Another insulation / AC question

[sceia]

First of all, this is my first post, been reading a lot....LOVE the forum....

Ok, here is goes....Building a new workshop....30X40with 12' ceilings, 2 10'X8' garage doors.

As of right now, still working on the roof, shingling starts as soon as I get home from offshore...

Ok, here's the questions.....

1. I have a remote chance of a 100 year storm putting 1-2 feet of water in the workshop. Unfortunately, I cannot avoid this, I live in south louisiana, and water, well, it's something we have to deal with. I know I have more things to worry about, but should I use regular batt fiberglass insulation on the bottom of the walls, or is there some other product that will insulate and not have water problems?? I have a fire block nailed in at 48 inches, so the 12' is separated into a 4' and 8' section.


2. Should I even worry about insulating at all on the bottom, or even at all??

3. Looking at AC/Heaters. I am going to be putting in a window unit, straight though the wall. There are 2 that I'm looking at lowes. One is just a AC, 220v, 28000 BTU, and the other it a AC/Heater, 18000 btu cool, 16000 btu heat, 220v. Question is, is the AC/Heater BTU's enough to keep up with the workshop, or should I get the bigger AC and run space heaters in the winter??

4. Perchance I dont insulate at all, how much will it affect the heat/cool performance. In my mind, I would't be cooling the workshop 24/7, so when I work in it, just go and turn on the cool....just to get it comfortable....

Anyway, got lots of more questions, but those are the main ones...

Thanks in advance,
Scott.

 

[Daves 41]

May not be great idea but you might be able to use styrofoam block cut to fit tightly in the stud cavity, then use a white strongbarn around the lower 4 ft. That way if it ever did get flooded the strongbarn could be removed and foam removed so it could dry out
Dave in Kansas

 

[sceia]

May not be great idea but you might be able to use styrofoam block cut to fit tightly in the stud cavity, then use a white strongbarn around the lower 4 ft. That way if it ever did get flooded the strongbarn could be removed and foam removed so it could dry out
Dave in Kansas

You're talkin about the 4X8 sheets of foam board that you normally put between the studs and siding?? and the strongboard, what is that?? Never heard of it. You're saying to put it on the inside or outside?? Sorry for the questions, just beginning.....lol.

Scott.

 

[bilede]

Couldn't you use the polyurethane foam that you spray in? its more costly but if you did it in the lower 4 foot and filled the cavity it would be water proof and should dry fairly fast I would think depending on what you face it with and construction materials on the outside. In the top 8 feet use something more inexpensive because it won't get wet.. or atleast not under water..

 

[sceia]

Couldn't you use the polyurethane foam that you spray in? its more costly but if you did it in the lower 4 foot and filled the cavity it would be water proof and should dry fairly fast I would think depending on what you face it with and construction materials on the outside. In the top 8 feet use something more inexpensive because it won't get wet.. or atleast not under water..

Funny, I have been researching that. I need to call and see what the prices look like, trying to stay in budget, but seem to go overbudget on every item. I am siding the outside with James Hardi Siding, already got the siding sitting outside the garage waiting to be installed. That's the project right after the shingles. Temperatures are getting to 100 degrees at home right now, so I'm in for a lot of pain and sunburns....

Scott.

 

[Daves 41]

You're talkin about the 4X8 sheets of foam board that you normally put between the studs and siding?? and the strongboard, what is that?? Never heard of it. You're saying to put it on the inside or outside?? Sorry for the questions, just beginning.....lol.

Scott.

Strongbarn is the metal panels they use to side metal buildings with. It comes in 3 ft wide panels in various legnths and colours. In a lot of metal building they use it on the interior walls to protect the insulaton. Ive seen it used for patio covers and even fences. Around here it costs from $1.75 to $2.00 a running ft. The styrofoam is usually 4X8 sheets in thickness from 1/2 to 12 in thick Ive seen the thick stuff used for fishing and doat dock floats. Places like Lowes and Home Depot or any Lumber yard should have the strongbarn panels. If you search this site for a post by HoosierBuddy in the garage gallery check out his pictures, he used the strongbarn on his ceiling and top 4 ft of his interior walls. Dave

 

[bobbyd]

The spray in urethane foam insulation is a bit more money up front but provides better performance charateristics than fiberglass. Depending on how much you are going to cool and heat, it will pay for itself. It has the added benefit of being waterproof. It makes an excellent vapor and moisture barrier which I think would be important in Louisianna considering the humidity. I could just see the inside of the walls sweating with the air conditioning on. You'd have to hire someone to install it, but they would be done in less than a day. No matter what you put on the inside, drywall, metal, etc., it will have to come off in the event of a flood to let the cavity dry out.

 

[JohnZ]

4. Perchance I dont insulate at all, how much will it affect the heat/cool performance. In my mind, I would't be cooling the workshop 24/7, so when I work in it, just go and turn on the cool....just to get it comfortable....

Anyway, got lots of more questions, but those are the main ones...

Thanks in advance,
Scott.

Don't even THINK about not insulating for cooling, especially in your ambients. I had my 44' x 58' x 12' attached garage framed with 2x6's for more insulation space (R-26 walls, R-58 ceiling) plus insulated doors and insulation under the slab, and it makes all the difference. Although heating is more important up here (below-zero winter weather) than cooling, I cool the 2500-sq. ft. garage with a 42,000-BTU ductless split system that maintains mid-70's interior temps in 95-degree ambients with no problem at all, thanks to the "super-insulation" package.