Finishing Inside of Garage - Insulation?

[TechBoyJK]

My gf is buying a house, and we're wanting to finish the walls in the garage. There's no insulation in the roof/ceiling of the garage, and we're just wanting to cover up the wood and make it look nicer.

Since we're not going to hang a drop ceiling or anything, is there any point to putting in insulation along the walls before I hang dry wall? We really just want the walls to look nice and finished. Nothing more, nothing less. I was thinking I could slap up some drywall and paint it and call it a day.

thoughts?

 

[NetWareHead]

Is the garage a separate building? Or is it integrated into the house with a bedroom on top for instance?

Is there heat/hvac in this space? Any water pipes?

If the garage is not going to be habitable, might you consider making it into a workshop for projects

If no to all of these and you dont mind the inside of the garage being cold/hot, forget the insulation.

 

[highland145]

Insulation is relatively cheap/easy to install and, one day, you might want to do something else with the space. I'd do it now.

 

[TechBoyJK]

The garage is attached

No bedroom above.

No hvac in the area that I'm aware of.

I will likely have a small workbench and tool area but it will be mostly used for 2 vehicles and storage.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Would this be adequate for insulation? Is there something cheaper? I'm already leaning towards putting some basic, inexpensive insulation in.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_31116-1722-B1284_1z135rz__?productId=3032423&pl=1

 

[highland145]

Assuming 2X4s, that would be the norm, imo.

The paper faces into the room.

 

[NetWareHead]

Would this be adequate for insulation? Is there something cheaper? I'm already leaning towards putting some basic, inexpensive insulation in.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_31116-1722-B1284_1z135rz__?productId=3032423&pl=1

Im a big fan of roxul insulation which is miles better than fiberglass insulation. I wont ever install fiberglass if I have roxul as an option.

At the very least, I'd insulate the wall of the garage that is shared with the house.

 

[TechBoyJK]

roxul is a lot more expensive though, is it not?

I'm wanting w/e is the least expensive effective solution. Budget is tight.

 

[NetWareHead]

roxul is a lot more expensive though, is it not?

I'm wanting w/e is the least expensive effective solution. Budget is tight.

Assuming you have 2x4 walls based on your insulation choice and that covers 40 sq ft for $19.49

http://www.lowes.com/pd_138683-1278-RXCB351525_0__?productId=3388304&Ntt= is roxul for 2x4 construction that covers 59.7 sq ft for $41.97

IMO its worth it. Itches less, stands up on its own (structurally stable and wont sink in the wall cavity), doesnt mold, resists water, better sound proofing and fire proof. Check it out and then install what you see fit.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

I wouldn't insulate. Why bother? I'd also not use drywall. Plywood lets you hang all sorts of nails and hooks on the walls for storage and organization.

 

[herm0016]

I wouldn't insulate. Why bother? I'd also not use drywall. Plywood lets you hang all sorts of nails and hooks on the walls for storage and organization.

because its fairly cheap and much harder to do later.

drywall gives some fire protection, though ply would provide better mounting surface for stuff.

 

[TechBoyJK]

I wouldn't insulate. Why bother? I'd also not use drywall. Plywood lets you hang all sorts of nails and hooks on the walls for storage and organization.

The gf wants the inside to look 'finished'... We're going to epoxy the floor with something nice/simple and then paint the walls to match the rest of the house.

 

[Humpy]

I wouldn't insulate either.

If the shared wall with the rest of the house isn't insulated already then insulate that wall. (Edit: Use fire rated sheetrock here as well.)

Unless you intend to regularly heat/cool the space there is very little benefit in adding insulation.

 

[DrPizza]

It's a no-brainer - insulate. If 10 years from now you decide, "hey, we never park the cars in here anyway - let's turn this into a mancave" or "hey, if we don't park the cars in here, this could be the kids' play room" or "heyyyy, let's put in some engineered hardwood flooring, along with a protective covering if we decide to pull in the car - then this could be an awesome home theater for us and the kids" then, you're going to be kicking yourself in the rear for not doing the insulation in the first place.

And throw in plenty of outlets before you put up the drywall - plan for the unexpected future. It's trivial to put in outlets now; and a major pain in the neck to do it after the drywall is up. (Same goes for the insulation.)

 

[Humpy]

It's a no-brainer - insulate. If 10 years from now you decide, "hey, we never park the cars in here anyway - let's turn this into a mancave" or "hey, if we don't park the cars in here, this could be the kids' play room" or "heyyyy, let's put in some engineered hardwood flooring, along with a protective covering if we decide to pull in the car - then this could be an awesome home theater for us and the kids" then, you're going to be kicking yourself in the rear for not doing the insulation in the first place.

And throw in plenty of outlets before you put up the drywall - plan for the unexpected future. It's trivial to put in outlets now; and a major pain in the neck to do it after the drywall is up. (Same goes for the insulation.)

That is an argument not to insulate now and a dis-service to the OP IMO. To plan anything for the future in any useful way requires a pretty big scope creep that puts the project potentially out of budget.

Unless the electrical is planned for now, and an energy source for future heating/cooling is planned for now, and/or duct work extensions planned for now, and plumbing planned for now, and the future of the OH door is planned for now, etc., then insulation installed now, in addition to potentially never being of benefit, will make improvements more expensive and time consuming in the future.

In the event that the intended use for the room changes in the future it is of little consequence to remove all of the sheetrock, without also having to remove insulation, and remodel the space as needed at that point.

Guessing the future rarely pans out financially when it comes to home remodeling.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I wouldn't insulate. Why bother? I'd also not use drywall. Plywood lets you hang all sorts of nails and hooks on the walls for storage and organization.

I was just going to say this

 

[highland145]

That is an argument not to insulate now and a dis-service to the OP IMO. To plan anything for the future in any useful way requires a pretty big scope creep that puts the project potentially out of budget.

My only issue would be where to place the outlets. Code level or 5' around the room for work benches. He can run a Mr Slim for heat/air down the line. The insulation is small $$/time/effort compared to ripping out sheet rock and starting over.

Yeah, the plumbing would be a problem but it's just a garage/bonus room. Go in the house and pee.

imo...


and

The gf wants the inside to look 'finished'...

 

[Red Squirrel]

Definitely insulate/vapour barrier it, while you can. Much easier to do now than later. You might want to work in there in winter for example. You can run a 100 amp feeder and electric heat (easy) or put a small gas heater (more involved, probably need a pro to do gas line). I want to do this with my garage eventually, it's too small to use for a vehicle and right now it's a glorified shed, so I want to build a shed to move most of the stuff out and then redo the garage so I can use it all year round. I get maybe like 4 weeks of the year that I can do anything in there, it's either too cold or too hot.

 

[Humpy]

It's awfully easy to spend other people's money when all they really want is to brighten the place up with some paint.

In limited situations one might guess right and spending the time/money now would be financially worth it. So many variables that it is unlikely though. What if it gets turned into a home theater? It doesn't take many drywall patches from adding new circuits, speakers, and wiring to exceed the total cost of starting from scratch. Same with adding a new window or door and having to contend with existing wiring. Do covenants even allow a conversion? Will it require attic venting? What about the giant un-insulated OH door? Attic storage? Utility sink? Grow room?

Even when it will probably just always be a garage? D:

 

[highland145]

Even when it will probably just always be a garage? D:

eff that..

But I'm not spending his future kid's college fund. It's just insulation.


Dang, Humpy, are your my Bro the Plumber? No one else will touch my pipes but him. And I trust every other trade that he recommends but, as my wife says, he can bend a straight stick.

I'd use you for work but I can't pay the travel time.

 

[TechBoyJK]

I want to run a few more outlets. I'm already planning to run a few more in the basement. If necessary, I think I'm willing to put in the effort to run a new circuit up to the garage and put in several outlets. I hope there's enough capacity I can just extend a few of the existing outlets. Home inspection is tomorrow and I'm going to ask a bunch of questions.

I'm thinking I'll go with a few outlets, some cheap insulation, and some basic drywall. I just want to make it look nicer and figure I might as well put in some insulation while I'm at it. Even if the stuff costs $200+ I'm sure over the course of 30 years it would pay for itself.

 

[highland145]

Ask what the code is between outlets in a living space. Ours is short. Something like 6'. And how many can be on a circuit. A new line might be a good idea.

not a certified electrician.


Just curious, new construction? What part of the country? What is the capacity of the breaker box? Gas or heat pump?


pics of S.O.....oh, wait, those in the mirror.

 

[Humpy]

The OP finally delivered pics of the girlfriend so I just wanted to bring everything to the table.

Adding a fresh circuit (for an air compressor) and a few extra outlets is a good idea. Insulation isn't a bad idea as it is inexpensive. Might be worth it to get the inspectors opinion regarding attic ventilation. Make sure you meet basic code with the work, even if you don't plan on getting permitted. Also, if you planned on DIY, get a few prices on having the sheetrock done for you. A pro will astound you with what they can get done in a couple of days while you'd still be unloading the truck.

I disagree that the insulation will ever pay for itself, but whatever.

 

[highland145]

The OP finally delivered pics of the girlfriend so I just wanted to bring everything to the table.

Adding a fresh circuit (for an air compressor) and a few extra outlets is a good idea. Insulation isn't a bad idea as it is inexpensive. Might be worth it to get the inspectors opinion regarding attic ventilation. Make sure you meet basic code with the work, even if you don't plan on getting permitted. Also, if you planned on DIY, get a few prices on having the sheetrock done for you. A pro will astound you with what they can get done in a couple of days while you'd still be unloading the truck.

QFT

Had a couple of guys run crown in the Moms house. $300. I'd have cussed more that $300 plus the crown.

 

[soulcougher73]

I wouldnt insulate either. Other than the wall between garage and house if it not already (id assume it is already). Its a garage it doesnt need to look that nice. If you plan to use it in the future for more then you can tackle that issue then. IMO at least.