Unfinished Detached Garage ???

[asthlan1]

Hi all,
First i want to say that i love this site and wish i had found it long ago.
Second I have some questions that i hope you can help with.

Just bought a house with 2 car attached and 2 car detached garage.
The detached garage gets to be mine
It is 21 x 21 so not huge but after reading thru many threads here i think i can make it a super man cave/workshop.
Currently it is unfinished on the inside, the outside has been finsihed to match the house by the previous owner.
Im in Georgia just outside Atlanta. I want to drywall the walls and ceiling and tile the floor.
So with that said which one would i do first or does it matter?
i would insulate the walls maybe the ceiling, do i also need a vapor barrier, georgia is hot and humid
I dont plan to run heat or ac full time I might have a fan or space heater(when it gets cold here)
There is a seperate electrical box for this garage and a couple outlets already run and a light
I want to add more outlets or move the ones there and add about 3 more lights.
any advice would be appreciated.
I can do the work myself im pretty handy, just looking to learn from others that have done this before.

 

[Falcon67]

I'd say insulate for sure - it's hot there, a lot like Houston IMHO. If you plan to be in there at all in the summer, you're going to want to run at least some AC. Vapor barrier - IMHO, that is something to be scienced for a living space that is intended to be conditioned continually and include a human presence - washing, bathing, breathing, etc. Tinkering sometimes, having adult beverages while watching the game or race on Sunday man-cave style doesn't qualify. But, defer to what's normal in that area. I would say that if my shop was in the Houston area where we used to live, I'd have everything including a huge-azz AC unit in the place. I'm out there a lot and Houston is miserable in the summer. Here, "humid, it's sticky" is like 40~50% RH.

 

[asthlan1]

Yea, i mean i have a portable ac window unit that might be out on warm summer days ut again not more than a couple hours tops. Im def not living out there lol. I just read alot about vapor barriers and if you dont have them how condensation builds inside the walls and forms mold. Maybe that means like full time AC and heat , which wont there wont be.

also do I tile the floor first or put up the drywall first?

 

[matt_i]

Imo, first thing is to dream up every electrical/comm possibility you could ever think of and install that first, possibly upgrading service size along the way. Next insulate. Finally drywall.

Ceiling fan no matter what

If you use Roxul (insulation) it won't harbor "growth" if if ever gets wet. Also has a higher R-value. Pay attention to air-sealing as well.

Always good to make sure termite prevention or monitoring measures are well-in place. I forget the name of the little tubes that contain Kleenex that are monitored every so often by a termite bonding company.

 

[ddawg16]

As noted above.....

Clean it well.....then run all the electrical you think you might want. Outlets every 6'....52" off the ground (that way a 4x8 sheet of something doesn't block it). And boxes for lights. Maybe consider 2 zones...front and rear? Maybe even consider recessed cans?

What does it have to ceiling joists? Is there room for storage? If so, maybe run a few extra joists and toss some 1/2" plywood up there for storage of rarely used stuff.

Consider adding blocking for where you want to put cabinets.

Once all your electrical is done....insulate and drywall. Ceiling first....then walls. Tape and mud....then paint. Use a semi-gloss exterior.

Floor is typically last

 

[crewchief888]

if i was starting with a "clean slate"
i'd insulate 1st, and run any overhead electrical for lights, and possibly an airline drop before i'd drywall the ceiling.
plywood or OSB on the walls.
i'd prefer my electrical to be surface mount, that way i'm not locked in to one "design" if my wants/needs change over time.
i'd prefer a plain concrete floor. all kinds of bad things happen in my garage

just my $0.02

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

1. Any doors or windows that need repair or replaced. (Do the doors allow for tile thickness)?
2. Framing repairs, framing needed to support drywall. (Also add framing to support cabinets/shelves if you are planning on having them).
3. Roof and soffit vents if it doesn't have them.
4. Wiring, If the current panel is obsolete or doesn't have room for epansion replace it.
When you do the wiring include an dedicated outlet by the window for an A/C (even if you don't think you'll use it). (I'd make it a 240V with 12/3.)
5. Clean/degrease floor, repair any issues.
6. Insulation.
7. Drywall (remember to allow for the tile floor).
8. Paint
9. Tile
10. Trim
11. Whatever I forgot to list.

 

[MushCreek]

Don't skimp on the ceiling insulation- It's more important than the walls in a hot climate.

 

[MikeF2316]

I agree with doing the ceiling first. You run the drywall out to the wall studs, then the wall drywall supports it, making cracks at the wall/ceiling joint less likely. After that's all done, you're finished dropping drywall mud and paint, then you do your floor.

You can never have too many outlets. Every 4 feet is how I do it, remember some will be hidden. When you change things around, flexibility is maximized.

If you're worried about mold, then use spray foam insulation. They're so tight they act as a vapour barrier too. They're more expensive though.

 

[Jinks]

Pictures would help us help you, but lacking that...... Take your time & plan what you will use the space for. Definitely insulate, it'll help in both summer & winter. Look into installing a window opposite the garage door, it'll be nice on warm days if there's a breeze. Look into adding supported boxes for ceiling fans when you're running wire. You don't have to use them, but it's easier to have 'em & not need 'em than to need 'em & not have 'em. Plan your wiring! Unused outlets are not a problem, places without an outlet are! Anyplace you might have much use for electricity use two gang outlets. As others have said, do the ceiling first, the walls second, & the floor last. Post lots of pictures, we enjoy seeing things come together!

 

[asthlan1]

Def gonnna post pics asap I would love for tips tricks and pointer or just great ideas and we will see where this goes

 

[CraigStu]

Be careful w/ vapor barriers. As I understand it, the theory on them has gone back and forth over the last 40-50 years. I used paper faced fiberglass insulation in my garage. No plastic anywhere.

 

[AZ Pete]

I insulated my garage, even though it is not heated or cooled. Makes a huge difference here in the desert. Much more comfortable, year around.


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[asthlan1]

ok I upload pics.
hopefully everyone here can give me advice.
First of all i think the whole garage is 2x4s
I believe the studs are 16'' apart i noticed they look like a jigsaw puzzle too i took a pic, i dont know why???
garage floor looks decent it was built in 2009(the whole garage)
appears to be a 20 amp circuit and 2 15 amp circuits in there.
there are roof vents i believe, one in the front and one in the back.

I added a link so it wouldnt post 25 pics on this thread at once
https://www.flickr.com/photos/150471053@N07/shares/P0Tjez