Your garage can be a haven – a home away from home. Unfortunately, it’s not always the most comfortable room in your house. Garages tend to be drafty and cold, but adding garage roof insulation is a great solution to the problem.
Adding insulation to your garage blocks heat transfer, keeping your garage warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It also makes the garage more energy‑efficient, which can significantly lower your energy bills in the long run. The installation of garage roof insulation is usually better done by professionals, but if you decide to do it yourself, keep a few things in mind.
Plan Ahead
Taking the time to properly plan your project will ensure that it goes smoothly and gets you the results you want. Any time a garage insulation project goes awry, chances are poor planning was the culprit.
Don’t Cover Electrical Boxes
Covering electrical boxes during the installation of garage roof insulation is a rookie mistake, one that doityourself.com places first on their list of garage insulation mistakes to avoid. If there are electrical boxes on your garage ceiling, prepare the insulation bats before you attach them to the ceiling by cutting holes to accommodate the electrical boxes.
Avoid Faced Insulation
Many homeowners opt for faced insulation because it’s cheap and readily available, but it can pose a fire hazard. This is especially true in a garage where you store lawn equipment and vehicles with combustible fuel. For extra fire resistance, use rockwool insulation instead of the more traditional fiberglass kind.
Leave Air Space
As Tom Silva of This Old House points out, “ventilation is crucial in today’s well‑insulated homes,” and nowhere is that more true than in your garage. When you add garage roof insulation, it’s crucial to leave a space between the insulation and the wood underside of the roof. Between 1.5 and 2 inches should do it. This space will maintain air flow, expel water vapors and prevent mould and mildew.
Add a Vapor Retarder
This is a commonly overlooked step. Adding a vapor retarder to your garage roof insulation will prevent condensation issues on the garage floor as well as in the space between the insulation and the roof.
Insulate the Walls Too
When you insulate your garage, you don’t have to stop at the ceiling. Wall insulation not only makes your garage more comfortable and energy efficient, but also keeps gas fumes and other odours from spreading into your home. Many of the same rules that apply to garage roof insulation also apply to wall insulation.
Most importantly, always honestly assess your skills before you attempt to complete home improvement projects on your own. If you don’t feel up to the task, don’t hesitate to let a professional help you out.
Don’t Forget Insulating the Garage Door
A new garage door can make a massive difference in both the look and insulation of your garage. Hicklin Door Services provides some of the most trusted brand names in the industry, and can help you find the door that best suits your needs, and answer any questions.
Browse through our selection of residential garage doors, or if you’re feeling creative, build your own online!
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