As we have said several times before, converting your garage into more living space is a great, cost-effective way to add more room to your home. The main challenge in doing this is making that cold, damp garage into a warm and inviting room of the house. One Critical aspect of this transformation is insulation.

Garages are not designed to be lived in. They have a singular purpose; they house your car. And you car doesn’t care if your garage is cold and damp, but you do.

This article from eHow.com explains how to insulate your garage – walls, ceiling and floor.

Before you even think about buying supplies, check your local building codes. There are probably standards that have to be met when converting a garage into a living space. Also, get the recommended R-value for the floor, ceiling and walls. The R-value refers to the ability of the insulation to resist heat loss.

Ceilings and Walls

Examine the ceiling and walls for any signs of cracks that may let moisture into your garage. You will need to repair these openings before any other steps are taken. This can be done with spray foam.

Use fiberglass batt insulation and make sure it fits tightly between the wall framing and ceiling joists. Do not overstuff the cavity with insulation. If you used face insulation, the vapor barrier should be toward the heat side, or facing you. Staple the flanges to the studs about every 8 inches.

Floor

First, make sure the concrete floor is level and free of moisture.

There are a couple of options when it comes to insulating the garage floor: You can cover the floor with rigid foam insulation or install wood sleepers on the garage floor and install rigid foam panels between the sleepers.

Use a vapor barrier. Use six-millimeter polyethylene (plastic sheeting). Cover the entire slab and extend it up the side of the walls 4 to 6 inches. Overlap the seam about 8 inches and use insulation tape to seal the seams. If you not using sleepers, position the foam board over the plastic sheeting and leave a ¼-inch cracks around the borders. Use insulation tape to seal the joints.

Use insect- and decay-resistant 1-by-4 or 2-by-4 stock for the sleepers. Place sleepers around the perimeter of the garage. Leave a ¼-inch space between the sleepers and the walls. Fill out the remainder of the area; if you are using 1-by-4s, place the boards 12 inches on center. Place 2-by-4 sleeper stock 16 inches on center. Use a powder-actuated nailer to secure the sleepers to the concrete slab. If you use 2-by-4 sleepers, the result will be a much stronger floor.

The rigid foam insulation should be the same thickness of the sleepers. Fit the foam between the sleepers, but leave a ¼-inch space around the perimeter. Only use compression-grade rigid foam insulation panels.

Once you are done, you should have a much more comfortable garage. If you have any questions, contact TLC Garage Works by calling 888-742-5852 or click here today!

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