# Ceiling insulation in workshop



## unisaw (Jan 31, 2007)

My house is 27 years old and as you can see, my basement ceiling is open and the insulation batts are falling down. They are held up the bent steel wires and as fast as I reset the wires they come down elsewhere. Anyone have any experience with this? See pic below.


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## unisaw (Jan 31, 2007)

Picture would help.


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## kdc68 (Mar 2, 2012)

No experience. But my first thought is your shop is there and you are breathing all the really fine fiberglass particles as they fall from the bats into the air…. not a healthy enviroment


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Another technique is to put screws inside of the joist and zig zag a string or wire across the joist holding up the insulation.
Or staple some concerte mesh wire to your joist to hold the insulation up.


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## needshave (Jan 13, 2013)

Unisaw,

I'm a bit familiar with the wire formed to hold your insulation. I have a property that had something very similar if not exactly the same formed wire. Mine was in the attic of a cottage, the wire had a 45 degree cut metal tip on each end. If your joists are 16" o.c. then your order the standard 18"width wire. You install the wire by pushing in at the middle and then release. There is enough tensile strength in the wire that when you release it, the 45 degree tips bit into the sides of the joist and holds it in place. At least that is the intent. But as you know, once it's been up for a while, the tensile strength is not there.

Here is what I did: I went to the electrical department of Home depot and bought staples, Staples used for mounting romex wire. I drove the staples in on 16" centers alternating from side to side. Then I fished wire thru each staple that allowed it to hold the insulation. Then sheeted the bottom side of the attic with Clear heavy gauge plastic sheeting, the old house wrap material, by stapling it to the bottom of the roof joists in your case floor joists. This assure the insulation stays above the bottom of the joists as well as keeps the insulation fibers from floating around.

Hopefully I have given you some ideas. Good luck with it.


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## moonie (Jun 18, 2010)

What about cardborad there are compy's that throw away big peice of cardborad in there dumpser's and all you need is a hand full of sheet rock scerws it works for me ?


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## oluf (Jan 29, 2010)

Go to the lumber yard and ask them for 16 inch center raftervent panels. These are used to snap into the roof rafters before insulation to keep an open airway from the soffet to the ridge vent, They are ver light and thin plastic panels that you can snap between the joists to hold the insulatoin up and give you a neet looking celing. Just buy a few and try them. You may have to staple them in in some places. It would realy be good not to have that fiberglass in the air.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

i could see a bunch of difference options you could go.
the proper way would be to re-insulate the ceiling with new insulation (i am not sure of the shelf-life of 27year old insulation… the dust and simple wear and tear), use furring strips or something sturdy to hold them up, then plastic the entire thing


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## unisaw (Jan 31, 2007)

Thanks everyone. I like the raftervent idea but can't find 16" material - roof rafters are 24" OC so they come in 22" widths. I need 14.5" to fit in the cavity


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## teejk (Jan 19, 2011)

New construction here requires insulated basement walls but I guess there is a moisture issue so they don't use Kraft faced or poly. Rather they use something called "netting". It's kind of like building wrap, comes in long rolls and is a simple "staple-up". Pretty tough stuff and I'm sure it would work on ceilings as well. I've seen it in Menards here so I'm sure the other big box stores sell it as well.


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## oluf (Jan 29, 2010)

My lumber supplier stocks both 14 inch and 22 inch panels. Some of us still build with 16" OC rafters on 4/12 pitch roofs. When I lived in Agawam I built everything with 16" centers. Those spring snows in that country are realy heavey


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

unisaw. this late spring or summer, i'll be adding rolls of R-19 batt insulation to my ceiling joists, which are 24" OC. I believe by fire code, this has to be fire rated gypsum. this is a 2car attached garage.
does fire rated ceiling apply to you in your basement? or grandfathered in?


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## IrreverentJack (Aug 13, 2010)

Buy masonite, hardboard, pegboard or homosote rip it to 2' and put a ceiling up. Put a coat of white Kilzs on while the sheets are outside. Rip 2x's - 1/4" for battons every 2' square. Pegboard is around $18 a sheet, masonite less. Might be some kind of homosote product that would work and have better sound/insulation properties. Use screws and washers where you want to be able to get at things. Light weight, easy to put up or take down. It would make your shop brighter (if you paint it) and maybe quieter. -Jack


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