insulating a garage

[1s1k52]

I was needing some help insulating my garage from both hot and cooler weather. Two reasons. I would like to spend more time out there and it backs up to my daughters room. The garage door itself faces North and has two walls (obviously) on each side. One wall faces internally into the house. The other are on the East and West sides. So the sun is constantly on the garage. There is no insulation above the garage at all or on the door itself.

I have looked at " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for the door.

Anyone have an idea how much this would cost to see really effective results?

I don't intend on putting an air duct in the garage. The laundry room connects the garage and house. If insulating it happens I will buy a fan to move air from the house to the garage.

Any help is appreciated thanks.

[RPBrown]

You might look at buying flat sheets of ductboard from Home Depot or a similar store. Probably be cheaper than the product listed. That's what I used. You cannot legally install a duct from your house to the garage unless you convert it to a room with no combustible storage (car, lawnmower, etc). You could however install a separate system or window unit.
Unless it is an older home, pre-1970, the walls to the house should already be insulated but you might check that by drilling a small hole into the garage wall. If not, you could use the ductboard on the walls as well unless you want to remove the sheetrock to install batts.

[puma guy]

I was thinking of insulation my garage once and was advised against it. It has to do with moisture in the garage and no air conditioning to remove it. The insulation actually traps moisture. I no longer have that home, but the home I now have had a room installed above the garage and has insulation installed in the floor (ceiling of the garage). The paint is bubbled and some is peeling off the ceiling of the garage. Also some of the joint tape has let loose. I assume the cause is what was described to me when I asked about insulating a garage. I'm no expert, so you might want to check with a reputable insulation contractor.

[1s1k52]

I was thinking of insulation my garage once and was advised against it. It has to do with moisture in the garage and no air conditioning to remove it. The insulation actually traps moisture. I no longer have that home, but the home I now have had a room installed above the garage and has insulation installed in the floor (ceiling of the garage). The paint is bubbled and some is peeling off the ceiling of the garage. Also some of the joint tape has let loose. I assume the cause is what was described to me when I asked about insulating a garage. I'm no expert, so you might want to check with a reputable insulation contractor.

HMM some of the homes I go into now have insulated doors and are insulated in the attics but nothing aside from that looks different from my garage? so I wonder if I have over looked something minor.

[JALLEN]

Look online for spray on foam applicators. Not only are greater "R" values possible, but you can seal the structure, so the realized "R" value is greater.

I am in the process of rehabbing an old unfinished shed on my property, which will include spraying foam flush with the studs, walls and roof. This will result in a 16'x20' "beer cooler" that will take very little to heat or cool.

A foam contractor will know which options are most efficient for your situation, and know how to manage the moisture issues when structures are air-tight.

[Keith B]

Foam sheathing (rigid insulaiton board) or duct board can be easily cut and snapped into place on your garage door panels. That will make a large difference in the heating from solar radiation on the garage doors. If the walls are finished inside, then you may already have insulation in them, depending on the age of the home. Mine does and it is 15 years old. Otherwise you could put the insulation board on the walls as well.

As for air, RPB is correct, do NOT put a duct into your gargage as it will violate code. You would be better off buying a[url=http://www.homedepot.com/b/webapp/catal ... 5yc1vZc4m4[/url] stand alone air unit for summer and use a quartz space heater for winter.

[1s1k52]

house was built early 2000. How about above the garage? attic stairs?

[Keith B]

house was built early 2000. How about above the garage? attic stairs?

If there is a living area above the garage, then it shoudl be insulated. If it is unfinished use blown-in insulaiton or bats of roll insuation (easy to install.)

[cb1000rider]

I was thinking of insulation my garage once and was advised against it. It has to do with moisture in the garage and no air conditioning to remove it. The insulation actually traps moisture. I no longer have that home, but the home I now have had a room installed above the garage and has insulation installed in the floor (ceiling of the garage). The paint is bubbled and some is peeling off the ceiling of the garage. Also some of the joint tape has let loose. I assume the cause is what was described to me when I asked about insulating a garage. I'm no expert, so you might want to check with a reputable insulation contractor.

YMMV, but I have a large insulated garage. It's open-cell foam insulated within ceiling. Open cell foam on the side facing the house interior and the rest of it is standard fiberglass insulation.
It can retain heat when you part hot cars in it, but I've had no issues with pain bubbling, lose joints, or drywall.

Note, my garage doors are not insulated.

[puma guy]

I was thinking of insulation my garage once and was advised against it. It has to do with moisture in the garage and no air conditioning to remove it. The insulation actually traps moisture. I no longer have that home, but the home I now have had a room installed above the garage and has insulation installed in the floor (ceiling of the garage). The paint is bubbled and some is peeling off the ceiling of the garage. Also some of the joint tape has let loose. I assume the cause is what was described to me when I asked about insulating a garage. I'm no expert, so you might want to check with a reputable insulation contractor.

HMM some of the homes I go into now have insulated doors and are insulated in the attics but nothing aside from that looks different from my garage? so I wonder if I have over looked something minor.

If your garage floor was poured with a vapor barrier you can probably get away with it. That's where much of the moisture comes from. Both my houses were built in the mid 1960's and that was definitely not the practice back then, I don't know if it's even standard now to pour garages with a vapor barrier. Of course if you air condition (window unit) the garage it will help keep the moisture down.

YMMV, but I have a large insulated garage. It's open-cell foam insulated within ceiling. Open cell foam on the side facing the house interior and the rest of it is standard fiberglass insulation.
It can retain heat when you part hot cars in it, but I've had no issues with pain bubbling, lose joints, or drywall.

Note, my garage doors are not insulated.

If the house was built with a room above the garage or insulation was installed at the time the builder probably took steps to eliminate ground moisture from migrating through the slab. I live on the gulf coast so there's usually plenty of moisture (recent droughts not withstanding) in the gumbo soil. Like I said I'm no expert just going by what the contractor told me when I was adding insulation and thought about doing the garage. I just remebered we had our rent house re-insulated two years ago and the guys advised against doing the garage as well.

[1s1k52]

yeah no cars are touching my "man cave" I work on my cars in my driveway or pay someone else to do it. We have a 2011 equinox and a 2002 accord so little to no work is ever required to do inside the garage.

[cb1000rider]

If the house was built with a room above the garage or insulation was installed at the time the builder probably took steps to eliminate ground moisture from migrating through the slab. I live on the gulf coast so there's usually plenty of moisture (recent droughts not withstanding) in the gumbo soil. Like I said I'm no expert just going by what the contractor told me when I was adding insulation and thought about doing the garage. I just remebered we had our rent house re-insulated two years ago and the guys advised against doing the garage as well.

That's correct. The foundation has a moisture barrier. Not that central Texas gets any moisture anymore...

[cb1000rider]

I'm glad I live in a area where there is no such thing as code. We bought a 2 year old house in 2004 that has duct work running out to the garage. I can open or close air flow by a damper valve. I have always left it closed but it is nice to know that I have the option.

That code exists so it's a little harder to kill yourself via forgetting that the car is running in the garage.. It may be a darwinism-preventer, but I'm just sayin'....

On a side note, for garage AC, they make these highly efficient ductless split AC systems. The do require the penetration of an exterior wall, but they wouldn't violate code in most residential areas.

And I'm with you RoadRunner, there are advantages to living in an area without a lot of city regulation.

[puma guy]

I'm glad I live in a area where there is no such thing as code. We bought a 2 year old house in 2004 that has duct work running out to the garage. I can open or close air flow by a damper valve. I have always left it closed but it is nice to know that I have the option.

That code exists so it's a little harder to kill yourself via forgetting that the car is running in the garage.. It may be a darwinism-preventer, but I'm just sayin'....

On a side note, for garage AC, they make these highly efficient ductless split AC systems. The do require the penetration of an exterior wall, but they wouldn't violate code in most residential areas.

And I'm with you RoadRunner, there are advantages to living in an area without a lot of city regulation.

The codes are written with the best intentions, but don't always make sense. Fumes from an running car engine in a garage are just as likely to infiltrate back to a house w/o duct since the return pulls from a source whether it's fed by a forced air flow or not. The code for having a water heater 18 inches above the floor makes sense in a garage where there's a likely hood of a gasoline or volatile liquid leak providing heavier than air fumes. The code in our fair city doesn't make an exception for water heaters installed inside the house. I had to argue with our inspector that since we have a detached garage, gasoline fumes were not likely a problem. Then he told me there could always be a natural gas leak and added that the platform had to be metal because, according to him, if there was a fire the metal heater stand wouldn't burn up, thus would still be elevated! Uh! Yeah but #1 Methane is lighter than air and #2 if the place is on fire a gasoline leak most likely is, too! I eventually won out since the dryer was adjacent to the heater and it wasn't elevated. He just wrote N/A.