Frost in Garage

[scottym]

Hello everyone,

I live in Northern Canada and just built a new garage (24x28) and keep it heated to about 55. The walls are r20 and the ceiling is r40. I have a 2 foot concrete stub wall that is not insulated and it is always covered in frost. How can I insulate it to keep it from frosting up?

 

[thammel]

Glue some 2' thick foam insulation board to it. I did this for my short foundation wall and also inside a new room crawl space. There is foamboard glue that comes in caulk tubes - does not melt the foam. This should solve your problem and reduce your heat loss ( reduce your heating bills).

Tom

 

[scottym]

Thanks Tom I will try that. Did you cover the foam with anything? Drywall or OSB?

 

[pop pop]

Suggest you find a way to insulate from the outside. If the frost line penetrates your blocks, they may disentigrate over time.

 

[kbs2244]

Are you using a non-vented heater?
If so, get a vented one.

 

[thammel]

Not covered yet. My plan is to put a tall baseboard (the commercial vinyl type) over it.

Tom

 

[38Chevy454]

Insulate outside would be best, as suggested. Some 2-inch rigid foam with covering to protect it would reduce the heat loss and keep the stub wall from freezing. This also keeps the inside insulation form taking up sapce and subject to damage inside the garage.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Insulating the exterior of the wall is the correct procedure. That way you are not only preventing the frost but, you are also 'protecting' the wall from deterioration.
Unfortunately, it may require some excavation- but the results will be unmistakable.
The usual procedure for installation is a combination of adhesive and concrete cap nails (powder-actuated fastener). To protect the exterior that is above grade a stucco finish is applied. I've attached a diagram of a typical frost-proof footing/slab setup. The horizontal rigid board would cover the footing in a setup that was footing/wall. That piece controls the cold path that gets to and under the footing- it's usually about 18-24" wide.
Since you would be doing a 'retro-fit' install, I highly recommend a flashing at the top of the insulation were it would terminate and meet the cladding of the building. As opposed to the diagram's description, which cantilevers the wall plate out over the edge of the foundation to maintain a continuous plane.