It's a simple, effective solution to improve the comfort and longevity of your structure!
The simplest and fastest way to cool the garage area in your metal building is to add radiant barrier to the metal roll up garage door using the BlueTex™ Roll Up Garage Door Kits.
If your roll up door is catching direct sunlight, then you definitely should add a metal building insulation radiant barrier to the door and/or any other walls that are catching direct sunlight from the exterior. It will act almost as though the door is in the shade, or like it’s a cloudy day.
"I installed the BlueTex™ on my south-facing metal roll up door inside my metal building. During installation I could tell a huge difference in heat coming off the door behind the part finished with BlueTex™ versus the uncompleted part. It made a noticeable difference." - BlueTex™ Insulation Customer
For roll up metal garage doors we recommend the BlueTex™ 50" Wide 2mm Pro product or the foil only radiant barrier. Both of these materials are thin enough to install and not interrupt the mechanism that rolls the door up. The BlueTex™ 6mm Supreme products will NOT WORK on a roll up style garage door - the 6mm is too thick and will interfere with the door being able to roll up.
Step 1: Prep Door
For the best adhesion, if your door is dirty or dusty, wipe it clean and allow it to fully dry.
You'll start by using the 3M® double-sided tape* to permanently attach the insulation directly to the metal every 12"-18". Peel the liner off the tape and press it firmly onto the door. Wait to remove the second side of the liner until you're about to hang the insulation.
Step 2: Add the BlueTex™ insulation, starting at the bottom of the door
You can either run the BlueTex™ horizontally or vertically, depending on the size of your door; the direction you go won't change how the product works. Measure the width of the door and trim your first piece.
For most applications you can install the BlueTex™ insulation so that the white surface faces inside the garage/shop. This is because the valleys of the corrugations create a small air gaps between the foil surface and the door, so the foil is able to reflect back the heat on about 60% or more of the door area.
Line it up so the top edge is on your double-sided tape and press firmly. Then move down to the next row of double-sided tape and press again. Continue moving down to the floor, pressing the tape areas firmly to secure the bond.
Step 3: Overlap & trim seal your seams/edges
Your consecutive pieces of BlueTex™ will be added so that you have at least 1" overlap of the top piece over the bottom one. You can peel the liner off the BlueTex™ and use that to stick the top piece to the bottom one, but it's not required.
Press the BlueTex™ overlap firmly to get it to seal and stick to the bottom piece.
Continuing this until you get to the top of the door and it's all covered.
*Tip* Toward the end of the roll, the material may not immediately lay flat off the roll. The final edge may also be bent due to how it's rolled during production. We recommend laying this last piece out flat and letting it relax back to a flat layer, just like you would do with a new rug. You can stack some stuff on the edges to hold it down and let it flatten out before installing it on the door.
Step 4: Seal Your Seams with White Seam Tape
Use the 3" white seam tape to keep the insulation overlap smooth and create a clean, more polished interior look.
You can also seal the edges of the insulation on the left and right side if wanted, but it's not required.
Looking for a way to seal up the gap at the top of the door? BlueTex™ Roll Up Garage Door Insulation Kits are not really designed for this use, but foam board, a roll up door brush kit, or even some pool noodles may work.
Pre-Made Roll Up Garage Door Insulation Kits
For your convenience and easy installation, we have 3 pre-made kit sizes: A Single Roll Up Garage Door Insulation Kit (covers up to a 12' x 12' size door), a Double Roll Up Garage Door Insulation Kit (covers two 10' x 10' doors or a single larger door up to 200 sq ft), and an Oversize Roll Up Garage Door Insulation Kit (covers up to 300 sq ft). The BlueTex™ 6mm Supreme products will NOT WORK on a roll up style garage door - the 6mm is too thick and will interfere with the door being able to roll up.
If you have a door larger than 300 sq ft or if you have multiple metal roll up garage doors, these are the basic supplies needed to insulate them properly:
BlueTex™ Insulation: Pro 2mm 50" Wide, Pro 2mm 62" Wide, or the Foil Only product (available in 48" wide and 60" wide). *Note: the Supreme 6mm is too thick to fit on the door and will not work for a roll up garage door application.
Double-Sided Tape (to stick the BlueTex™ to the door without piercing the door)
Vapor Barrier 3" Wide Finishing Seam Tape (to seal the overlapping seams of insulation): White Color or Foil Color
Remember, the foil side of the product MUST face an air gap to work and reflect heat, so keep this in mind during your installation.
Trying to Mostly Keep Heat Inside?
If your doors don't have the corrugation pattern or your primary goal is to keep heat in, then flip the product so the foil surface faces inside the building/garage/shop. The open garage space is the airspace, and the foil will still work of the reflectivity/emissivity quality and it works a little better than having the white facing inside.
Note: Having the foil facing inside is a good option to reflect heat back into the building if you have a heat source. However, it should only be applied on doors that have minimal use, since the foil side isn't as durable as the white side of the product.
The main problem with heat gain in a metal building is that it will absorb so much radiant heat that the inside temperatures will far exceed the outside temperatures. The simple solution to this is a radiant barrier; it will essentially act like shade. Reflecting 97% of that radiant heat out of the structure is the key to a comfortable space, even without conditioning it.
We have many customers who have used radiant barrier on garages, barns, carports, airplane hangars, work sheds, warehouses etc. with great results in comfort. It's important to remind yourself that structures under this category are just that: structures. This means they will not feel or operate like conditioned or living structures; they will be hotter/cooler than a home/office space and they'll also likely be wetter, and that's ok. That being said, the goal for these types of buildings is to take the edge off the continual heat gain in the hot months and to help temper the chill in the colder months.
No Need for Traditional Insulation
On a non-conditioned building, there really is nothing better than a radiant barrier to control the heat gain. Structures like sheds, carports and barns can all benefit greatly by adding a layer of radiant barrier near the roof line and any sun-catching walls to keep the heat out. On a non-conditioned building, traditional r-value insulation is not necessary since you're goal is NOT to keep conditioned air (cold or hot) inside of it, but rather just trying to keep it comfortable when in use. Therefore, the most realistic expectations you can have for a building that you are not heating or cooling, is to get it at (or close to), outside air temperature (also known as ambient air temperature). Getting the air temperature lowered is largely relative to the amount of ventilation you have going through the structure. However, keeping the inside of a metal structure at or near ambient temperature is practically impossible if you do not have a radiant barrier. The radiant barrier will work to reduce the surface temperatures, and the ventilation to help bring the air temperatures down.
How to Install
Like most installs of this nature, getting the BlueTex™ closest to the exterior of the building will bring about the best overall results, specifically for hot climates.
If you're doing new construction, you can wrap the outside of the frame with BlueTex™ too, just make sure the FOIL SIDE of the product has at least ¼" to ½" of an air space between it and the exterior/interior sheathing. You can see more info on how to install here: Install BlueTex™ in Your Metal Building
What About Moisture?
Interior moisture (condensation) is created when relatively warm-moist air hits a cold surface (usually the metal of the building). One of the biggest issues we hear of with metal buildings are customers trying to find a solution to "sweating buildings" and we get it! We've written an extensive guide to teach you (1) what causes moisture in your metal building and (2) how to stop it.
Did you know? The problem itself may be what you're using the building for! Livestock, agriculture products, grain etc. are all commonly stored inside barns and sheds. These items will produce high levels of moisture & sometimes there's not much you can do about that. The best way to protect yourself against moisture forming inside a structure like that is to have plenty of ventilation to keep moisture from sticking, and pair it with a radiant barrier to stop the huge swings in temperature inside the building.
