Garage Project Start

So this weekend's big project became the garage. "With all your heat problems," you ask, "why in heck are you worried about the garage?" Go0d Question!

Last weekend WS asked Harry to come up from MA and recommend how to get more heat upstairs. Harry came to the conclusion that getting cold NOT to come into the bedrooms and hallway and lower level would help aleviate a lot of the issue. Althought the garage ceiling was insulated to some degree, there was no vapor barrier and a drop-ceiling had been installed. Both of these conditions kept it from being very energy efficient and able to transfer huge amounts of cold air to the main floor.

Yesterday Harry and WS showed up to demo part of the garage. Prior to that I moved most of the stuff out of it - thankfully there isn't that much stuff; snowblower, mower, ladders, shovels, rakes and the like. Once they arrived, the drop-ceiling was torn down and then Harry inspected the wall between the workshop and the car bay and found there was zero insulation there, so that sheetrock also came down. Then there was a trip to Home Depot to see how high my credit limit was - ha.

While everything is torn down, the two lights (only 1 of which works and it is only on a pull stirng - at the far end of the garage so not practical), two outlets and other wiring needed to be updated to modern standards. So the trip HD ended up netting us Insulation for the wall (at 2-ft studs, hard to find), plastic for a vapor barrier, 3 recessed LED lights, 1 breaker, 100' of wire, 2 outlets and one light switch.

Then I realized that really, the door needs to be replaced as I have several layers of foam weather stripping around it to keep the worst of the wind out (and spray in foam around the frame); the door just bows more and more and will not keep out anyone who even leans on it hard. So, we got a door and odds-and-ends needed to install it.

 Yes, the door bows that much at the top - a litlle over an inch. There are 2 layers of weather stripping although you can only see the top layer.

Unfortunately, I didn't take before pictures, but here is the results after stripping the ceiling. That is the original R-19 insulation up there. Today I will add another layer to fill the 2-3" gap to the bottom of the joists.

This is the wall between the interior basement and the garage (picture taken after moving stuff back in for the night).

Not sure if we will get the new door put in today, but Harry will come back this afternoon to finish wiring the lights and electrical outlets. After I get the insulation into the ceiling, we will also put up the vapor barrier, which will help keep any wind from finding its way into the house. The sheetrock will wait until later in the spring. We will still have to put up ducting to help move warm air from the stove the the bedrooms, thus we don't want to finish off the ceiling. But, it should keep things warmer overall with just the work we will have done by the end of today.

It is good to have friends willing to help on such a project - I would still be trying to get things demolished if it was left to me.

Comments

[Cop Car]

Good! Better your car should be left cold than that the garage should suck heat out of the rest of the house. Looking good!

[Cop Car]

P.S. What is it with the green? That is the color of the garage on Vesta - before you helped me paint it.

[bogie]

I guess there was a wicked good special on green paint. The whole basement was green until I did some repainting - that includes the entire garage and the foundation walls.

[Cop Car]

How depressing.

[buffy]

Yucky green. Here's hoping you'll eradicate it all one day. You're making amazing progress with your new home. I hope this helps with the propane costs, and safety issues (lighting) in the garage.

[bogie]

Buffy - the lighting is great! I'm really blessed that Harry is willing to come help with electrical issues!