Garage Insulation
The Importance Of Insulating Garages
Choosing whether to insulate a garage is an important decision for homeowners. Garage insulation offers many benefits including increased energy efficiency, reduced noise pollution, increased comfort, increased property values, and preservation of your possessions inside. Overall, insulating a garage helps guard your investment while protecting the area from outside elements.
Why Should I Insulate My Garage?
Insulating an attached garage prevents your home from losing heated or cooled air from the garage-adjacent rooms, which saves money and increases energy efficiency.
Insulation acts as a sound barrier which prevents:
- Noise from inside the garage from being heard inside your home.
- Noise from inside your home from being heard in the garage.
- Noise from outside the home from being heard inside.
An insulated garage creates a climate controlled environment and offers protection from the elements. An insulated garage provides additional comfort for:
- Work
- Storage
- Recreational activities
- Getting in and out of the car
Insulating a garage protects your personal belongings in the following ways:
- Store climate sensitive items.
- Increased car battery performance.
- Elevated efficiency from engine fluids.
- Car is more likely to start in freezing weather.
Which Products Can Be Used To Insulate A Garage?
Blown-In Insulation, also known as loose fill insulation, can be used in attics or blown inside of existing walls. Installing Blown-In Insulation inside an attic can be extremely beneficial if the attic has limited space, which would make installing fiberglass batts or spray foam insulation tremendously difficult.
Existing walls can be filled with Blown-In Insulation by drilling a hole one yard above the floor and another hole one foot below the ceiling and blowing the loose fill insulation in with an insulation blower. The holes are then covered by plastic plugs, which can be skim coated and painted, making them invisible.
Benefits of Blown-In Insulation:
- Fire Retardant
- Muffles Sound
- Simple Installation
- Conserves Energy
- Increases Comfort
- Reduces Mold and Moisture
Cellulose insulation is a type of green insulation that is composed of recycled paper and newsprint, which if not used for insulation, could have been put into a landfill. Installing cellulose insulation decreases toxins in your home, reduces landfill waste, and is simple to install.
Cellulose insulation comes as a loose fill, which can be blown into open attic floors and small holes in existing walls. Cellulose insulation is mixed with boric acid, ammonium sulfate, or borax which is are pest repellants and fire retardants. It has an R-Value of about R-3.5 per inch.
Benefits of Cellulose Insulation:
- Inexpensive
- Deters Pests
- Fire Retardant
- Conserves Energy
- Increases Comfort
- Reduces Landfill Waste
- Reduces Mold and Moisture
- Composed of Recycled Materials
Rockwool Insulation is created by melting down rocks at a temperature of 3000 degrees and then spinning the rock into fiber strands. The rockwool strands can be formed into batts or blown-in insulation material. Rockwool Insulation has an R-Value of about 3.0-R to 3.3-R per inch.
Rockwool material was originally discovered naturally occurring in Hawaii, as a result of high winds blowing the molten rock during volcanic eruptions, which was then found hanging from trees near Mauna Loa volcano in 1850.
Benefits of Rockwool Insulation:
- Long Lifespan
- Fire Resistant
- Pest Resistant
- Muffles Noises
- Higher R-Values
- Natural Resource
- Does Not Irritate Skin
- Sustainable Resource
- Moisture and Mold Resistant
- Does Not Degrade Over Time
Rockwool insulation can be installed in batts or blown-in and can be used in many areas of a home, business, pole barn and more. Call Rockford Insulation Pros for a free consultation today!
Fiberglass Insulation is created by spinning or blowing molten glass into fibers. Fiberglass is non-combustible and can be installed in batts, rolls, or blown in. This is one of the most commonly used forms of insulation and is relatively inexpensive. Fiberglass is generally installed in ceilings, attics, basements, and walls. Fiberglass insulation has an R-Value of about R-2.2 to R-2.7 per inch.
Benefits of Fiberglass Insulation:
- Inexpensive
- Fire Retardant
- Muffles Sound
- Limits Air Flow
- Mold Resistant
- Easy Installation
Spray foam is a wet insulation which can be installed on floors, ceiling cavities, walls, spaces around electrical outlets and light fixtures, and spaces between walls and windows or doors.
Open Cell Spray Foam has an R-Value of around R-3.8 per inch, expanding to about 3 inches of thickness. When this type of foam is sprayed, bubbles inside burst, leaving behind small pockets of air. Water is able to flow through the foam, which prevents mold, while also not absorbing any moisture or losing any insulating performance. Open cell spray foam is also used to muffle sound.
Closed Cell Spray Foam has an R-Value of approximately R-7 per inch and expands to about 1 inch thickness. The air bubbles in closed cell foam do not rupture, which create closed air pockets and a vapor barrier. Water is unable to move through or be absorbed into closed cell foam, which also blocks mold and mildew. Closed cell foam is dense, strong, and can be left exposed after an install. This type of insulation is beneficial in flood zones, as the material repels water and creates an air seal.
Benefits of Spray Foam Insulation:
- Deters Pests
- Long Lifespan
- Fire Retardant
- Conserves Energy
- Increases Comfort
- Strengthens Walls
- Environmentally Friendly
- Reduces Mold and Moisture
- Fills Unseen Cracks and Holes
- Seals Out Allergens and Pollens
See how our company can improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your home or business!
Contact Rockford Insulation Pros today for a free estimate.