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Gap in fiberglass insulation in steel building wall cavity – GreenBuildingAdvisor
- January 13, 2026
- Posted by: wendy
- Category: Uncategorized
Hopefully a quick question:
I have a steel building with steel girts and purlins. I already have 1″ continuous XPS on the outside of the wall, but figured I would fill the cavity with rolls of 6″ R19 insulation (even though the steel girts will negate a fair amount of the R value). I found a good deal on 50ft rolls that are actually 24″ wide (not 23″ like normal wall cavity insulation)
I noticed that after putting them in the cavities (keep in mind my wall cavities go horizontal) they settle a small amount and I see a little 3/8″ gap between the top of the insulation and the next girt (See attached drawing).
Will this collect moisture or cause other issues in the cavity? If so, would either of the following options alleviate the issue?
A. ) Lay down a couple layers of 5.5″ sill sealer in each of the girts (they are hollow facing up).
B.) Cut strips of 1/2″ or even 1″ XPS and lay them in the bottom of the hollow girts.
Appreciate the help.