Supplies You Will Need
- Fiberglass insulation
- Although there are many types of insulation, in order to fully insulate your garage ceiling rafters, you will first need to pick a material to use. Fiberglass insulation will be the easiest to install yourself otherwise, you may need to go with a professional.
How Much Will It Cost To Insulate My Garage
It will cost you between $0.50 to $1.25 per square foot to insulate your garage. So, if youre insulating a two-car garage, you can do this for $345 to $850. It depends on how much of it you are insulating, as well as the insulation materials that you purchase. Also, dont forget to account for any tools you need to buy or rent as well.
If you decided to hire a professional to do this, then the cost will be quite a bit more. You would be looking at $345 to $850 plus the cost of labor. For labor, you would be paying between $45 and $150 per hour depending on who you hire, and the company that you go through. However, this is such an easy project to do on your own. We advise you to attempt this on your own before paying the money to hire someone.
Look For Cracks And Holes Around The Garage
Any gaps throughout the garage will allow heat and cold to enter, rendering your insulation somewhat useless. That being said, look around the garage for any openings.
Even small cracks should be filled. You can easily find these openings by looking for areas that let sunlight shine into the garage.
If you are using expanding foam, make sure you only fill the opening about halfway. The expanding foam will continue to grow and cover the area. If using caulking, you should fill the spot entirely.
Don’t Miss: How Many Boxes Of Roofing Nails Per Square
Can I Insulate A Garage Roof Myself
Sure you can and it is very important to insulate the ceiling of your garage. This is particularly important for the warmer and cooler months. The insulation will keep the heat trapped in your home and allow you to save on your heating bill, during the cooler months. Also, remember to use thicker insulation and the recommended type is called R-40 insulation, this will give you the best insulation. You can install this insulation the same way you would install insulation to the walls of your garage.
Lay the R-40 insulation in between the 2×4s of the wall frame and then you will sheetrock to cover the insulation. The sheetrock will provide an extra layer to keeping the warm air trapped in the walls of the garage. It is recommended that you pre-cut your insulation strips so that its an easier installation. Lastly, ensure the paper side of the insulation is against the conditioned side of the home.
Installing Batting Or Rolls From The Bottom
Pick out insulation that works with the joist gaps you have in your ceiling. Insulation is made to fit standard wall studs and ceiling joist dimensions. Look up local codes to see if you need to use faced insulation or unfaced insulation. Faced insulation has a paper or plastic vapor retarder layer on one side.
Batt or roll insulation is installed by pushing it through the ceiling joists. You pull it back down flush to the bottom of the joists. Butt the ends of the batts as close to each other as you can without scrunching up the insulation.
For shorter joists near corners or walls, you may need to cut down the batt to fit. Cut the batt 1 inch wider than the joist gap.
If required staple the facing to the sides of the joists every 8 to 12 inches. Check the local codes to see if this is required.
If you are near an electrical box or light fixture leave clearance. You should leave at least 3 inches around any light fixture. Some local codes will require you to install an insulation baffle around the fixture as well.
For wiring you should cut gaps or slots in the insulation to clear the wiring.
Install a poly vapor barrier on the bottom face of the joists after the insulation if your local code requires it. This will help prevent mold from growing in the ceiling and insulation. Use a 1 joist overlap between sheets of poly vapor barrier. Staple the barrier to the bottom horizontal surface of the joists.
Recommended Reading: How To Fix Gazebo Roof
How To Insulate A Finished Garage Wall Using Injection Foam
First of all you have to make sure that you locate all the closed cavities. Normally the studs of a 2X4 drywall will be 16 apart and the studs of a 2X6 drywall will be 24 apart. But in an old house do not assume that.
You can locate the studs using a stud finder. It is better to check the wall both horizontally and vertically. Sometimes, vertical studs are joined together by horizontal bridging or fire-stops, to increase structural strength.
Tavool Stud Finder is professionally designed! It senses a change in density in the space behind the wall and locates the stud center with GREAT ACCURACY. In addition, the shape of this wall scanner also shows the edges of the stud.
In case of a single cavity between two studs , you need to drill three holes, through which the Injection Foam hose can be pushed into the cavity. Bottom. Middle & Top. Remember three holes for each stud bay.
The Injection Foam is pumped first through the bottom hole, then the middle hole and finally the top hole. The holes can then be plugged.
Should A Garage Roof Be Insulated Everything You Need To Know
Garage insulation has been a topic of interest for a long time. Thats because there are different opinions from homeowners and building contractors about it. Whether or not you should insulate your garage roof ultimately depends on how you use your garage. And in this article, Ill explain the instances where its essential to insulate the garage roof and cases in which it isnt. Lets get into it.
Insulating your garage roof may be unnecessary if you only park your car in the garage. However, if you spend a lot of time in your garage, it is an excellent idea to insulate the garage roof and the garage walls. Thats because it will help keep the garage at a moderate temperature in all seasons and reduce heating and cooling costs.
Lets take a look at some compelling reasons why you should definitely insulate the garage roof. And then, after that, we discuss when it may be unnecessary to insulate the roof. Later in the article, we will discuss some other vital factors to consider when you want to insulate the roof.
Don’t Miss: How Much Does A Gable Roof Cost
What Type Of Insulation Should I Use
There are several different types of insulation you can use, but Sebring recommends using fiberglass insulation sold in rolls or batts to insulate your garage yourself. He says this is the easiest DIY choice.
Advantages of fiberglass insulation rolls and batts:
- Easy to handle and use between framing.
- Can be used in all areas floors, walls and ceilings.
If youd prefer using any other kind of insulation, he suggests hiring a professional. Some materials are harder to find, more expensive and require more experience to install.
| Insulation Type |
|
How To Insulate A Garage
As the UK property market is so uncertain right now, many homeowners are choosing to improve their current property rather than move on. This means theres never been a better time to start work on your own home, for example refurbishing or converting your garage. Whether youre looking to expand the amount of living space you have, or you need a dedicated home office, insulation is key to making your garage comfortable all year round.
Recommended Reading: How To Install Snow Stops On Metal Roof
How To Insulate A Finished Garage Wall Using Blown In Insulation
The process of insulating a Finished Garage Wall using Blown In Insulation is a lot simpler than using Injection Foam. It is possible to do it yourself.
The home center such as Home Depot will loan you the blower. Buy 20 bags of All Borate Greenfiber cellulose insulation, available at Home Depot and they will give you the blower for 24 hours free of charge.
Unlike, Injection Foam. you need to just drill one hole at the top for each stud bay. You then blow in the insulation using the blower and a long hose. The process is pretty much mess free and safe.
However, Blown In Insulation has one important drawback when compared to Injection Foam. Blown In Insulation does not act as an air barrier, while Injection Foam has excellent air barrier properties.
Fiberglass Batts Or Rolls
The most common type of insulation is fiberglass batt or roll insulation. It is made up of fiberglass fibers in big fluffy rolls or batts. Batts are precut sheets. Rolls are exactly what they sound like. For ceilings it is recommended to use R30 or R38 insulation. The R value is how well it insulates. Thicker insulation has higher R-values. You should use insulation that matches the thickness of your ceiling joists.
Roll or batt insulation can be bare or faced. Faced insulation has a paper barrier on one side. Depending on where you are, local code may require you to use faced insulation. Before starting any project such as this, check your local building codes to see what rules there are.
See this article and table from Johns Manville for a guide on what R-Value insulation to use where you live.
Recommended Reading: How Much For A Porch Roof
Inspect Your Ceiling And Measure Between The Joists
Your first step in any insulation project is to ensure that you have an ample amount of Insulation. It can be done with a ladder and measuring tape
Measure out the height, width, and depth of your joists. Typically speaking, hardware stores will have fiberglass batts that fit those standard measurements.
If you have some unusual ceiling joists, be prepared to make cuts to compensate for those. If you find any damage to your ceiling, you will need to repair it before beginning.
Types Of Garage Roof Pitched Or Flat
Roof construction in different parts of the world is done differently. Before doing anything else, take into consideration the type of roof your garage has and plan out your insulation accordingly.
If it is a pitched roof or if you plan to build a room above the garage with a pitched roof in the future, the requirements will be different than if you are dealing with a flat roof with less than 10 degrees of pitch.
For a flat roof, you will need to check for waterproofing as well and make sure the existing roof structure is not damaged, as the requirements for insulation will be different if there is damage.
You May Like: How Can I Tell If My Roof Is Leaking
This Is A 4th Story On A 3 Family House
Make your finished basement warm and inviting by installing floor insulation. Insulating your attic can lower your heating and cooling costs by as much as $600 per year. This is a 4th story on a 3 family house. Image of person’s feet stand. Here’s a quick guide to roof ventilation systems. Learn how to insulate an attic by yourself. You have read all of the advice and know t. Transform your finished basement into a warm and comfortable space by installing basement floor insulation with these tips from hgtv. And the person helping me has said the roof needs to breath. You are paying entirely too much on heating bills. Video playback not supported homeowners ask me all the time how to control their monthly utility bills. I think this will keep the 3rd. Find out if you need a vapor barrier.
Here’s a look at how to insulate a floor. Nicole asks, when finishing an attic, which way should i face the insulation, or should i use nothing at all?since both the attic above and room below will be heated, you can use unfaced insulation without a vapor barrier or no insulation. Learn how to insulate an attic by yourself. Here’s a quick guide to roof ventilation systems. If hot or cold air is entering your home through the attic, you may need more insulation.
Rafters Vs Trusses: Whats The Difference
From the outside, a typical trusses and rafters style garage is identifiable from the outside by its single-story height and pitched roof. On the inside, rafters and trusses can be easily differentiated by their appearance. Both styles will appear similar at first, this is thanks to common attributes they both have, such as sections that span the entirety of most garages, bottom joists and rafter boards. The most readily identifiable difference you can usually spot is that trusses will have been prefabricated off-site to the exact dimensions of your garage. Thus, trusses typically use more 2x4s in their structure than you would find in normal rafter constructions, which lends them a more distinctive webbing design.
Long story short the only real difference that you should be concerned about when it comes to the utility of rafters versus trusses and this project is how it will affect the amount of weight your existing structure will be able to support. In general, trusses will be able to support more weight and will be more cost effective to work with. But if your structure is already built, you dont have much choice at this point, do you?
You May Like: Does House Insurance Cover Roof Leaks
Do You Have A Finished Or Unfinished Ceiling
If your garage ceiling isnt finished and you have exposed joists you have a few options. You can install batt or roll insulation from the bottom and then finish it with drywall. You can install drywall and then use blown in loose fill insulation or batt insulation from the top.
If your garage ceiling is already finished then you will need to insulate it from the top. This means going into the attic and installing batt or roll insulation or blowing in loose fill.
If you have an attached garage with a room above it, the builder may or may not have insulated the ceiling. Never in the history of the world have home builders cut corners. If the garage ceiling is finished and there is a room above with flooring you will have to decide whether you want to rip out the flooring or the garage ceiling to add insulation.
How To Insulate Your Garage Ceiling
Insulating your garage ceiling begins by making sure there are no leaks in the roof. Water is the enemy of insulation, so if water gets into your frame, it will destroy any existing insulation you have and cause dampness that can breed mold or mildew.
Next, if you intend to add insulation yourself, make sure its the right type for your garage. The best choice is spray-foam insulation. Although pricey, it has a high R-value and is extremely durable.
For a quicker solution, you can use Styrofoam board insulation. Its less effective overall, but much cheaper to install and still provides good insulation protection.
Once you have chosen an insulation material for your garage, cut out pieces that will fit around the room and place them into place with a staple gun or other fasteners. You can also get a professional to help you with insulating your garage if this is too daunting of a task for you.
Don’t Miss: How Do I Know If My Roof Is Leaking
How To Insulate A Garage Door
Insulating a garage door can be more involved than insulating the walls and ceiling. The easiest option is to buy an already-insulated door. If youd prefer to cut costs and stick to the DIY option for insulating a garage door, we recommend buying a garage door insulation kit. The process should be fairly similar to insulating the walls and ceiling.
Keep in Mind: When you insulate the door, youre adding weight to it. You many need to change the springs to retain tension and balance so that it stays closed properly. This is why it may be easier to get an already-insulated door or have a professional help you.
How To Insulate A Garage Ceiling
Insulating the ceiling of your garage involves the same process as insulating the walls. Just remember to use thicker R-40 insulation.
Safety Tip: Measure the height and width between the framing in the ceiling and pre-cut the pieces youll need. This will help while youre up on the ladder.
Insulating the ceiling is the most important part of the garage because heat rises and escapes through the roof. Similar to wearing a hat in the winter, you need to make sure the top of the garage is protected to trap the heat in.
Don’t Miss: Will A New Roof Lower My Home Insurance
How Should I Insulate My Garage Roof If I Want To Use The Garage As A Workshop
I have read a lot about proper insulation and ventilation, including some posts on this site, but none adequately answer my questions.
My goal is to operate an electric heat source in the winter and have ~60 °F temperature maintained when working in the garage. In the summer, I think we will typically leave the garage door open, however it would be nice to one day have it stay cool in there if it’s 90-100 °F outside.
This is in Ohio, where we typically have temps of 0-95 °F throughout the year, it can also get pretty humid.
I do not have soffit vents, but there is a ridge vent on the roof already installed. I do not want to drywall nor do I want to build a ceiling.
As you see in the photos I have already insulated the walls with R15 Batt installation. Now I’m unsure where to go from here for roof 2×6’s. I bought some radiant barrier R11-equivelent insulation , which I was planning to attach to the end of the 2×6’s above, which leaves plenty of ventilation behind them, should be “ok” in the winter and pretty decent in the summer. However, not having soffit vents, I’m unsure if that is the proper use-case.
You’ll see from the wall install that I have no concerns about a vapor barrier, and do not care to seal my garage 100% ). However, I am concerned about mold/moisture problems in the space.
I would love some feedback as to the proper way to proceed here. Ideally I can make use of my radiant barriers, and ideally I won’t have to cut in soffit vents.
