Insulate first floor ceiling or not?

[wesst]

I am curious as to what other may have experience with regarding insulation between the first and second floor of a garage. I have started insulating my garage and I am curious if it is necessary to insulate between the first and second floor of my garage. Part of me would like to use the spaces in between the trusses for miscellaneous storage of lumber and conduit and other items, but I am not sure if it would behoove me to insulate this area.

The second floor will be heated and have a balcony overlooking the main garage floor since half the garage is vaulted ceiling. I guess other than the first floor heating up faster, what are the advantages of having insulation between the spaces if they are both fully insulated?

Any insight anyone can provide would be appreciated, and I thank you in advance for your advice.

 

[thammel]

Good question. I have a walk up attic in my garage and I did insulate the ceiling. Why? For one, I had the insulation and it was not returnable. Secondly, it adds noise suppression between the two floors. Thirdly, If I choose not to heat the second floor. it helps.

One mistake I made is getting too small a mini-split for the 2nd floor. The issue is only during the summer when it is cooling the second floor. I don't have a door to separate the two spaces, so all the cool air drop to the first floor. The attic is only 32x 14 and I only got a 9k btu. I should have gotten an 18 or 24 btu one. I may just bite the bullet and switch it out. Oh well....

Tom

 

[Keith_MN]

If you have a balcony overlooking the first floor, I see no adavtage to insulate it since both spaces will be open to each other. Only benefit would be if you could isolate one or the other and control the heat transfer.

 

[larry_g]

I would insulate IF the two areas are different uses. Rec room up and a shop down, insulate. Shop down and storage up, insulate. Shop up and down then maybe not. To me it would depend if I used the areas at different times and had no need to heat and cool both at the same time.

lg
no neat sig line