Finishing Inside of Garage - Insulation?

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

monkeydelmagico

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2011
3,961
145
106
As opposed to what? My garage was drywalled/mudded/taped, it was a new-build house and was built according to code, which required fire barrier mudding/taping. So what was my option there chuckles? Let the mud/taping get scratched/dirty, let the drywall yellow and water spots form on the bottom with mud/water through winter? Sure, coulda done that.

Save your derision for somebody else. I finished it myself, took a couple weekends. Probably going to be building a deck and screen porch with a couple buddies to save myself 30k. I'm far from a "just buy it" guy.

And how much time will it take you to build all of that? Instead, I just bought 2 of the Edsal rack units along one wall, bridged to 3 shelves. Gladiator on back wall, 2 cabs that I bought for 99 each, rest of it was all clearance that I had bought over a year.

Reminds me of the guy who jumps to conclusions without asking for details.

Put the plywood over the old drywall. It keeps the fire rating while allowing for much better storage and organization options.

You will build a deck and screen porch but not a workbench and some shelves?

You were right about jumping to conclusions. I apologize. Good luck on the deck project.

Still think your garage is probably too pretty for any real work. (Jealous of shiny cabinets) D:
 

Humpy

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2011
4,464
596
126
And for only 10% more, the garage is insulated in a climate where the average low is below freezing for 3 months of the year. That makes a significant difference if even just using it as a garage to do some work in. I really don't think that spending $200 on a home project comes close to "blow it out." Not insulating at this time when he's about to put drywall on the walls would be like doing a major job on a car engine at 75,000 miles, and not bothering to change the timing belt because it's not necessary for another 25k miles, and there's no guarantee you'll have the car for another 25k miles. The additional cost/time is trivial, compared to the cost/time if you decide to do it a few years down the road, and it would add resale value.

The cost is underestimated. For there to be a chance of a "significant difference" the OH door has to dealt with as well, making the cost more than a made up 10% / $200 (which is unrealistically low anyway given the size of a typical two car garage and that the question of roof venting was never answered).

The benefit is overestimated. Without adding a heat source the temperature difference between inside and outside will not be significantly different, on average, in a basic insulated space (there will be a small amount of heat loss from the shared wall with the house). Insulation doesn't help much when temporarily using a portable heater because of all the cold surfaces. Also, there is no evidence that insulation will add any resale value above only adding an interior finish.

The OP changed from "girlfriend wants finished look, nothing more nothing less" to "was planning on adding electrical, etc." so it's hard to have a solid sense of what's good here.
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
21,927
6,269
136
It's best to use drywall.....especially if you store cars or gasoline in your garage. You may also want to invest in a 90 minute fire door between the garage and house. They provide additional protection in the event of a fire to keep the damage isolated, if possible. In my city, that's code.

Your picture suggests that you likely won't benefit much from the insulation...but it could be a difference of 10-20 degrees in the winter or summer months if you want to work in the garage and the cost won't be all that much. The ceiling insulation may really help keep the inside cooler in the summer months and keep any heat in. The outside walls, not facing the house won't benefit much, but will benefit some. You may already have the walls between the garage and house insulated on the inside....but considering how much cold air can rush into a garage when the door is opened, you may want to insulate that wall at the very least.

You sure about that 90 minute door? Wouldn't that require a 90 minute wall as well? Is it possible you meant a 20 minute door?

Edit: I think I might be the confused one here. It's early and my brain still warming up.
 
Last edited:

Subyman

Moderator <br> VC&G Forum
Mar 18, 2005
7,876
32
86
And for only 10% more, the garage is insulated in a climate where the average low is below freezing for 3 months of the year. That makes a significant difference if even just using it as a garage to do some work in. I really don't think that spending $200 on a home project comes close to "blow it out." Not insulating at this time when he's about to put drywall on the walls would be like doing a major job on a car engine at 75,000 miles, and not bothering to change the timing belt because it's not necessary for another 25k miles, and there's no guarantee you'll have the car for another 25k miles. The additional cost/time is trivial, compared to the cost/time if you decide to do it a few years down the road, and it would add resale value.

By "blow it out", I meant additions. Typically instead of adding an addition or taking in the garage, it is better to find a more suitable house.
 

TechBoyJK

Lifer
Oct 17, 2002
16,699
60
91
The OP changed from "girlfriend wants finished look, nothing more nothing less" to "was planning on adding electrical, etc." so it's hard to have a solid sense of what's good here.

Basically, I want outlets out there for tools and w/e. Fiance/gf wants it to not look like shit. The garage looks pretty rough compared to the rest of the house which is freshly remodeled.
 

Subyman

Moderator <br> VC&G Forum
Mar 18, 2005
7,876
32
86
Maybe have already been discussed, but I'd consider throwing up OSB. It'd make it very, very easy to hang tools, cabinets, or whatever else you'd like out there. You could do it yourself and would likely save a bit by not needing it finished by a pro.
 

TechBoyJK

Lifer
Oct 17, 2002
16,699
60
91
Update:

Electrical is all installed, so now I need to put in the insulation.

Any tips? Do I just staple it in? I'll try and watch some youtube videos today but if anybody has any quick tips I'd appreciate it. I'd like to get this put up asap so I can work on the drywall this weekend. I have shoulder surgery on the 21st so I have to crunch.

Is this insulation ok?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_180143-1722...4&Ns=p_product_avg_rating|1&pl=1#BVRRWidgetID

Seems cheap enough.
 
Last edited:

Humpy

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2011
4,464
596
126
The unfaced stuff you linked just gets pushed into place, no staples.

For the walls I would suggest the precut rather than rolls.

The rolls will work in the ceiling. Speaking of which, did you ever investigate the need for venting the attic space?
 

TechBoyJK

Lifer
Oct 17, 2002
16,699
60
91
The unfaced stuff you linked just gets pushed into place, no staples.

For the walls I would suggest the precut rather than rolls.

The rolls will work in the ceiling. Speaking of which, did you ever investigate the need for venting the attic space?

Is the precut going to be more than the rolls?

I did not investigate anything about venting in the attic space yet. Are you referring to the attic space above the garage? Or in the house? The garage ceiling is open, but it's not large. If I hung a drop ceiling, there would be about 2.5ft of space at the crest of the roof.

The home's attic is vented iirc. The home inspector when through the house and didn't mention the lack of a vent.
 

Humpy

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2011
4,464
596
126
Is the precut going to be more than the rolls?

I did not investigate anything about venting in the attic space yet. Are you referring to the attic space above the garage? Or in the house? The garage ceiling is open, but it's not large. If I hung a drop ceiling, there would be about 2.5ft of space at the crest of the roof.

The home's attic is vented iirc. The home inspector when through the house and didn't mention the lack of a vent.

Precut might cost more in exchange for saving time installing.

Garage attic, I believe it was assumed you were sheetrocking and insulating the garage ceiling. If not, I would again question the benefit of insulating the walls.
 

Humpy

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2011
4,464
596
126
R13 unfaced batts are ~ $.10 per square foot more expensive than an R13 roll. So I'm guessing about $50 more for the entire job. If there is a lot of blocking and stuff in the way that you have to cut around anyway then rolls don't take much longer.

Edit: I guess you have 2x6 walls, still do the math, the JM fiberglass batts aren't much more expensive.
 
Last edited:

TechBoyJK

Lifer
Oct 17, 2002
16,699
60
91
Precut might cost more in exchange for saving time installing.

Garage attic, I believe it was assumed you were sheetrocking and insulating the garage ceiling. If not, I would again question the benefit of insulating the walls.

Well, the benefits right now might be minimal, but I would like to eventually finish the ceiling, maybe even sooner than later. If I decide to do that, then I would insulate that as well.

I'm doing the insulation in the walls now to prevent me from having to tear the walls down in the future.
 

TechBoyJK

Lifer
Oct 17, 2002
16,699
60
91
irony.

insulating a garage and having a tin uninsulated door.

lol.

It's something I'll do in stages. I'm only putting in insulation now because if I want to do more in the future, I don't have to tear down the walls. I'm already thinking about putting insulation on the door as well as it's not that expensive to do.

My dad is already taking measurements of the ceiling because depending on how much money we have left after some of the other work, I would like to have it done and he's put in like 1000 drop ceilings.
 

TechBoyJK

Lifer
Oct 17, 2002
16,699
60
91
R13 unfaced batts are ~ $.10 per square foot more expensive than an R13 roll. So I'm guessing about $50 more for the entire job. If there is a lot of blocking and stuff in the way that you have to cut around anyway then rolls don't take much longer.

Edit: I guess you have 2x6 walls, still do the math, the JM fiberglass batts aren't much more expensive.

JumPakg.jpg


The shelves and stuff are all gone now.. but this is what the walls look like.