Drop ceiling for insulation capacity.

[Freefall_Doug]

I need to redo the insulation setup in my 3 bay.

It is stick built with a big laminated beam running across the center of the garage across the three bays. It has a loft above that has two by four floor joists that run from the laminated beam, with some overlap, over to the wall header.

On top of the loft floor joists is plywood.

There is some pink stuff stuffed in between 2x4 floor joists, and no drywall. There is plastic vapor barrier in some spots. The mice have decided they like to live between the vapor barrier and the fiberglass batts. It is mice heaven, **** and piss everywhere on that plastic. Nice ceiling art!

I am think of making a drop ceiling that is level with the bottom of the laminted beam.

I can't use a lift in the garage because of the beam, so I am thinking the extra head space on either side of the beam is wasted. Also because the floor joists are only 2x4 there isn't much room for insulation.

If I box off from bottom of the lam. beam I think I can make a huge cavity for blown in insulation. I can then have one flat ceiling to drywall.

It will require some work to drop some electrical boxes, one hotdawg heater, and the door opens.

I am not really sure the best way to make the drop ceiling. Add a second layer of 2x4's? Add a drop ceiling with similar to the one you see in basements?

Is this a crazy idea? I think it would allow me to put ton of insulation in the garage.

I will have to post some pictures later tonight!

Blue skies!
DougH

 

[Freefall_Doug]

Any ideas about framing the drop ceiling?

 

[Grumpy365]

All my experience with drop ceilings have been bad.

The tiles look like **** in short order. The normal cheap tiles don't look good after you expose them to high humidity and dirt. The high humidity tiles are heavy and expensive. (and if you put the tiles in a super dry environment the tiles turn up at the corners)

Are you planning on putting in lay in troffer light fixtures?

 

[regguy1]

I have a drop ceiling in my commercial building, I put unfaced 6" batts directly on top of the panels, it works just fine and easy to do

 

[Freefall_Doug]

It doesn't have to be a drop ceiling, I guess I am calling it a drop ceiling because I am going to be adding framing below the load bearing floor joist to create a box of sorts that I can fill with insulation.

My intention is to increase the area that I have to fill with insulation. I don't want to raise the floor of the loft to increase the amount of insulation I can use. Instead I want to lower the ceiling of the garage on either side of the laminated beam, aside from a ladder hanging from the laminated beam that space is mostly wasted.

Probably going to stay away from drywall because it is going to add a lot of weight when combined with the framing needed.

I did see some posts about ceilings made with aluminum sofit pannels, or the steel pannels they use in pole barns.

So I am thinking frame out from the laminated beam to the existing wall studs. Put up the fabric they make to contain blown in insulation and vapor barrier to the bottom of the new framing, and fill the sucker full of blown in.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I lowered the ceiling in my garage. I simply reframed a new ceiling, insulated, sheeted it and painted it. You can look at the pics in my thread in my sig.

 

[mobetta]

easy enough to do. if 2x4s are enough for your loft, they should be enough for your ceiling, even w/ drywall. what is the span from the header to the wall? will you need low headroom door tracks? maybe frame it higher for the doors, lower on the other side of the header?