Garage Insulation Help

[pthenre]

Hello!

I live in Illinois and have a garage that I would like to insulate. I know very little about doing this. I am looking for the cheapest and easiest way to insulate my garage. I posted 5 pictures to give you an idea of what the walls and ceiling look like. Any information would be appreciated! Thank you!

 

[loganb]

Welcome!

You appear to have what's called a pole barn which makes me assume you are in rural IL vs the Chicagoland area.

Why do you want to insulate it? What are your goals for the space? Hard to tell but looks like its primarily storage now, Is that the long term goal? How are you planning to heat it? Are you interested in DIY solutions or looking to have work hired out? Additional information about your needs and goals will help you get more relevant answers.

In general, I normally see 2 main types of insulation used for pole barn walls:
-spray foam
-batt kits designed for pole barns

Each have their pros and cons, learning more about your goals will help

Ceiling, biggest immediate improvement IMO will come from hanging a ceiling to keep the heat from rising to the roof where it provides you no benefit. Common material used in liner panel...aka metal sheets designed for interior applications. Installing 2x framing nailers on the bottom of the rafters and hanging drywall is a common solution as well. Once a ceiling is installed its relatively easy to put blown in insulation in

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[pthenre]

I live in NW rural Illinois. It's 36x54 in total. There are two back spaces (that I didn't take a picture of) that are walled off and completely insulated. The one one has a drop ceiling with batts layed above the ceiling. The other room has a ceiling with thick insulated panels tacked to the very top of the ceiling. Both rooms have insulated walls. I use an electric heater in those areas and it keeps it pleasantly warm. In the summer, I use a dehumidifier.

I just thought that it would be nice to have another insulated space that stays a little cooler in summer and a little warmer in winter. An area I can work in with a space heater and feel somewhat comfortable. I will continue to use as storage. This is something I would do myself.

It's hard to tell in the pictures, but part of the ceiling currently has some styrofoam panels tacked to the very top. I would like to keep storage space in the rafters, so is there a way to insulate and still do that? Or is hanging ceiling still best option?

With pictures in mind, what is your rough guess for batts vs spray foam cost?

 

[banjopete]

The big difference in spray vs anything else is that it's an installed/service cost. From my own research and quotes up here in Canada I was looking at just over $3/sqft for spray, just over $1/sqft for rockwool, un just under $1/sqft for fiberglass.

What is often forgotten in the discussion is of course batts can be diy but you'll often need strapping, fasteners, vapour barrier, and invariably you end up with more gaps and fuss and a lot of time invested. You can do a very good job and for most garage purposes it's often good enough for sure.

The nice thing with spray is someone else does it, you pay, then sit back and enjoy. It seals things really well, makes a complete layer and offers great vapour protection if thick enough, and will also make a tremendous difference for all seasons. It's just usually very expensive in comparison.

I've done both, and would 100% do spray again for my house. I just couldn't justify the additional cost for my garage fun/hobby space.

Good luck.

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[Griff79]

I live in NW rural Illinois. It's 36x54 in total. There are two back spaces (that I didn't take a picture of) that are walled off and completely insulated. The one one has a drop ceiling with batts layed above the ceiling. The other room has a ceiling with thick insulated panels tacked to the very top of the ceiling. Both rooms have insulated walls. I use an electric heater in those areas and it keeps it pleasantly warm. In the summer, I use a dehumidifier.

I just thought that it would be nice to have another insulated space that stays a little cooler in summer and a little warmer in winter. An area I can work in with a space heater and feel somewhat comfortable. I will continue to use as storage. This is something I would do myself.

It's hard to tell in the pictures, but part of the ceiling currently has some styrofoam panels tacked to the very top. I would like to keep storage space in the rafters, so is there a way to insulate and still do that? Or is hanging ceiling still best option?

With pictures in mind, what is your rough guess for batts vs spray foam cost?

How close to Roscoe/Rockson are you? That’s where I grew up.
Griff

 

[pthenre]

About an hour. Closer to quad cities

 

[pthenre]

You will see in the pictures that some of the ceiling already has some styrofoam panels. The one wall has plywood on it and with batts behind it. Other parts of the wall has styrofoam pieces cut out. I'm guessing the previous owner started and just didn't finish. Which is more cost effective and efficient for the walls? I guess I just need to decide what to do with the ceiling. Should I continue with the panels, use batts, or spray foam? If I use batts or spray foam on the ceiling, can I leave it exposed? I would prefer not to do a drop ceiling set up.

 

[Sawdust_]

Listen to Banjo Pete. Sprayfoam is the way to go. It adds rigidity to the building and acts as an air barrier too. You lose more heat from air infiltration than you do from not having insulation. The best fiberglass insulation job is a complete waste of money if air is traveling through the fibers.
Yes its more expensive but its far and away the better product.

 

[Bent Handle]

About an hour. Closer to quad cities

I live in the quad cities and have a pretty good reasonable insulation guy that does a great job with spray foam. Shoot me a pm if you’d like details.

 

[loganb]

For an existing pole barn structure (aka not a new build) where I wanted to heat the space I would be doing spray foam. The air sealing benefits are just as important as the superior R value. As others have said, when comparing costs don't forget that the spray foam costs include labor where thr batt insulation kits don't...and admit it or not your labor isn't free.



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[nadogail]

If you DIY your insulation, you are then responsible for every little thing that might possibly be less than perfect.

If you have a contractor apply Spray Foam, the contractor becomes the culprit for anything you can think of, including your next cold.