When it comes to garages, they are often overlooked as an important room in the home and are therefore, generally not very well insulated. However, the garage not only houses your expensive vehicles and keeps them out of inclement weather, but they act as the main storage unit and can be a main entryway for a lot of homes. With this said, let’s look at why it is important to insulate your garage and what type of insulation works best for this purpose.
Why It Is Important to Insulate Your Garage
There is no point in insulating every nook and cranny around your home if you are going to let both the cold air from outside and the warm air from inside, seep in and out through the garage. When you insulate your garage, regardless of how small or large it is, you are preventing air seepage from happening, ensuring the heat transfer stays optimal, and you remove unnecessary health risks and unnecessary energy costs. Here are the benefits of insulating your garage.
You make the room comfortable to be in. If you want to work in the garage, make it into a makeshift playroom, or store valuable items in it, you want the temperature to be comfortable. If the garage is too cold, no one is going to want to use it and it will become an unused space.
You minimize cold air creep. One of the worst feelings is opening the inside door to the garage and feeling a blast of cold air whooshing by you. Keep your garage from getting icy and your home from getting a damp chill.
You keep rust away. A garage that isn’t well insulated will fall victim to rising humidity levels. This can lead to rust on any and all belongings that you are storing inside the garage.
You make the space quieter. If you are the type of person to use motorized tools within the garage on weekends, having the garage well insulated prevents you from getting noise complaints from the neighbors as it dampens the sounds greatly.
What Is the Best Insulation for Garage Spaces?
If you are planning on insulating your garage, there are a few insulation types that can be used for this purpose. While there isn’t a “best” solution, there are several that work well depending on your budget and circumstance.
Foam Board Insulation. This works well for homeowners who do not want to install drywall into the garage. It can be covered with other types of insulation like batt insulation, in so long as the covering insulation is compliant with local building codes. You will need to make sure that any insulation used in conjunction with foam board has a radiant barrier and is flame tested.
Batt Insulation. This type of insulation is a cotton-fiberglass material that should be placed between the studs and covered with a vapor barrier. In order for it to work to its full potential, you will need to install a minimum of ½” drywall around the room. While adding in the drywall adds to the cost, it is worth having it done as the final product is well worth the money and is less expensive than you think.
Blown-in Insulation. If you already have drywall installed around the garage but have found that it isn’t insulated, then you can use blown-in insulation. This does require the use of a contractor, who will open a hole in your drywall, blow-in a cellulose-type insulation and then patch the opening up. This type of insulation requires no additional demolition, requires no reinstallation, and can be done in a few hours.
Regardless of which type of insulation you choose to use, make sure that your garage is sealed tightly shut. Caulk any drywall to the floor, use weather-stripping material between the garage doors and other doors, and examine your electrical outlets for cracks. Double down on the windows and check for leaks as well. Doing all of this, ensures that the insulation works well and prevents any air seepage.
