Insulating your garage is essential in keeping it as energy-efficient as possible. As with most other spaces in your home, the garage needs insulation to keep heat in during the cold months and out during the hot ones. You may think that a garage roof isn’t an important space to insulate. After all, it doesn’t have a ceiling. But it does have walls, and those walls are under an open sky for much of the year. That means that heat has a lot of opportunities to escape through your garage roof – but only if you don’t take steps to prevent it from doing so. Insulating your garage roof will save you money on utilities and help protect your car from the elements even more than keeping it stored in the driveway would. Readers who are interested in learning how to insulate a garage roof should keep reading for our useful insight!
How To Insulate Garage Roof?
1. Pick the right materials
Insulating your garage roof is pretty straightforward. Your goal is to insulate your garage roof and keep heat in during the cold months and then to keep heat out during the hot ones. The most cost-effective way to do that is with insulation batts. There are two main types of insulation: fiberglass and cellulose. Both are effective at keeping the heat in during the cold months and out during the hot ones, but fiberglass batts tend to be more expensive than cellulose batts. To help you decide which type of insulation will work best for you, we’ll talk about each one below.
2. Decide how much space you have
First, let’s talk about how much space you have for an insulated garage roof. You need at least 2 feet of airspace between the ceiling joists above your garage and the top of your insulated roof (or at least 4 inches if you want to use a foam board). For more information on calculating how much airspace you need, see our helpful blog post on insulating a garage ceiling!
3. Buy insulation
There are two basic ways to insulate a garage roof: by directly applying insulation batts or by installing a sheathing system over your existing roof decking; depending on what type of roofing material it has already been covered with. Insulation batts can be purchased in rolls or loose form at home improvement stores like Home Depot or Lowe’s. For a more detailed description of how to insulate your garage roof with batts, visit our blog post on how to insulate a garage ceiling. If you plan to install a sheathing system over your existing roof decking, be sure to use an R-value greater than or equal to your existing insulation in the attic.
4. Seal the seams
Once you’ve applied the insulation, it’s time to seal the seams between batts and the sheathing system. For fiberglass insulation, you can use a tape and joint sealant like 3M 7200 or Eternabond; for cellulose insulation, you can use liquid caulk like Liquid Nails or spray foam like Great Stuff.
5. Install vents that don’t leak
Vents in your garage are critical for controlling heat loss through your roof, so make sure they aren’t leaking! They should be sealed with an airtight gasket and installed according to manufacturer guidelines for vent size and type (i.e., metal vents are not permitted in attics). You should also consider installing exterior exhaust fans for extra ventilation when needed – most models have manual controls that can easily be adjusted by an owner without requiring them to go outside in extreme heat or cold! If you have any questions about installing vents in your garage roof, drop us a note at [email protected] and we’ll help!
6. Seal around windows and doors
If you have windows or doors in your garage – and especially if you have a bay window or sliding door – it’s important to seal around the perimeter of your garage door so that moisture-laden air doesn’t condense on the window, causing damage to the glass. This is called “moisture migration.” To prevent moisture migration, use Weatherstripping Sealers and caulk around the perimeter of your garage door.
7. Install reflective film
One of the most important steps of insulating a garage is to install reflective insulation over your existing roof decking before installing any new insulation or sheathing system! Without this step, heat generated by sunlight will continue to pass through your roof decking and into your attic space where it can cause serious damage to both insulation and ceiling joists. For more information on reflective insulation, please see our blog post on how to insulate a garage ceiling!
8. Insulate a loft/attic (if applicable)
If you’re insulating a loft/attic above your garage, be sure to read our blog post on how to insulate an attic! Another great way to keep moisture from migrating into an attic is by installing radiant barriers in many areas around an attic (e.g., walls, floors). In addition, you should also seal any cracks between floors with Weatherstripping Sealer; this will help prevent water from getting behind drywall or other surfaces!
9. Add insulation
Depending on your area’s climate, some homeowners choose to insulate their garages with spray foam insulation. However, spray foam is not recommended for use in attics and lofts because it is not a moisture barrier! For more information on using spray foam in attics, please see our blog post on how to insulate a garage ceiling!
Why Is Insulating Your Garage So Important?
1. Insulation saves you money!
Depending on your climate, insulating your garage can save you up to 30% on heating and cooling costs. In addition, insulating your garage will reduce the amount of heat that travels through the roof decking into your attic space, which will reduce the amount of heat that is lost to the outside!
2. Insulation keeps you warm and dry in the winter
Insulating a garage allows you to store more items than if you don’t insulate it – and in colder climates, it’s important to store as much as possible! Insulated garages are also important for keeping children warm during winter months when they play outside – without proper insulation, their feet can freeze in less than 15 minutes. Additionally, insulating a garage is an easy way to keep pets (and their bedding) dry and warm during the winter months when there are many days with temperatures below 40°F.
3. Insulation reduces noise from traffic noise and wind noise
Traffic noise and wind noise can be disruptive in garages with no insulation – but insulated garages allow occupants to sleep through these noises! In addition, it’s important for homeowners who live close to major roadways (i.e., highways) such as Interstate 5/I-5 or I-405 in Southern California; building an insulated garage can help mitigate these noises!
4. Insulation reduces the amount of heat that travels through the roof decking into your attic space, which will reduce the amount of heat that is lost to the outside!
The heat lost to your attic space from your garage can be as much as 50% of what you lose from a single story home! This can be quite significant if you live in an area where temperatures don’t drop below freezing for several months during the winter. If you live in a cold climate and are considering insulating your garage, please see our blog post on how to insulate a garage ceiling!
Conclusion
Insulating your garage has many benefits. It can reduce your energy bills, protect your car from the elements, and help extend the life of your roof. To do this, you will need to insulate the walls and the ceiling of your garage. The best way to do this is with spray foam insulation. It is more effective than other types of insulation and easy to install.
FAQ’s
Q. How do I insulate my garage?
A. Insulation is easy to install and there are three main methods you can use: spray foam, fiberglass batts, and cellulose insulation.
Q. What type of insulation should I use?
A. The type of material depends on the weather in your area and how much insulation you want in your garage. If you live in a colder climate, spray foam is recommended as it’s more effective than other types of insulation and easier to install than fiberglass batts or cellulose. For less cold climates, fiberglass batts or cellulose work well, but they are more expensive than spray foam or other types of insulation.
Q. Can I replace the attic insulation in my attic space?
A. Yes! You can replace the attic space’s existing attic ventilation with a new vent that has better insulation properties than what was there before (which would have been one of the layers of old, no longer-insulating batts). This will let you insulate your garage ceiling without needing to remove any old insulation from your attic space!
