I grew up in a hunting family and some of my fondest memories are the times I spent with my dad, grandparents, brother, and uncles out in the woods.

Whether it was deer, raccoon, or squirrel it was always a bonding and learning experience that I cherish to this day. 

What I didn’t love about going deer hunting with my dad was standing quietly in the cold in hopes that a buck would show up. I don’t remember the deer blind being particularly warm either.

Times have changed now, and hunters have more options at their disposal to keep them comfortable and safe while waiting to bag their big buck. From specialized equipment like grunt calls to using doe estrus to lure in the bucks, why not use new technology to also make your deer blind more comfortable.

RetroFoam of Michigan has been spray foaming all kinds of structures for more than 17 years. While foam is all we do, we also know what insulation options you have available, so you have a comfortable and insulated deer stand this season.

Here at RetroFoam of Michigan, we’re on a mission to educate everyone wanting to learn not just about foam insulation, but insulation in general. When it comes to insulation for a deer blind, we’ll talk about foam board, fiberglass, and spray foam.

Insulation for Deer Blinds

Insulation for your deer blind can really change your hunting game because you’ll be more comfortable, but there are even more benefits you might not have thought of.

Let’s first take a look at what your deer blind insulation options are, what they have to offer, and how they are installed.

Foam Board Insulation for Deer Blinds

Foam board insulation is sold as rigid panels that are made of either polystyrene, polyisocyanurate, or polyurethane.

You can buy these foam boards at any home improvement store in a variety of lengths, facings, and thicknesses. The foam board will need to be cut so it perfectly fits into the wall, floor, and ceiling cavities of your deer blind. One thing to note, if you insulate the floor joints with foam board, you’ll need to put something over top of it, like particleboard, so you aren’t walking directly on the insulation.

Foam boards are made to be water-resistant, so the material can help limit the amount of moisture buildup in your deer blind. It also can be done as a do-it-yourself project.

On the downside, the boards must be precisely cut to fit where you’re installing it and you must caulk or tape the seams to make sure there isn’t any airflow.

Fiberglass Insulation for Deer Blinds

Fiberglass insulation is made of extremely fine glass fibers.

You can buy fiberglass at any home improvement store and install it yourself. While fiberglass can be purchased as batts, blown-in, or loose-fill material, when you want an insulated deer hunting blind the batts will be the best option.

If you’re looking for a cheap option, then fiberglass is the way to go. You can also install the batts yourself on the floor, ceiling, and walls.

If you do decide on fiberglass, you’ll want to make sure to put either drywall or particle board over the cavities once it’s installed. That’s because the fiberglass can embed in your skin and can even be inhaled leading to issues with your lungs.

Another issue is going to be moisture. Fiberglass batts can retain moisture and that can lead to the formation of mold and mildew.

Spray Foam Insulation for Deer Blinds

Spray foam insulation for your deer blind can be either open cell spray foam or closed cell spray foam.

If you have a smaller blind, closed cell spray foam would be the better fit as it doesn’t expand as much as open cell. If you have a larger blind for you and your buddies, then open cell would work fine, and it can be shaved down to fit the studs.

Spray foam is a material that creates an air seal in any open cavity. It’s made by combining polyurethane with a blend of polyols, catalysts, a blowing agent, flame retardant, and surfactant. When these materials are mixed, spray foam is created.

The benefits of spray foam are it can help reduce noise coming from your blind. Another thing to consider is that it creates an air seal that keeps air from getting inside or out of the blind, which means it can help reduce your scent.

The downside of spray foam is that if you decided to have a contractor do it, you would be dealing with a minimum charge that can vary between $1,000 and $2,000 depending on the contractor. If you want spray foam and decide to do it yourself, you can buy kits at any home improvement store, but if you don’t know how to apply it you could end up with a lot of wasted materials with no real insulation coverage.

How to Insulate a Deer Blind

Whether you’ll do it yourself or hire a contractor, here’s exactly how you can get yourself an insulated deer blind.

Before you get started though, with all three of these materials you’ll need to make sure you cover the floor once the insulation has been installed. In most cases, you’ll want to also cover the walls, but that depends on the type of material you choose.

Also, before you can insulate your deer stand, if the floor, walls, and ceiling aren’t already studded out, you’ll also need to do that. 

Now let’s get down to it and talk about how to make your deer blind more comfortable.

How to Insulate a Deer Blind with Foam Board

Insulating your deer blind with foam board is pretty straight forward and you can do it yourself.

You can buy the foam board from any home improvement store and cut them to perfectly fit into the floor joists, ceiling, and wall cavities of your deer blind.

Once you have everything measure twice and cut, then you just need to put the boards into place. As you work throughout the blind, you will need to use special tape or caulk around the seams of the boards to prevent any air leaks.

For this project, it’s best to not only cover the floor insulation but the walls and ceiling too. This will prevent any critters that get into your blind from making a mess of the insulation.

How to Insulate a Deer Blind with Fiberglass

Similar to those foam boards, you can pick up the fiberglass batts at any hardware store and cut them to fit in the floor, wall, and ceiling cavities.

When you place the fiberglass in the cavities, you want to make sure it’s not crammed into place. If it is, then you could be left with gaps that allow for air movement which defeats the purpose of the insulation in the first place.

Once you have the fiberglass cut precisely to fit, you can install it into the cavities and staple it into place. When you’re finished, much like the foam board, you’ll want to cover the insulation to keep pests from trying to nest in it when you’re not there.

How to Insulate a Deer Blind with Spray Foam

Whether you choose to have a contractor spray open cell or closed cell or if you decide to spray the foam yourself, the actual installation is similar.

The biggest difference is that the kits obviously won’t be as high-pressure as a professional install. I’m also going to assume at this point you have watched tutorials from the manufacturer on how to use the kits and spray the foam.

Another thing to keep in mind – if you plan to hire a professional to spray foam your blind, you’ll likely need to do it in a shop and then take it to your favorite hunting spot. Unless you think they can drive the big trucks and trailers out to your location.

To get started, you’re going to want the space to clean off any dirt, dust, or if you had any old insulation you should pull it all out.

Once you have a clean canvas, the foam can be sprayed into the floor, wall, and ceiling cavities. If you’re having open cell installed you’ll need a minimum of 3-inches to create the air seal you’re looking for. Open cell has a high expansion rate, so you may end up trimming some of it back to make it flush with the studs. The open cell will also need to be covered, just because it is very pliable and if it gets bumped into it can damage the foam.

Closed cell needs a minimum of 2-inches of thickness to create an air seal. Now closed cell you can leave exposed everywhere except for the floor. It is much more durable, so it can take being bumped and knocked into.

The kits you can buy in either open cell or closed cell. It really comes down to your preference and whether you plan to cover the material.

Choosing the Best Insulation for Your Deer Blind

You have all of the deer blind insulation options laid out in front of you and even how to install them.

Now all you have to do is decide which one is going to work best in your blind. If you’re looking to insulate your deer blind on the cheap, then fiberglass might be the better option. If you’re looking to make it airtight and quieter, you might want to opt for the open cell spray foam.

One other thing to consider is that your deer blind has openings where outside air can get inside, so you’ll still need to have a heat source. The insulation you choose can help keep that heat inside where you want it.

We have a bunch of resources in the Learning Center on our website where you can learn even more about each of these materials. 

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