attached garage - Page 2

herlichka · 11-19-11, 01:58 PM

It would be interesting to see a "before and after" profile of your heating bills. I am sure it would be interesting to see the rewards of your hard work and investment.

S-F · 11-19-11, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herlichka

It would be interesting to see a "before and after" profile of your heating bills. I am sure it would be interesting to see the rewards of your hard work and investment.

If that's done properly including R 60 in the attic and a treated basement the only real heat load will be to temper the incoming air from the HRV. For 2,000 Sq. Ft. (including the basement of course) the heat load will be less than what it takes to heat domestic hot water.

creeky · 11-20-11, 02:40 PM

I had a two car garage in the old house. I put one of those garage door insulation kits on the inside of one old wooden garage door and replaced the other with a 2x6 wall insulated with roxul. I was using that side of the garage as my workshop anyway.

In the winter the temps went from -15 C at the coldest to plus 2 (or 5 to 36 F) at the coldest. As the garage was directly under the master bedroom, we noticed an immense lowering of our heating bill. And I didn't have to move paint cans or woodworking glues or... into heated storage (inside the house).

Those door kits really work.

warmwxrules · 11-22-11, 08:58 AM

Thanks for the thoughts, tips, suggestions.

The spring(s) in my garage door gave out this weekend (what timing), so I'm in the process of figuring if I should replace the whole thing or just put new springs in (and probably kill myself in the process). The door had been acting funny for a long time (loud/crunchy noises!). My brother told me a story about an old garage on my grandpa's rental that had a spring break on them while they were working on it and i guess it almost killed my grandma. Back then they weren't contained by a shaft like they are now. I got the garage back down and the car can stay outside for the time being.

Menards doesn't sell 2" polyiso (unless they hide it out in the lumber yard). I see they have 2" EPS. I'll had to see who carries it locally.

I won't reside with vinyl, it will be cement, wood or metal...I want something that is going to last.

We really don't have high heating bills (the highest so far since we lived here (6 years) has been around $170 and that includes electric hot water heater. The big thing is the house just "feels" cold.

I do have a wood stove and have access to almost unlimited firewood. Its just a pain in the butt and with young kids, I would need to be careful.

Xringer · 11-22-11, 09:21 AM

My GDO springs are this type:

These are easy to change (Ace Hardware sells them), but be sure to add a safety cable inside the coils.
Mine weren't installed with safety cables, and I didn't realize how dangerous
these springs were, until one broke.

Extension Spring Safety Cable for 8' Extension Spring Door (Part # CABA-S8)

Ace sells the kits too.

DEnd · 11-22-11, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warmwxrules

I won't reside with vinyl, it will be cement, wood or metal...I want something that is going to last.

If you decide to go with the cement board siding, there are a few things you should know to be careful with. First of all is the underlayment/house wrap, make sure it is put on smooth, even minor warps and bubbles are transfered to the siding. second thing is to be careful when cutting the stuff and make sure you wear proper respiratory protection, that stuff is nasty dusty.

S-F · 11-22-11, 05:16 PM

:My opinion:

EPS is good because it is more vapor permeable than other rigid foam insulation but it has the lowest R value of them all. So you'd need to use a bunch to make all the work worth your while. Anything over 4" is very hard to screw down. You loose sight of where the studs are. Also the screws (headlok) get REALLY expensive as they get bigger. Get recycled polyiso (preferable) or get it from a lumber yard if the store you're thinking of doesn't have it.

I don't like Hardi board. It's the new vinyl siding. Sure it's nice for 10 years or so but it sukcs when it's old. There's about are a million reasons I don't use Hardi board.

DEnd · 11-22-11, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by S-F

I don't like Hardi board. It's the new vinyl siding. Sure it's nice for 10 years or so but it sukcs when it's old. There's about are a million reasons I don't use Hardi board.

What are some of the issues you have with Fiber Cement Siding?

Most of the problems I've seen are due to faulty installation and/or not understanding the product. Fiber Cement is still a cement product and as such it will absorb water. This absorbed water will lead to expansion during a freeze, which is why it is important to have good moisture control, and one of the reasons I recommended using a rain screen type installation. This type of installation allows air to circulate behind the siding allowing it to dry out faster.

However I am far from an expert, I'm just trying to pass on lessons I've learned from living in a house I built for 7 years now.

warmwxrules · 11-26-11, 08:46 PM

All that I know is I don't want vinyl. Maybe just a metal siding (steel?) would be the best choice. I really haven't researched siding a whole lot.

I'm replacing the garage door with an insulated one.

I was talking to my brother who has a newer home, insulated garage doors (one big, one small). His unheated garage never drops below freezing. My garage probably gets to 0F or colder on a cold winter morning (-20F outside).

I also need to figure out a ceiling (mine is wide open). Will have to put up plywood or something and then blow in cellulose. Lots to do. PRobably good the garage door is broke, I can pull that junk out of the rafters and get that closed off over the winter.

S-F · 11-26-11, 08:50 PM

If you bring the garage into the thermal envelope and insulate the attic of it don't forget to air seal the hell out of that ceiling! If you just screw up boards so you can pile the fuzz on top of them you are doing little more than wasting you hard earned dollars. Your cellulose will deteriorate about 20x faster too due to the massive air movement through it.

11-22-11, 09:21 AM	#15
Xringer Lex Parsimoniae Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Woburn, MA Posts: 4,918 Thanks: 114 Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts	My GDO springs are this type: These are easy to change (Ace Hardware sells them), but be sure to add a safety cable inside the coils. Mine weren't installed with safety cables, and I didn't realize how dangerous these springs were, until one broke. Extension Spring Safety Cable for 8' Extension Spring Door (Part # CABA-S8) Ace sells the kits too. __________________ My hobby is installing & trying to repair mini-splits EPA 608 Type 1 Technician Certification ~ 5 lbs or less..

11-19-11, 01:58 PM	#11
herlichka Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada Posts: 102 Thanks: 11 Thanked 15 Times in 10 Posts	It would be interesting to see a "before and after" profile of your heating bills. I am sure it would be interesting to see the rewards of your hard work and investment.

11-20-11, 02:40 PM	#13
creeky Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: a field somewhere Posts: 304 Thanks: 64 Thanked 44 Times in 31 Posts	I had a two car garage in the old house. I put one of those garage door insulation kits on the inside of one old wooden garage door and replaced the other with a 2x6 wall insulated with roxul. I was using that side of the garage as my workshop anyway. In the winter the temps went from -15 C at the coldest to plus 2 (or 5 to 36 F) at the coldest. As the garage was directly under the master bedroom, we noticed an immense lowering of our heating bill. And I didn't have to move paint cans or woodworking glues or... into heated storage (inside the house). Those door kits really work.

11-22-11, 08:58 AM	#14
warmwxrules Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: La Crosse, WI Posts: 78 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Thanks for the thoughts, tips, suggestions. The spring(s) in my garage door gave out this weekend (what timing), so I'm in the process of figuring if I should replace the whole thing or just put new springs in (and probably kill myself in the process). The door had been acting funny for a long time (loud/crunchy noises!). My brother told me a story about an old garage on my grandpa's rental that had a spring break on them while they were working on it and i guess it almost killed my grandma. Back then they weren't contained by a shaft like they are now. I got the garage back down and the car can stay outside for the time being. Menards doesn't sell 2" polyiso (unless they hide it out in the lumber yard). I see they have 2" EPS. I'll had to see who carries it locally. I won't reside with vinyl, it will be cement, wood or metal...I want something that is going to last. We really don't have high heating bills (the highest so far since we lived here (6 years) has been around $170 and that includes electric hot water heater. The big thing is the house just "feels" cold. I do have a wood stove and have access to almost unlimited firewood. Its just a pain in the butt and with young kids, I would need to be careful.

11-22-11, 05:16 PM	#17
S-F You Ain't Me Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Northampton MA Posts: 662 Thanks: 6 Thanked 71 Times in 58 Posts	:My opinion: EPS is good because it is more vapor permeable than other rigid foam insulation but it has the lowest R value of them all. So you'd need to use a bunch to make all the work worth your while. Anything over 4" is very hard to screw down. You loose sight of where the studs are. Also the screws (headlok) get REALLY expensive as they get bigger. Get recycled polyiso (preferable) or get it from a lumber yard if the store you're thinking of doesn't have it. I don't like Hardi board. It's the new vinyl siding. Sure it's nice for 10 years or so but it sukcs when it's old. There's about are a million reasons I don't use Hardi board.

11-26-11, 08:46 PM	#19
warmwxrules Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: La Crosse, WI Posts: 78 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	All that I know is I don't want vinyl. Maybe just a metal siding (steel?) would be the best choice. I really haven't researched siding a whole lot. I'm replacing the garage door with an insulated one. I was talking to my brother who has a newer home, insulated garage doors (one big, one small). His unheated garage never drops below freezing. My garage probably gets to 0F or colder on a cold winter morning (-20F outside). I also need to figure out a ceiling (mine is wide open). Will have to put up plywood or something and then blow in cellulose. Lots to do. PRobably good the garage door is broke, I can pull that junk out of the rafters and get that closed off over the winter.

11-26-11, 08:50 PM	#20
S-F You Ain't Me Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Northampton MA Posts: 662 Thanks: 6 Thanked 71 Times in 58 Posts	If you bring the garage into the thermal envelope and insulate the attic of it don't forget to air seal the hell out of that ceiling! If you just screw up boards so you can pile the fuzz on top of them you are doing little more than wasting you hard earned dollars. Your cellulose will deteriorate about 20x faster too due to the massive air movement through it.