Garage planning...need advice

[ttn0001]

Newbie here. I am planning a garage makeover. The original owner neglected the garage and currently it looks like **** with open studs in places and various size of sheetrock patched everywhere. I plan to have a someone install the drywall, insulation, and do the electrical work. To save money, I'm going to do the demolition work, pluming, paint, and epoxy the floors myself. My house is located in Dallas Texas so it gets very hot during the summer. I plan to use this garage to do everything (auto work,computer shop,woodwork...) Couples questions for you guys and gals.

Would you do anything different from my plans?
What R values for insulating ceiling? walls? The master bedroom is above the garage.
Is it necessary to uninstall both garage doors to drywall the ceiling? (I haven't ask a drywall pro yet)
Is 2 light fixture enough to light the garage? Each fixture is 1'x4' with 2 bulbs in each.
Approximate labor and material cost to install insulation and drywall(tape,mud,sand) for about 1050 sqft

Off the topic: My master is above the garage and the wood floor sqeaks when walked on. How can I fix this before the drywall goes up.

 

[Steve in Mi]

Would you do anything different from my plans?

Well if your drawing is to scale you might want to consider trading into much smaller cars as it appears the only way to exit the vehicles now is to the center isle)

Planning is good!

 

[ttn0001]

Well if your drawing is to scale you might want to consider trading into much smaller cars as it appears the only way to exit the vehicles now is to the center isle)

Planning is good!

Hehe. The drawing is to scale and the vehicles is measured from side mirror to side mirror. The Passat fits in the garage fine. I just want to make sure I have enough room for the Tundra in case of a hail storm. Both side mirrors can fold in.

 

[SprintCC]

I'd rethink the computer shop portion. Computers don't like 2 things:
1, Heat. DFW area has plenty of that.
2, Dust. Woodworking creates plenty of that.

Mix those 2 together and you have a recipe for overheating and frying boards and components.

Enjoy the garage!

SprintCC
Blue Bell Pa

 

[49 Fastback]

IMHO I would definitely put in more lighting. First off, more general lighting. Secondly, you'll want task lighting over your bench. I started with 2 4' fixtures in a 2 car garage, and I've had to add 3 more just to get it from seeming dim.
Tucker

 

[SWA Guy]

I'm doing the same thing to my 20 x 24 2 car garage in No. CA. I am doing all of the work myself.

I am using R-19 insulation in the walls and ceiling. I won't be texturing the walls/ceiling and will be painting them semi-gloss white for reflectivity and easier to clean (learned on this forum).

All of my outlets and swithes (except dedicated outlets for the welder and air compressor, which are out of the way) are more than 48" from the floor so that a full sheet of plywood can be stored behind equipment without fighting with power cords (learned on this forum).

I don't have a need for 220v at this time, but for future options I have installed a 220v line and outlet. I haven't connected it to the service panel yet.

I am installing 4', 2 T-8 tube FL lights. I am currently planning on using a total of 12 fixtures, but the formula (found on this forum) says that I will still have barely adequate lighting. I am considering adding 2 or 3 more fixtures. I am using the type of fixture with a wrap-around clear lens for 3 reasons. I think it looks better than open tube fixtures, the lens will help keep the tubes clean, and the lens will provide at least some protection to the tubes (also learned on this forum).

I have had fold down stairs in the garage for years and will retain them so that light items can be stored overhead.

As for the roll-up door, I will simply unbold the track and the opener from the rafters, slide in my 5/8" drywall, then bolt everything back up. I figure that 5/8" over the 7' track won't change the geometry enough to worry about. I may be wrong about this, but I'm sure your drywall guys will have run across this before.

Sorry, I can't help you with the squeeky floor issue.

Best regards,

Guy

 

[1320stang]

If you have 2x4 studs, the maximum insulation you can put in is R-13 in fiberglass batts, more insulation doesn't do you any good as it's the spaces of air in the insulation that do the insulating. What depth are the ceiling/floor joists? If they're 2x10 you can go with R-30 batts, if 2x12 you can go R-38 batts. After getting all your wiring for your light fixtures, I would put visqueen over the entire ceiling to seal it before putting up drywall. Use expandable foam to seal your boxes, this will help to keep fumes and vapors from carb cleaner or stain from making it's way up into the bedroom. My wife can tell when I've sprayed carb cleaner within about 2 minutes I guess due to the HVAC being in a closet in the garage.

What kind of finished floor do you have in the bedroom? Carpet? Wood? You might check the ''Ask This Old House" website, they did a piece on squeeky floors, but they were patching a wood floor from above, I can't remember if they address it from below. When I built houses, we'd use construction adhesive on floor decking before nailing it down to keep squeeks from happening.

Most garage doors have a multi piece track, usually the straights and the curve. With all the drywall in the garage, I'd put the doors down and remove the horizontal track from the curved piece. This will make it easier to put the drywall up without fighting the track being in the way.

I'd tell you to put up at least 6 fixtures. You could wire them up on different switches if you'd like. The drywallers will likely put up the drywall horizontal, so put the bottom of all your outlets and switches at 48" above where the bottom of the drywall will sit, usually on a curb. This will allow the bottom sheets to go up without any cuts and as SWA states, people typically stack stuff up at least 48" up the wall, and the outlets are buried if they're 12" off the floor like in your house.

 

[kbs2244]

Floor squeaks can be caused by a lot of things, but be sure to fix it before you finish the garage, since most often you do it from below.
First thing is be sure you have what they call cross bracing between the floor joists. It can be either wood or metal X's or solid peices of wood. But you have to have it to keep the joists from twisting under load.
Then, when it is quiet, have someone walk around upstairs so you can find the spot from below. Sometimes the subfloor isn't glued good and you can squirt some construction glue between it and the joist.
Sometimes the finish floor isn't nailed good. That is more of a problem and it may be time to call a pro. I have seen, among other things, a hole drilled up through the subfloor, some glue squirted in, and then screws up through the subfloor into the finish floor.

 

[78fj40]

More Lighting. You want about 1 watt/sqft. So get some more lighting. I used the 110W High Output lights from Home Depot. They also make them in 75W as well. Whatever you want to buy just divide the square footage by the rating of the lamp to tell you how many to buy. Placement is also key, I would not recommend placing them anywhere near where the garage door comes up, it will prevent you from getting any light from it when the door is up.

I paid around $1.00 a square foot of installed and finished drywall including materials. Of course that is in VA, your price may vary. You can usually call up and ask what the going rate for a garage install. They don't have to make the mud look perfect, but good enough to throw some paint on. This will also save you some money. They should be able to install and mud around the brackets for the garage door. You don't need to worry about that.

Do the insulation yourself. It's easy to do and will give you a sense of satisfaction. You should have insulation already in the ceiling of the garage and in the wall between the garage and the house. If not I don't know how you can properly cool/heat the house. I'm not sure about the R factors for your area. Get online and check Owen-Corning website for more details. Stop by Home Depot and ask.

Make sure you fix the floor while you can with the ceiling bare. The other alternative is to pull up carpeting and add some decking screws from above. I'm not 100% on the method, but check the Ask This Old House website for a solution. I do remember them covering this in an episode.

I like the idea or plenty of outlets. Keep them high and dry. I hate bending over to plug anything in. The only issue with making them high is that when you plug something in you lose 4 feet of cord from the plug to the floor....


Have fun.

 

[ttn0001]

WOW! This forum is great.

SprintCC: I'm not planning to run my servers in the garage...just using it to fix and upgrade pc stuff for family, friends, and clients. Yes, wood dust and computers do not mix.

49 Fastback: Considering 5 lights now (1x4, 2 T8 each). 4 in work area and 1 near door step into the house.

SWA Guy: Thanks for the light and insulation tips. I currently have a 220V from an existing dryer connection. Original home owners moved the laundry room upstairs.

1320stang: I have 2x8 studs for the ceiling and 2x4 on the walls. I have wood floors in the bedroom above the garage. I'll look into that website you mentioned. Great ideas having the outlets 48" above drywall seating.

kbs2244: Thanks for the tips for the floors. Will investigate the floors once I remove the ceiling sheetrock.

78fj40: There is existing insulation on the ceiling and wall connected to the house. The north wall and west wall is bare stud.

More questions:

Does insulation go bad? Can I reuse the insulation. The ceiling insulation is still pink in color but the east wall is black.

With a makeover like this...do I need to get a city inspector? Most of the electrical work is wired already...just need to add addition outlet/plug.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Floors "squeek" because loose underlayment moves up and down on one or more nails. You can fix a squeeky floor from below by "sistering" a length of 2" x 4" to the joist. The trick is to glue the "sister" to the underlayment and exert slight upward pressure when you nail it to the joist. The best fix is to lift the carpet, find the popped up nail(s), remove, and replace with screws.

 

[Bib Overalls]

P.S. Plan on removing your garage doors while you drywall the ceiling. It may be possible to rock the ceiling with the doors down and the ceiling brackets and lift motor disconnected and dropped down. Something you should discuss with you drywall contractor.

 

[1320stang]

Okay, wood floors in the bedroom, what type? Are they tounge & groove over the joists? If so, this is an easy fix, you need to check out the Ask This Old House website, they used a screw with a head that poped off at the right torque and filled the holes with a wood crayon. If it's a Pergo type floor over plywood, you'll likely have to get that from below. Do what Bib said with the sistering, but screw it to the joist instead of nailing it. I think part of your problem is the 2x8 spanning that garage, unless you have a beam somewhere. 2x8's shouldn't span 20' with a bedroom upstairs.

 

[gesoffen]

SWA Guy: Thanks for the light and insulation tips. I currently have a 220V from an existing dryer connection. Original home owners moved the laundry room upstairs.

MAke sure that the previous 220V outlet is still powered. Many times, homeowners that move a 220V outlet will simply disconnect it at the breaker box and run a new outlet from the existing breaker.

Granted this is a cheap fix (if you have the capacity in your box) but better to find out now rather than rip walls apart after you've completed your project.

 

[ttn0001]

I started the renovation this past weekend. I rented a POD and moved all my stuff into it, tore down the old dry-wall and insulation to the dumpster. Most of the old insulation turned grey in color. I found my 220V not connected to the breaker box. This should be easy for my electrician to reconnect. My handyman came Saturday and converted an old washer connection to connect to my sink. Next step is to patch all the holes left by the rats and seal it.

I plan to install R19 (2x8) for the ceiling and R11 (2x4) for the walls. Does this meet code?

 

[1320stang]

You can do R-13 for the walls, should be fine, just put 5/8" fire rated sheetrock on the ceiling.

 

[ttn0001]

You can do R-13 for the walls, should be fine, just put 5/8" fire rated sheetrock on the ceiling.

Is 5/8" sheetrock required according to code in Dallas, Texas? My drywall guy was planning on putting 1/2" sheetrock on all the walls and ceiling. The old ceiling and walls were 1/2" sheetrock.

With a bedroom above, I want to keep the room warm in the winter and cool in the summer...does it help much by insulating the garage exterior walls (2 walls)? I also read that gypsum wallboards are required?