Looking to insulate

[rebelde33]

I`m looking to insulate my 2 car garage. About how much will I be looking for to insulate the whole thing based on the pics? One wall is already insulated but the people that built the house didn`t insulate the rest. I know i`ll need fiberglass or foam to insulate the spaces but I don`t know what kind of wood or covering I would need. Any help is appreciated.



Here are some pics of its current state. Sorry for the big pics.

[salty]

Very vast question. Where do you live? What are you going to use it for and are you going to heat it? What is the current price for insulation in your area?



I did my 2 car this past winter R13 walls, R20 ceiling and vapor barrier for less than $600.

[BobD]

In order to answer this question I`d need the length height of every wall and the dimensions of the ceiling. Then if you are going to put up wall covering you`d have to decide what kind you want. One tip, I don`t recommend drywall in a garage that mgiht be used for washing or will have a lot of moisture exposure.

[BobD]

p.s. It doesn`t look like you have soffit vents in the soffits so you have to watch how you insulate the roof. I`d recommend putting in some roof vents, building an attic space, and just throw up some attic insulation.

[rebelde33]

I live in Reno, Nevada which is all desert. It gets very hot in the summer so I`d like to keep the garage cool and it gets very cold during the winter so I`d like to keep it warm. I mainly want to use the garage to detail and store cars. I don`t know the price for insulation in my area but I would like to do it myself. Is it possible to just do everything else and leave the ceiling just as it is?

[BlueZero]

Most of your heat loss is going to be out the ceiling. If you want to save money and only insulate part of it I would do the ceiling and skip the walls.



It wouldn`t hurt to get a price from an insulator. I`ve heard that they can do it cheaper then you can do it by yourself. Since then buy insulation in such large quantities they get it super cheap.



I agree with Bob also on the venting. You will want to cut some vents in your attic.

[BobD]

Agreed! If anything do your ceiling. Not only will the heat go right out to the roof in the winter but the heat will come in in the summer.



The other reason I recommend doing a ceiling is because it will keep the heat down in the winter instead of it being wasted floating 15` in the air.



Your best bet is just to figure out how much you`ll need and go to the hardware. Or if you are not good at that sort of thing take your dimensions to the hardware and I am sure somoene there can help you determine your square footage and how much you`ll need.

[KnuckleBuckett]

1) Get at least one 52� (or larger) ceiling fan with light fixtures. They rock!



2) Be sure to vent into the attic of the garage in at least two locations. Use vents that can be opened and closed.



3) Get an active roof fan. Set it to 82 degrees F. This will do more than all of the rest put together. I had one installed on my 960 sqft garage roof for $360. It should give you an easy 10 degree F decrease in stifling heat.



4) If you use rolled insulation, use the encapsulated type. This kind of insulation is much cleaner and easier to install.



5) When you make your cuts, keep a shop vac nozzle near or with the cutter. Eliminates mess at the source. Get a piece of plywood to cut into rather than dulling your carpet knife on the concrete floor. Change blades often. I use a quick change model with Irwin blades.



6) Insulating a 400 sqft garage and ceiling (former home) took me about three days. The walls took about six hours. The ceiling took two three hour stints. I had a little help with both. It was easy, relatively inexpensive, and required little in the way of tools.



7) Wear a hat, mask, safety glasses or goggles, and leather gloves tucked under your long sleeve shirt.



8) Remove your clothes before entering your house. Keep them in a garbage bag, and clean them at the local laundry if possible.



9) If you get any of the stuff on you Lava soap and hair conditioner help out a lot.

[rebelde33]

Thanks everyone for your help. I will look into contacting someone to get a price on insulating either the whole garage or just the ceiling and I`ll go from there.

[KnuckleBuckett]

One more note. Adjust the direction of the spin of the ceiling fans per the included directions. Summer and winter differ.



For the light kit(s) use halogens if you want help spotting swirls. Careful halogens are HOT. Flourecscent to reduce heat and energy use. Never been a fan of these. Incandescent bulbs to split the difference and give you more realistic colors. I use GE Reveal incandescent and am pleased with the results and durability. My twin ceiling fans have four lights per fan. They really brighten up the place and make the summer working environment more comfortable.



I have also noted, that flying insects avoid the garage when they are both on. Nice eh?

[salty]

If you want it to code you will have to check your area. Some areas are mandatory fire barrier such as drywall.



Yes you need attic ventilation whether simple venting, `whirly bird` or automatic. Besides heat exchange also for mold.



A basic 2 car garage is 24x24 feet. 3 walls - garage door is 8 feet x 24 x 3=576 sq/feet. Prices here, 2 by 4 walls is R12 @ $31 a bundle for 88 sq/feet into 576 equals $217 for walls.



Same 576 sq/feet for ceiling rafters but 2 by 6 studs, R20. $30 a bundle for 49 sq/feet for a total of $360.



$360 plus $217 plus $70 for vapour barrier = $647. You could go with the cheaper heavy poly for about $25. You will also need staple gun and tape.



As you can see I`m not doing much today.