ᐅ Tips/Insulation Concept for My Garage/Converting the Attic? Including Sketch
Created on: 29 Mar 2017 13:54
F
fizzzle
Hello everyone!
It’s great that this forum exists. I’ll just jump right in.
I have a detached wooden garage that is free on all sides. The garage is built as shown in the sketch. That means there is a small extension on the left side, which is directly connected to the garage space – basically enlarging the “original garage.” On top of that is a gable roof … see the sketch. The roof is directly connected to the garage room – so it’s basically one large space. There is no separate attic floor dividing the garage into two rooms!
The goal: I want to be able to work in my garage during winter/autumn without freezing. So the garage needs to be insulated. That’s no problem – I was thinking of using 100mm (4 inches) thick Neopor for insulation. The heat source would be a medium-sized stove with fireclay bricks.
Now the question:
Option 1: I leave the garage as it is and insulate it completely: exterior walls + roof. Then I have an 84m³ (2,965 ft³) space to heat – the warm air first goes up to the roof and only slowly comes back down.
Option 2: I build a conventional attic floor, meaning a ceiling that separates the roof from the garage space and insulate that normally – then I would only have 73.5m³ (2,595 ft³) of space to heat.
-> It’s clear that option 2 is better energy-wise! The warm air doesn’t just collect “uselessly” under the roof and it heats up faster. However, option 2 is much more expensive because you first have to build the attic floor. So, with option 1, could you say “Yes, you just have to wait 5 minutes longer for it to get warm,” or is the difference really significant? In other words, is installing the attic floor worth it?
I’d appreciate any advice and especially any experience!
Sketch:
Best regards!
It’s great that this forum exists. I’ll just jump right in.
I have a detached wooden garage that is free on all sides. The garage is built as shown in the sketch. That means there is a small extension on the left side, which is directly connected to the garage space – basically enlarging the “original garage.” On top of that is a gable roof … see the sketch. The roof is directly connected to the garage room – so it’s basically one large space. There is no separate attic floor dividing the garage into two rooms!
The goal: I want to be able to work in my garage during winter/autumn without freezing. So the garage needs to be insulated. That’s no problem – I was thinking of using 100mm (4 inches) thick Neopor for insulation. The heat source would be a medium-sized stove with fireclay bricks.
Now the question:
Option 1: I leave the garage as it is and insulate it completely: exterior walls + roof. Then I have an 84m³ (2,965 ft³) space to heat – the warm air first goes up to the roof and only slowly comes back down.
Option 2: I build a conventional attic floor, meaning a ceiling that separates the roof from the garage space and insulate that normally – then I would only have 73.5m³ (2,595 ft³) of space to heat.
-> It’s clear that option 2 is better energy-wise! The warm air doesn’t just collect “uselessly” under the roof and it heats up faster. However, option 2 is much more expensive because you first have to build the attic floor. So, with option 1, could you say “Yes, you just have to wait 5 minutes longer for it to get warm,” or is the difference really significant? In other words, is installing the attic floor worth it?
I’d appreciate any advice and especially any experience!
Sketch:
Best regards!
S
Steffen8030 Mar 2017 09:57Knallkörper schrieb:
Your costs are always 30 or 50% higher than one would expect. We also paid about that much, but our garage is significantly larger and was built with a cavity wall construction including core insulation and brick cladding.The garage has an L-shape
Built with Ytong blocks 36.5cm (14.4 inches) plus plaster inside and outside
Concrete slab like the house but separate (insulated!)
Concrete ceiling with skylight (electrically operable and with electric shading)
Windows with safety glass
Security door rated RC3
Sectional door in a custom size and insulated
Fully tiled
2 large radiators
Stainless steel sink and floor drain
I think the price is reasonable.
Regards, Steffen
K
Knallkörper30 Mar 2017 10:08Steffen80 schrieb:
Garage has an L-shape
Masonry ---------- + interior plaster
Floor slab like under the house but separate (insulation!)
Windows with safety glass
Insulated sectional doorOur buildings are quite similar so far. The rest would be additional, so that should fit. I don’t have a heating system in the garage yet. I think that might actually be prohibited? Our garage adjoins the heating room, and on the wall inside is the heating circuit distributor. The plan is to branch off a radiator there, but only after the final inspection.
I also wanted a floor drain—I would have liked to process my wild boar in the garage. But that was not allowed.
However, we will hardly use the garage as a parking space for the car, since we don’t have a basement and need the space for bicycles, a chariot, etc. I also have concerns because in a warm and humid environment, the risk of rust on the car is higher.
S
Steffen8030 Mar 2017 10:25Allowed or not allowed? And if I want a toilet in the garage... I’ll just build one in! There has to be a limit somewhere.
I can’t say yet if I’ll have many cars in the garage. Anyway, a couch will go in there and our old 65" flat-screen TV will be mounted on the wall. A carport will also be added next to the house. Better safe than sorry. Regarding moisture, the roof window will open automatically if it exceeds xy %.
Best regards, Steffen
I can’t say yet if I’ll have many cars in the garage. Anyway, a couch will go in there and our old 65" flat-screen TV will be mounted on the wall. A carport will also be added next to the house. Better safe than sorry. Regarding moisture, the roof window will open automatically if it exceeds xy %.
Best regards, Steffen
Knallkörper schrieb:
I would generally advise against insulated garages. If you can get wood for heating at a low cost, it probably isn’t worth it. Insulation can create other issues elsewhere, such as condensation problems in summer.
I understand your point. Although the garage is large, it’s more like a boat shed. The previous owner built it “okay,” but it’s not particularly airtight. So insulating it would kill two birds with one stone: it would make it airtight, improve the exterior appearance a bit, and, as you said, help with heat retention... Heating with a lot of wood in its current state would really just mean the heat goes straight out through the roof. Can you explain exactly what you mean by condensation?
Best regards!
Currently, the plan is to insulate the roof from the inside with Neopor – this way, the expensive cladding can be avoided. On the outside, it will be done as usual with polystyrene and tongue-and-groove timber. The floor will still be installed. The problem with option 2 is that the hatches to the floor could only be opened slightly – which would be quite fiddly. I will probably have to wait about 5 minutes each time.
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