If you tend to spend considerable time in your garage to do some work, it is worth making it more comfortable. By insulating interior garage walls, you will reduce noises, and prevent gasses from entering a house. Additionally, you will have a safer living environment. Besides, if you have an attic above the garage, the spray foam will bring benefits. You will not need a great deal of energy to heat or cool the space.
Planning Your Garage Insulation
When it comes to garage insulation your garage may be characterized by a number of factors that will determine your insulation decisions:
- Is your garage attached to your house?
- In what ways do you use or intend to use your garage?
- Are you noticing air loss through your garage walls?
- Could you use some savings to your bill?
The average cost for insulating the walls and ceiling of a garage is 400-800 USD with the materials’ price running you between 0.50 USD and 2 USD per square foot. Those who prefer the utmost comfort will still be able to benefit from ventilating the garage to avoid sweltering heat and freezing cold in the winter depending on the climate they live in. Neighbors and cars driving by can also be bothersome. Statistics show that insulation of your garage will almost cut your heating bill in half, not to mention preserving the longevity of your AC and heaters.
Initial Considerations
The first priority areas of the garage to insulate are any rooms bordering the garage or the ceiling. If it is detached and you don’t spend much time in your garage, you are better off not insulating it and saving your money. If it is attached to your home and your home was built more than 10 or 20 years ago along with the current insulation in place, it is likely in need of an upgrade. Insulation degrades over time and loses its R value. Furthermore, government regulations for insulation have made significant strides in the past couple decades. You may first want to start by checking whether you have insulation between your garage and any rooms bordering it from the side or up above. Cutting into your walls (better from the garage side) or peering into your electric sockets will reveal whether any insulation is present. You also have a clue in the event you are pestered by drafts, heat, and loud noise commonly coming from your garage.
Watch Out for Moisture Damage
An important consideration of course in any improperly insulated sections of your home is dampness, check your garage studs and crevices to see if any is present. Any moisture can cause rotting and mold which may possibly harm construction elements and reduce the value of your home.
Fortifying Your Garage Walls
In order to insulate your wall, you will need to remove any attachments, hooks, shelves, and other elements off them. When it comes to insulating the ceiling and walls of garages, the most popular types of home insulation used for the garage include the following:
- rock wool
- fiberglass blankets
- foam boards
- spray foam insulation
Filling in the crevices is done in the best quality using a polyurethane sprayer. Insulation in the floor will also add extra heating and possibly more of an aesthetic appeal. When it comes to the garage door, the way it is commonly insulated is by way of insulation retainer pins being applied to it and insulation placed inside the retainer pins.
Ceiling over Walls
Options for insulating garage walls include outside or the inside insulation placement. Doing it from the outside protects you better against moisture and offers more space preservation while the inside route offers more convenience and is more economical. The ceiling is preferable to insulating any other part of the garage, unless your garage is only bordered horizontally. Featuring a large volume of space, your ceiling also requires a higher R value (at least R-38) than your walls. Both the ceiling and wall crevices are difficult to do and can only be handled adequately by polyurethane spray foam insulation. You are best not doing it on your own if you want the job to be done worthwhile and will likely require the service of a professional company. Measure your garage dimensions and use a calculator to obtain a ballpark estimate of what your garage’s insulation will approximately cost you.