Need advice

[jumbee]

Hi...newbie here...purchased a house in central PA that has a detached garage...walls and roof are metal, 50'x30'and 10' high, the inside has 2x4 studs on 24" center and 2x7's for the ceiling. Between the wood frame and metal is some sort of foil bubble type of sheathing and the floor is concrete slab. The previous owner had started to insulate with batt insulation, R13 in the walls. There is no insulation in the ceiling or roof and the soffits are vented.

I would like to finish the insulation but I have some questions
1)Will condensation be an issue if I put batt insulation in the ceiling?
2)Can the walls and ceiling take the weight of sheet rock?


Any advice from the experts will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Junkman]

More info needed. You say that the ceiling joists are 2" x 7", but there is no such thing. A 2" x 8" will measure 7 1/2" high, so that is what you probably have. This will support a sheet rocked ceiling, if it is spaced on 16" centers. If everything is on 24" centers, then I suggest that you put a layer of 8 mil plastic at the bottom of the joists as a vapor barrier, and then using 1" x 2" furring strips on 12" centers to hand the sheet rock. This will give you a 1" dead air space that will help with the insulation. If you are not going to be using the attic space, then put 8" Fiberglas insulation in between the joists, and then put an additional 8" of fiberglass insulation going 90 degrees to the joists. This should make your garage toasty warm.

 

[jumbee]

Junkman...yes you are correct, the ceiling joists are 2x7 1/2" and they are 24" on center. However I don't quite understand the furring strip part. Should the furring strip go parrallel or perpendicular to the joists? And how will this create a 1" dead air space?
Also can 1/2" sheetrock be applied to the 24" OC studs in the ceiling?

 

[Junkman]

If you try to put the sheet rock on the 24" centers, it is bound to sag, and possibly fall. What you do to correct this problem is to use 2" wide x 1" high furring strips that will span across the 24" joists, and space them out every 12", on center. The best way to start is to draw a line down the center of the building, and place your first furring strip in the middle of that center line. Then measuring out every 11", you will place another strip. This will give you a furring strip that is 12" on center all the way to the wall. At the wall, you place one last strip to hold up the last edge of the ceiling. Then you put the sheet rock up, starting at the middle of the middle furring strip. You don't say how wide your garage is, so I can't make a suggest as to the length of the sheet rock, nor what direction that you should lay the Sheetrock. Lets say that your garage is 28' wide. That means that you can use a 4' x 14' piece of sheet rock, butting the 4' edge at the middle of the center furring strip. The most important part of all of this is to make sure that you start with everything squared up. Keep in mind that if a board is out of square by 1/8", when you move that 1/8" along a 12 foot span, it will then be 1 1/2" error. If you are not familiar with carpentry, I know that I probably have lost you already on this. Nothing to be ashamed of, and if you need, ask more questions. Most garages are not square, so this is why I usually start in the middle, and work to the edge. That way, you will have the least amount of cutting.

 

[jumbee]

Thanks for the info Junkman. I also was wondering if OSB could be used instead of the sheetrock.

 

[Kevin54]

If you try to put the sheet rock on the 24" centers, it is bound to sag, and possibly fall.

Around here, with trusses, sheetrock is put up on 24" centers everyday.Just run the sheetrock perpendicular to the direction of the trusses.

 

[jumbee]

Around here, with trusses, sheetrock is put up on 24" centers everyday.Just run the sheetrock perpendicular to the direction of the trusses.

so that would not be an issue...what about the weight on the trusses...

 

[Kevin54]

so that would not be an issue...what about the weight on the trusses...

Not an issue. The trusses are designed for that. As a matter of fact, I don't know of any houses around that I have seen engineered trusses that are closer that 24" on center. The majority of houses around are built with 2" x 4" engineered trusses and installed on 24" centers. Some use 5/8" drywall and most use 1/2" drywall. My house is 21 years old with the 2x trusses and 1/2" drywall, no cracks or problems. My family room I built is probably 11 years old with 2x trusses, no cracks or problems, and my garage is 9 years old with 2x trusses and 1/2" drywall, no cracks or problems. We have temperature swings from below 0 to 100 every year.

 

[jumbee]

Not an issue. The trusses are designed for that. As a matter of fact, I don't know of any houses around that I have seen engineered trusses that are closer that 24" on center. The majority of houses around are built with 2" x 4" engineered trusses and installed on 24" centers. Some use 5/8" drywall and most use 1/2" drywall. My house is 21 years old with the 2x trusses and 1/2" drywall, no cracks or problems. My family room I built is probably 11 years old with 2x trusses, no cracks or problems, and my garage is 9 years old with 2x trusses and 1/2" drywall, no cracks or problems. We have temperature swings from below 0 to 100 every year.

ok...so this is my plan...R19 batts between the 2x8 ceiling joists, 10mil vapor barrier then 1/2" rock...on the topside of the ceiling not being used for storage I'll run some more R19 perpendicular to the joists to increase the toastiness...I have attached a pic of the ceiling...any more ideas would be appreciated

 

[Junkman]

Arone here, no one will hang sheet rock on 24" centers. Like so many other building projects, application and theory will vary from area to area. Not saying one is right or wrong, just a difference of opinion. Possibly the reason for the strapping around these parts is that most sheet rock is hung, and then a skim coat of plaster is applied, instead of mud and tape.

 

[jumbee]

Possibly the reason for the strapping around these parts is that most sheet rock is hung, and then a skim coat of plaster is applied, instead of mud and tape.

I don't plan on skim coating plaster just tape and mud. I just want to be sure that it won't sag...

 

[normieg]

sheet rock.....
In my first house, there was a wall at the back of the house where I didnt know what was wrong but it looked bubbly.
When I took the sheet rock down, I found exactly what you are talking about....24" on center. It does not work even for the walls. (You see the lack of support).

I can be picky...If I do something myself, I have higher standards then if I pay someone to do it.

You might be forced to purchase some 2x8's to land the edges of the rock on. Since the builder never indeted to rock the structure, you'll find it's not square.