Any thoughts on the best way to insulate a relatively big garage (22X40 ft, 10 ft walls)?? Hand rolling it will take a lot of time. I talked to a company that sells "Icynene", this blow in/on product that is supposedly way superior to run of the mill insulation, but costs 2.5 times the regular insulation. They quoted me over the phone over $4K for the garage. Seems steep. BTW, the walls are bare. Studs exposed, so it will be relatively easy (nothing to work around). Will dry wall in the future. Thanks
Took me and my son day and a half to insulate (w/fiberglass) my 30x50 shop, 12' walls, ceiling, too. Unpleasant work, but I'll do it again on new shop next year. Move slowly, and handle it gently--makes less dust in the air. Wear a mask! Make sure you complete your wiring/utilities/plumbing, first. You've got a nice sized shop. Some advice: Go ahead and finish your shop now--otherwise, if you are like most people, you will have it packed full of stuff that will have to come back out when you do finish. Luck!
I did my own also---very simple just nasty stuff to work with. Insulation--a razor knife and staple gun and your set...
My garage has 12ft block walls, but I did have to insulate the ceiling and I used the roll out fiberglass pink panther stuff. I used the R-19.
I happen to be an insulation contractor....done a few F-chatter's homes too! ....but I'm in L.A. so I can't help ya do the actual work. The foam is costly but it works, it's very air-tight and you can throw darts at it till you get around to drywalling! You'll never be able to run wires as it hardens. The R-value is about the same as any other insulation material. Good soundproofing too. Fiberglass is going to be your least expensive and most practical solution. It itches like hell and I strongly suggest you not inhale any of those tiny little glass-fibers (drywall soon!!!)...there's a warning-hazard label on the bag warning of the risks associated with exposure to such small, sharp and rigid fibers...might even be the asbestos of tomorrow!! Rats LOVE to live in it, insects can too. If it gets moist it's an excellent media for mold & mildew. Soundproofing is minimial to negligent. My suggestion happens to be my speciality: CELLULOSE. The R-value is higher per inch then fiberfu(k, it's non-flammable, insect, termite, rodent, vermin, mold, mildew & fungus resistant. It's great for soundproofing and it's much less costly then the foam. You will have to find a contractor who has the ability to blow it onto your open-framed walls and then use a 'scrubber' to shave it down flush with the walls. You'll also need to drywall relatively soon afterwards. I would imagine you should be able to find this service for about .75 to 1.10 per square foot: more then fiberglass, but less then foam. Far superior insulating & soundproofing qualities. let me know if you have any questions.... - Steve
Hey, Steve, good post. I've seen the product you mention in the builder's magazines that used to dominate my life. That cellulose is different than the 'loose' stuff (talk about 'habitat'!) commonly used to retro-fit attics/walls, isn't it? Got some kind of adhesive/hardener in it to help it stand in vertical cavity 'till sheetrock, no? Also, can you use this same process overhead? Keith
Do you plan on keeping the garage heated or just fire up a heater while you're in there? If you are going to keep it heated and spend a lot of time out there I think Steve's idea with the cellulose might be the best way to go. I'm planning of having it blown into my house. I was real impressed by the sound deadening qualities when the guy came over to show me the product, it has a high R value, won't mildew and it also acts as a firestop. He quoted me around 4k for the whole house which I didn't think was too bad. The house is 30x50 and 2 stories tall, so I imagine it would be half that for your garage. If you are not going to keep it heated and will only fire up a space heater when you are working in there, then the fiberglass may be the way to go. You won't really care about maximum effeciency. Another thing to think about, instead of drywall you could put up oriented strand board (OSB sheathing). I have it in my garage (painted white). A little more expensive but a heck of a lot tougher when you start banging into it with tools and yard equipment. The other great beauty of this stuff is that you can put in a screw, a hook or a shelf anywhere you want without having to worry about locating a stud.
Here's a pic of the OSB in my garage. Try doing this with drywall. The shelving rails are actually on studs but how many times do you think you could pull those wrenches off the wall with drywall before the screws fall out? Image Unavailable, Please Login
I want to keep it about 45 degrees... basically keep it from getting brutally cold. The OSB looks like painted particle board... is it? Thanks Steve R.... something else to look into! I REALLY like the idea of no mold, no rodents, etc (just trapped several mice in the basement!)
OSB is a structural alternative to plywood. Much less expensive. Go check it out at building supply to view it first hand. Hard to paint. My standard Poodle caught a large rat in the front yard last night on her walk. Please, don't ask for pics of what was left of it before I could get it away from her!
Like quartermaster said, it is a cheaper grade of plywood. Stronger than particleboard, weaker than plywood. It's not that hard to paint. A medium nap roller will do it. First coat should be a primer sealer, second coat a gloss latex for easy clean up. Since you do plan on keeping it heated, I'd go with the best insulation you can afford now. You will notice the difference in the heating bill.
Well, my HIGH-PERFORMANCE poodle (vs. your "standard") didn't just destroy the rat.....she placed a homing-device on the rat, used a GPS tracker to follow the rat back to it's home...and destroyed the whole den of rats!!! You gotta upgrade your poodle dude....can't believe you're still running 'standard'
I am also doing a 28 x 40 garage (3 bay) with an exta lean to and am still in the design stage but the design hasa raised centre bay roof with a 2 post hoist. With regard to plumbing in air, water, power etc where has everyone got their thoughts from on interior design to make sure nothing's missed out? I'm currently just sketching out plans on graph paper and I will be doing a search on F chat as well
I've long considered modifying the mutt to upgrade her performance, but have restrained myself to avoid disqualification at Pebble Beach... Keith
Hey John, I love your addition to my shelf. I guess with that kind of tool you need plenty of lube available.
On a serious note....... On a cost scale of 1-10, 10 being the most expensive: Fiberglass would be a 3, Cellulose would be a 5 and foam would be a 9 The marginally higher cost of cellulose is well worth it, especially if you can find an insulation contractor who is reasonable & competitive. The cellulose is significantly a superior material as compared to fiberglass, well worth the additional cost. The foam is way too expensive and offers no advantages over the cellulose. Simple as that. When contractors spray celluose onto a wall, they attach an assebly or nozzle onto the end of the spray-hose. The nozzle has 4-6 micro-sprayers that inject/spray a mist of watered-down glue into the stream of cellulose....this additional adhesive allows the cellulose to "stick" in place on the wall while it's shaved smooth with the wall and then covered with drywall. The adhesive quality is only good enough to hold about 6" on a vertical walls surface....they tried it on a ceiling and there's no way it'll hold itself against direct gravity pulling it straight down. As for the OSB, it is now considered as strong as most plywood....they're using it for roof sheating and even shearwall applications. I do like the stronger qualities such that you can attach screws, nails, etc to it....BUT it doesn't have a smooth finished texture and looks a bit rough when painted. Drywall looks smoother & prettier, but it's very much subject to damage if something hits it.
