New construction insulation??

[honda_fox3]

Hi all,

So I'm building a new house and looking for garage insulation tips. My builder doesn't include insulation and the price to add it on seems steep but he mentioned that he will let me do it my self before the sheetrock is up. The garage doors are insulated so thats a plus.

It is an 864sq ft 3 car style. What is the best approch? I was thinking just the typical pink rolls for a cheaper option but then started looking at the reflective films like radiasource, turns out they are just a few miles from the construction site and Utah offers lots of incentives and tax rebates so it may be close to nothing to install. Do both? One or the other? I'm trying to keep it on the cheap side as we are already going over budget.

 

[porschedude996TT]

I had my shop insulated with non craft paper backed fiberglass batting. R30 in the ceiling and R13 in the walls. It was cheaper for me to contract the installation than to buy the batting at Home Depot.

 

[D.J.]

The wife and I and a good friend insulated our home and had no problems, but remember to fluff it up and don't try to stuff more in than is needed. I have not had any dealings with the foil backed stuff just the raft faced batt insulation.

 

[Jackfre]

I agree with the statement that you cannot believe how inexpensively you can hire an insulating company. Find out who the builder is contracdting for this and handle it as a separate item with them. I was thinking of doing the insulation on my kitchen, laundry and up & down bath addition, but called a local outfit and with a combination of foam and batts are doing it for probably what I would pay for the material...and they will be in and out in a day.

 

[honda_fox3]

I agree with the statement that you cannot believe how inexpensively you can hire an insulating company. Find out who the builder is contracdting for this and handle it as a separate item with them. I was thinking of doing the insulation on my kitchen, laundry and up & down bath addition, but called a local outfit and with a combination of foam and batts are doing it for probably what I would pay for the material...and they will be in and out in a day.

I will be talking to the sub contractors on some other things so I'll run it by the insulation guys and see what they say. I just don't want to get in hot water with my builder by not going through him on things, but obviously he is higher priced than doing it myself or going straight to the sub.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Are you going to put a ceiling in ?

Are you going to drywall the walls ?

If "yes" to both, I would seriously consider "wet" cellulose insulation in the walls and "dry"/lose in the ceiling. It can be a DIY job. It is quick and easy to install with almost no waste.

Check YouTube. There are lots of video on how to install.

 

[honda_fox3]

Are you going to put a ceiling in ?

Are you going to drywall the walls ?

If "yes" to both, I would seriously consider "wet" cellulose insulation in the walls and "dry"/lose in the ceiling. It can be a DIY job. It is quick and easy to install with almost no waste.

Check YouTube. There are lots of video on how to install.

Walls will be drywalled as will the ceiling, I can't remember for sure if the ceiling is vaulted or not? I'm not sure of the height either off the top of my head I'll have to look at plans.

I'll look into that, thanks

 

[LEVE]

I insulated with Kraft backed rolls of fiberglass, the ceiling and the walls, followed up with plaster board. For the cost/time to do the job, it was well worth the money. It's nice to go out in the middle of he winter and still be able to comfortably work on my vehicles if needed. You don't need a huge source of heat to raise the inside temps while your working. I'd highly recommend using the insulation of your choice before you cover the stud bays and the rafters.

 

[maxspeed96ct]

I used pink rolls on mine, 24x25 2 car. Wish I got some price qoutes before i did it, cause a friend of mine had his sprayed by someone professionally for pretty much the same price as I spend on insulation alone...

I hate being such a hard headed do it Yourself guy sometimes lol

 

[James-W]

If it is in the budget, spray foam is the best choice. It will cost you more initially, but it will insulate better and if you heat/cool the garage you will be glad you spent the extra money.

 

[theoldwizard1]

If it is in the budget, spray foam is the best choice. It will cost you more initially, but it will insulate better and if you heat/cool the garage you will be glad you spent the extra money.

I don't think the R value of foam is that much higher than other forms of insulation. Foam does an excellent job of sealing cracks and small holes, but boy is it expensive.

Some people will just foam the joints and cracks and then use other insulation to fill the rest of the cavity.

Remember, "more is better". At least 12" in the ceiling and 6" in the walls.

 

[James-W]

According to the Wikipedia website, the "R" value of spray foam is between R-5 and R-6 per inch. This means if you have 2X6 construction then you can have 5 1/2 inches of the spray foam in the walls which means you would have an "R" value of between R-25 and R-35. I was surprised myself when I read that. I know the cost is quite high to have the spray foam done, but when you consider the fact that the foam seals everything and insulates exceptionally well, for the long term I would think you would be better off if you plan on heating and/or cooling the garage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spray_foams_(insulation)

 

[Randy in Maine]

Since it is new construction, you might consider structurally insulated panels.

It worked very well for me. Actually pretty cost effective when you consider all of the costs. Mine are the PUR 2165 (the 6 5/8" thick ones).

http://www.murus.com/products/pur_sip

 

[theoldwizard1]

... spray foam in the walls which means you would have an "R" value of between R-25 and R-35. ...

That is a lot more than 6" of fiberglass !

So if you can afford it, do it.

I would still use blown in cellulose/fiberglass in the ceiling. Very easy to blow in 12" or more !

 

[Andybull]

Spray foam is awesome, adding spray foam on the roof sheathing, between the trusses, sealing eve vents and not insulating the ceiling, seems to be more energy efficient than having a ventilated attic.

 

[JakeKohl]

I agree with the statement that you cannot believe how inexpensively you can hire an insulating company. Find out who the builder is contracdting for this and handle it as a separate item with them. I was thinking of doing the insulation on my kitchen, laundry and up & down bath addition, but called a local outfit and with a combination of foam and batts are doing it for probably what I would pay for the material...and they will be in and out in a day.

Noooo kidding. I had my entire 2 story 24x36 done with blown in cellulose for about $250 more than I could have done the entire structure myself (in cellulose or fiberglass). I couldn't write that check fast enough.