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What's involved in insulating a single skin garage to make it more useable in winter?


Nial
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As the title says....

We have a single skin double garage on the side of the house, it's cold enough up here that for ~ 6 months of the year it's almost unuseable. I

can wrap up warmly enough if I'm out working for the night but if I just want to nip out for 10 minutes it's freezing. 

I don't want a room conversion, but enough insulation to make it comfortable. The boiler is bolted to the wall so I presume

dropping a radiator would be easy enough. I don't think I want to do anything with the floor as I still want to keep my

car (mostly original '93 mini) in it. I don't mind spending a few grand to do this right.

Thoughts?

 

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11 minutes ago, Blackpowder said:

Single skin, what material.  You could dab insulated plaster boards , or strap the wall with 2 x 2 battons and pack insulation in there before facing with plasterboard or plywood.

 

Blackpowder

It's just a single skin of brick wth periodic pillars. Would you not need a vapour barrier in there somewhere?

The roof is fairly tall with the back of the felt exposed. I'm not sure if I'd be better trying to insulate at this height

or just board up the 'celing' and insulate that.

Thanks for your feedback.

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Put some studs on the inside and pack with insulation and then vapor barrier and board over the top with ply or plaster board. This goes for the roof too but put double insulation  in roof as more heat is lost. Kingspan  or cellotex is best but not cheap

Edited by figgy
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A lot depends on whether you just want to keep out draughts or have it warm enough in which to work.

The latter relies on a heat source and how effective your insulation is at minimising heat loss.

We specialise in insulation, and I’m afraid there are no quick or cheap fixes which will make it practical nor effective.

 

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1 hour ago, Scully said:

A lot depends on whether you just want to keep out draughts or have it warm enough in which to work.

The latter relies on a heat source and how effective your insulation is at minimising heat loss.

We specialise in insulation, and I’m afraid there are no quick or cheap fixes which will make it practical nor effective.

I'd like it to be warm enough to work.

We did a fairly big extension a couple of years ago and I realise nothing is cheap but I think if I'm doing it I might as well 

do it properly. The boiler is in the garage so getting a heat source shouldn't be a problem.

One big downside is I haven't told the wife yet! :rolleyes:

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Don't tell her!! Have a look for Holmes on Homes I think it is, Canadian diy program he goes in and fixes other folks jobs and he is really big into insulating the properties.

are there any grants available for insulating, mate at work got his loft done for free a few weeks ago

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3 hours ago, figgy said:

Put some studs on the inside and pack with insulation and then vapor barrier and board over the top with ply or plaster board. This goes for the roof too but put double insulation  in roof as more heat is lost. Kingspan  or cellotex is best but not cheap

This is what part of my extension is. Was still cold until we got the log burner. 

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100mm cellotex in the walls and. 150mm in the ceiling. Will keep it warm with a heat source. The cheapest way to heat a building is put more insulation in you need less heat then. If you want to make it properly warm insulate the floor and put another floor in. 

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If you don’t mind losing 100 mm all round you could stud it and blow in warmcel or isofloc cellulose. Or you could use Gutex slabs.

Either way all your joints will need sealing with Orcon and then taping with Varna for best results, but it all depends on what use you intend to put the space and how much you want to spend.

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5 hours ago, Scully said:

If you don’t mind losing 100 mm all round you could stud it and blow in warmcel or isofloc cellulose. Or you could use Gutex slabs.

Either way all your joints will need sealing with Orcon and then taping with Varna for best results, but it all depends on what use you intend to put the space and how much you want to spend.

Will I not need to lose >100mm if I'm putting in a decent amount of Kingspan/celotex  anyway?

I'm an electronic engineer, I used to share an office with an architect but having been working primarily with one client for X years I gave up the office.

Unfortunately this means there's a _lot_ of stuff in the 'study' at home that I could do with putting somewhere else. I have also just

ordered a 3D printer and need somewhere to put it. I do want to keep the garage as somewhere to work at the mini, but I'm

thinking if it was well enough insulated I could moving a desk/ electronics workbench/ all the power supplies and test kit out there too.

I forgot to say mum and dad got a Harmann (I think) garage door installed a couple of years ago and I'm very impressed, something like

that could be part of the upgrade.

Thanks everyone for your input.

 

Edited by Nial
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Yes, you would lose internal space all round using even Kingspan; and if you do use it ensure ALL your joints are minimal and seal each and every one.

I don’t have any experience of garage doors but doubt they would  seal sufficiently to ensure the cost of good insulation ( well installed ) is viable; but I may be wrong. All our passive and SIPS work involve double or treble glazed units. 

You can find loads of info’ online regarding the products I and others have mentioned. Good luck.

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Insulated plasterboard is the way to go. Fix a membrane like Deltaliner PT to the walls first with stainless steel screws and plastic plugs. You can the dot and dab the plasterboard to the liner. The liner stops dampness coming through the single skin outside walls. Put in a suspended ceiling with either insulated plasterboard or standard PB with rockwool above.

100mm insulated PB will make a huge difference.

as for the door consider a new insulated roll over door.

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Must admit I'd just use polysterene rather than the proper insulation just due to costs, does almost the same thing. 2" of insulaion will make a big difference althou 4 may be better

Or try to get 2nd's of proper insulation

 

Is ur external wall waterproof?

Might be wise to leave a small cavity between ur outside wall and 2x2 studs which does make it slightly more complicated or at bare minimum put some damp course behind each 2x2 stud

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