Matt's Long Awaited Workshop Renovation #2: The Walls are Bare and the Insulation is Up!

Matt – I live in Florida so have the opposite problem – too much heat instead of cold. My garage/shop walls are concrete block so aren’t too bad but the garage door was a full on heat radiator late in the day each early spring to mid fall day. I insulated the garage door with the same fiberglass bats and it made a tremendous difference. They sell garage door insulation kits but the bats do just as well for a lot less.

It doesn’t look as if you have insulated the door. You may want to think about it.

!

From

-- Bob Costello

You’re right. I haven’t insulated the door….YET! That is in my plans but not for this phase of the project, which is to get the areas that will be drywalled prepared. I also plan to use blown-in insulation in the attic this fall. The garage door will be insulated. I had originally planned on using 2 inch thick blue foam but I like your method better. The blue foam doesn’t have the R-value of fiberglass insulation, however it looks like your stuff is compressed. I know that would dimish the value some. However, I bet its a lot better than the foam I was planning on using.

If you don’t mind, could you drop me a line or reply here about how you installed it?

Thanks,
Matt

-- Matt - My Websites - http://www.bestinwood.com - Hand Tools :: http://www.workshopgarage.com - Small Shops

Matt – there is some compression of the bats but still an improvement. They are just held in place by the structure of the door – either the channel made by the edge of the door section or the structural bar that runs the width of the door. I pieced together sections of the bats to fit the size of the channel then joined the sections togther with clear packing tape. The door goes up and down on a daily basis for over a year now and it is still nicely in place. About $40.

-- Bob Costello

Matt they make insulation stays which are tempered steel wire that fits between the studs and holds the insulation in place. It saves having to staple it to the walls.

I know you already have yours up but the stays might be able to be used on your door where you can’t staple.

You buy them by the length you need. I needed to use a bolt cutter to cut the wire. I used mine as hinge pins in a toy I was making.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †