Taking on Garage Roof Insulation? Essential Advice for Homeowners

Do you want to turn your garage into a fun rec room or shop? It’s a great idea, but you might think twice when you feel how drafty and cold it can be in there. Fortunately, however, with the proper garage roof insulation, you can make your garage a really comfortable space.

When you add insulation to your garage, you not only keep it warmer in winter, but you’ll also keep it cooler in summer. Blocking heat transfer to or from your garage also improves the energy efficiency of your home, too. So, are you thinking about installing garage roof insulation to make your garage a friendlier place? While this is usually a job for the professionals, keep this advice in mind if you want to do it yourself.

Make a Plan

You know the old saying, “Failing to plan is planning to fail,” right? Well, that couldn’t be more true with a garage roof insulation project. Almost every time something goes wrong with DIY garage insulation installation, it’s because a proper plan wasn’t implemented.

Avoid Electrical Boxes

According to doityourself.com, covering one or more electrical boxes tops the list of common garage insulation mistakes. This rookie mistake may not only cause inconvenience, but it can also cause fire hazards. So, before you attach your insulation bats to the ceiling, be sure to cut holes to accommodate your electrical boxes.

Don’t Go With Faced Insulation

Faced insulation may be inexpensive and easy to find, but it can also cause fire hazards, especially if you store your vehicles and/or lawn equipment in your garage. To avoid fire hazards, use a fire resistant material like rockwool insulation instead of fiberglass insulation.

Leave Room for Ventilation

According to Tom Silva of This Old House, “Ventilation is crucial in today’s well-insulated homes,” and your garage is certainly no exception. Leave about 1.5-2” of space between your garage roof insulation and the underside of your roof. This will allow proper air flow and evaporation, and it will prevent mildew and mould growing in your insulation.

Include a Vapor Retarder

A lot of people forget this step, but a vapor retarder can prevent problems associated with excess condensation from occurring in your garage roof insulation and on your garage floor, as well.

Don’t Forget to Insulate the Walls

Insulating your garage’s roof is great, but you shouldn’t stop there. Wall insulation can increase your home’s energy efficiency even more and make your garage a much more comfortable space, too. Most of the same rules apply to insulating your garage’s walls as your garage roof insulation, so you can apply this advice to that project, as well.

Of course, with any home improvement project, you should never overestimate your abilities and skills. Never hesitate to call the professionals to help you get the job done right the first time.

Garage Door Insulation is Key Too

When insulating your garage, a new garage door can make a major difference. It may not only improve the look of your home, but it also provide superior insulation for your garage, too. At DSI Door Services North Shore, we carry some of the most popular and trusted brand names on the market today, and we can help you find the right door for your needs and your budget.

Take a moment to look through our residential garage door selection, or if you have something in particular in mind, you can even build your own online!