Are garage walls insulated? – Think Real State

Garages might be meant for cars. But they can serve many other purposes, making it necessary to keep the garage temperature stable. So, you may be wondering, are garage walls insulated?

Garage walls are rarely insulated, so you have to do it yourself. This’ll reduce energy costs and noise, protect stored items and health, increase resale value, and let the garage be multipurpose. You can do the insulation using rigid foam, spray foam, cellulose, fiberglass, and radiant barriers.

Although you could call a professional to help you insulate the garage, there are some forms of insulation you can do yourself with some tips. Here, we discuss why you should insulate your garage walls and how.

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How Safe is Your Garage from Outdoor Weather Conditions?

Regular garage walls don’t have to be weatherproof like the rest of the house. This is especially true when they’re not part of the house. This means that outdoor weather conditions affect the garage. The space alternates between extremely cold and extremely hot depending on the season. The extreme heat makes it uncomfortable for any activity. The cold could damage pipes, appliances, and items in the garage during the winter.

Although it’s possible to add heating and cooling to the garage, this won’t help the garage if it doesn’t have insulation. So, anyone planning to use the garage for more than parking their cars may have to consider insulating the walls. Insulation will help the garage retain the heat or cool air and maintain a stable temperature. It also ensures that the outside temperature doesn’t get inside the garage at a faster rate.

Why You Should Insulate Your Garage?

If your garage walls aren’t insulated, there are several reasons you should do it. These include:

1. Multipurpose Use

Your garage can serve multiple purposes. But most of these purposes require conveniences. So, whether it’s a home office, gym, or workshop, you’ll need to maintain an ideal temperature inside. That’s what insulated garage walls help you achieve.

2. Reduce Energy Costs

Insulation will also minimize energy loss in your home. This is most relevant if your house and the garage have boundary walls. If you also decide to add heating and cooling to your garage, ensure you insulate the walls. If not, you’ll be overspending on trying to keep the temperature of the space stable.

3. Protect Stored Items

The garage is where you store things that can’t be in the house. Insulation ensures that all these items remain in good condition. Your garage refrigerator will work more efficiently in an insulated garage, even during the winter. Temperature-sensitive paints will remain in good condition. Insulated walls also reduce the humidity levels in your garage. So, all the power tools won’t become rusty.

4. Safety and Health

If the garage is attached to the house, carbon monoxide from the vehicle can enter the house. But insulation will prevent this. It effectively blocks out the air from the garage from entering your house. This could save the lives of those living in the house because carbon monoxide can affect human health.

5. Reduce Noise Pollution

Insulated walls aren’t only helping with temperature controls. They also help control noise. If you live in a noisy area and your garage is part of the house, the walls can help lower the noise. Even when living in a quiet area, you don’t want to be a noisy neighbor. But this can happen when you use power tools. Using those tools in an insulated garage limits the noise significantly.

6. Increase Resale Value

When you insulate your garage, you’ll boost the value of your home. That’s one less major expense for any new owner to spend. Given all the benefits of an insulated garage, homebuyers will be willing to pay the extra cost.

Types of Garage Insulation

Now that you’ve decided to insulate your garage. You’ll want to know the different types of insulation available. They include:

1. Rigid Foam

This is one of the most effective ways to insulate your garage walls. It’s easy to install and will reduce the noise. But it can get too airtight, and pests can pass through it. If your garage walls and door are thin, this is a good way to insulate the space. You can even do it yourself, and it’s resistant to humidity.

2. Fiberglass

If you’re thinking of doing it yourself, you should probably go for this. Fiberglass is easy to install and affordable. However, it may accumulate moisture over time. It could also be irritating to the skin, eyes, and lungs. You can prevent this by covering it with a plastic film to give it a polished look. Another issue is that if you install it incorrectly, it could cause a fire hazard. That’s the last thing you want in your garage.

3. Spray Foam

If you want effective and professional insulation work, try spray foam. It insulates perfectly, and pests can’t get through as it fills up every crack and gap. But it’s very expensive and could shrink. So you should only use spray foam in the garage if you plan to live in the garage or spend lots of time there.

4. Cellulose

Here’s an eco-friendly and fire-resistant insulation material for your garage walls. Cellulose comes from chemically treated recycled paper. It’s very effective after installation, but that effectiveness reduces with time. The cost is also discouraging for many people. Also, you can only use it for finished spaces.

5. Radiant Barriers

This building material insulates the garage by reflecting thermal radiation. It reduces heat transfer and will reduce cooling costs by reflecting it. It can keep a space cool during the summer even if you don’t use AC. But it may not be effective in areas that generally have a cold climate.

Tips For Insulating Your Garage

You can insulate your garage yourself. If you’re doing that. These tips can help you:

Fill all the air gaps before insulating the garage. You can do so with a can of spray foam insulation
Use protective eyewear, face mask, and gloves when insulating
Use scaffolding to work more efficiently and safely
Add a vapor barrier so that moisture won’t accumulate on the insulation covering.
Don’t cover electrical boxes in the garage, and the insulation around the boxes shouldn’t be too tight.
Seal all cracks and gaps in exterior walls before adding insulation
Use weather stripping to seal gaps below garage windows and doors.

In Conclusion

Insulating your garage is essential if you want to enjoy it. It lets you use the space for several other purposes besides parking your car. There are several cost-effective ways to insulate the garage, and you can even do it on your own.