# Exterior Garage Wall: worth insulating?



## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

new construction. attached garage. Exterior wall has 5/8" drywall but no insulation. They were supposed to give me an outlet on that wall on dedicated circuit, which they did, but ended up drywalling over it. I made a deal with builder that i would rip of lower two sheets of drywall, find the outlet ( i know where it is since i took pictures pre-drywall) run a couple extra outlets and he would send someone over with a couple sheets of 5/8 rock to replace what i removed ( 4' x 20')

I am now wondering if it's worth it to rip out the upper sheets and insulating the exterior wall. I am on pretty good terms with the super here so I imagine he will take care of the re-rocking for me. All it would cost me is the time, insulation, and worst case 4 sheets of 5/8" x 12' if they won't give me the extra, which i really think they will provide and install. They are building a couple lots down, so there is a dumpster easily accessible for disposing of the stuff i remove

Any thoughts on this undertaking? is it worthwhile or am i just wasting my time and money for no real benefit ?


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## mako1 (Jan 7, 2014)

A lot of variables here.Do you heat the garage?Do you plan to heat it and do work out there in the winter?You have no location so we don't know if your in MN or the Sierra Desert.Location makes a big difference with a question like this.
Promise I won't track you down and rob you.


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

Sorry, guess i forgot a few details! Located in Baltimore. Not really planning to heat garage regularly, but might run a space heater in there to do a occasional brake job or oil change if need be.

Doors are uninsulated, but i was planning to put one of those insulation kits on them before winter.


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## cleveman (Dec 17, 2011)

Of course you want it insulated.

I have one which is insulated and I don't think it ever freezes. This means I can store things there which shouldn't freeze. This a big deal for a lot of people.

It will be much easier on your car, that is for sure.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

If it is not a big deal, insulating the garage will help with heat loss on the outside walls between the garage and the living space.


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## HomeSealed (Jan 3, 2008)

Just to clarify, the existing wall between the living space and garage IS insulated currently, correct? If that is insulated and air-sealed, doing the rest of the garage is up to you. Cost to benefit ratio will be small except when you heat it in there during cold weather projects. It would probably be cheaper (and more effective) to have someone come in and dense pack those walls (if you elect to insulate) rather than rip down the sheet rock as well, but I know that you mentioned some additional electrical work, so I suppose it would not be bad to do it all in one crack.


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

HomeSealed said:


> Just to clarify, the existing wall between the living space and garage IS insulated currently, correct? If that is insulated and air-sealed, doing the rest of the garage is up to you.


You are correct. I am doing electrical work anyway so I am just going to go for it. Worst case is it cost me 8 rolls of insulation and 6 sheets of drywall. If i don't do it at this point I will be cursing myself in the winter wishing I would have


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

+1

Just do it in this case


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Don't forget to add insulation on the overhead garage door, if uninsulated, as well. BTW, a stud finder with an electrical current alarm or a wire circuit tracer would find the outlet in less than a minute, that is one nice super...

Gary
PS. add some oil based paint to stop the moisture at the drywall after the warm engine/wet vehicle parks there, keeps it out of the wall/insulation cavity.


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## High Gear (Nov 30, 2009)

Absolutely insulate .
The last two years I have heated my garage to 50f in the winter.
Not to expensive with natural gas and it sure is nice when its 0. f or below out.
Just r11 in the walls and r18 in the ceiling, insulated door . I'll be bumping it up the r38 in the ceiling next winter.
If your thinking an electric space heater you may wish to add additional 20 amp lines or 220V line for it.

With electric outlets now is the time to consider extra dedicated lines ( air compressors woodworking machines, what have you).


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## Donna_Donna (May 1, 2014)

Hi from Toronto! Insulating is not a big deal. I think it is better to make it than waste money on additional heating. We have just installed new garage doors and insulated them. Experts from supplying company have strongly recommended this. Here you can find more info.


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## cleveman (Dec 17, 2011)

I have been doing some work recently in a garage next to another garage. I remember that I insulated the side walls in both of them, but I wasn't sure which one I insulated the ceiling in.

I was finishing the sheetrock joints and painting one of them and it was plenty hot inside.

Today I was priming the door jambs in both of them and when I opened up the second one, I could tell immediately that that was the one with the insulated ceiling. It makes a heckuva difference.


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## Ocelaris (Oct 9, 2012)

We just insulated our garage while we were tearing out old drywall, running electrical etc... and it's made a huge difference, particularly with the room above the garage. When I come home yesterday it was 90* outside, opened the garage door and it was probably like 68* in there! We put R13 in the side walls, R38 in the ceiling and any walls which touched the house got 1/2" foil backed isocyanite as well, and everything was air sealed. Everything was drywalled with 5/8 Type X (fire rated) drywall. Makes a huge difference, and not terribly expensive.


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## concretemasonry (Oct 10, 2006)

Oceelaris -

Wait until the car's engine cools off and heat the garage.

I had an extra remote thermostat that I mounted (2 feet off the floor) in my garage to let me know if I could safely store items that should not be frozen in the future. I have a tuck-ender double garage with a decent overhead door (east facing).

Even at -20F it never got below 36F. When the big door opens to let in a car, the temp drops slightly, but rebounds in a minute or two and then goes up as the car cools and the garage interior warms up to al little more than it was about an hour ago.

Just a little info, but every situation is different.

Dick


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