INSULATING THE GARAGE: SURPRISING IMPACT ON HOME COMFORT

It’s a good idea not to overlook garage insulation when planning on making your home in Toronto more comfortable and energy saving. Many times, garages are left unfinished and without insulation to minimize construction costs, this is because it is assumed that the garage will only be used to park the cars at night. There are however many people that use the space as a workshop, storage or for the dog to sleep at night, whatever you use the garage for, it’s a good idea to insulate it as it is a good investment.

WHY YOU SHOULD INSULATE YOUR GARAGE IN TORONTO

It might come as a surprise how insulating your garage positively impacts the comfort of your home:

• First and foremost, it gives you extra square footage in your home inexpensively. Year round usage will now be possible after you insulate your garage in the greater Toronto area, over bearing heat in the summer and piercing cold in the winter will no longer be an issue. Space heater in the winter and a window air conditioner in the summer to keep your garage at a comfortable temperature.
• You’ll save energy when you insulate your garage in respects to your overall heating and cooling bills. When you insulate a garage, it is increasing the R-value of the walls that separate the garage from your living space.
• When the common walls are air sealed between a living space and a garage, any air that has been condition will have more difficulty escaping.  At the same time, this would effectively reduce the toxic fumes entering your home form the garage. Exhaust fumes, insecticides, paint vapour or whatever else you are storing in the garage and are potential health hazards you want to block from entering your home. The air quality of your home will be much better.
• Noise pollution will be reduced massively from entering your home if you insulate your garage. And though it won’t completely isolate you from any noises outside, there will be a noticeable difference when you are using power tools in the garage for example.
• Entering you car during winter will now be pleasant , as you’ll be entering in the climatized temperature of your insulated garage instead of whatever old man winter has going on.

R-VALUE, UNDERSTANDING IT

R-value is the measure of thermal resistance a material has. It is also the measure of the entire thermal resistance of a structure, such as a wall . A walls total R-value would include the studs, vapour barrier, insulating material and drywall, if it was an wall which had the exterior of the building on the other side, then whatever material is used such as brick would also be included. Windows are a weak point in any structures thermal envelope, so it’s a good idea to address any windows in your garage while you are considering insulating it.

GARAGE WALL INSULATION IN TORONTO

You should take the time and air seal any common walls between you home and garage, before adding any insulation to the garage walls. Doing this will keep toxic fumes from penetrating into your home from the garage, whilst further reducing energy losses. You can use silicone caulk to seal any small crevices or holes the have wiring, or you can avoid this all together, and just use expandable spray foam insulation.

Spray foam insulation has had a boom in the last decade or so, andsome municipalities have gone as far as making it code to use it. There are countless benefits to using spray foam insulation for this application.

GARAGE ATTIC INSULATION

One of the most cost-effective ways to make a space more comfortable in cold and hot weather is to insulate the garage attic. If the garage ceiling isn’t finished, the best way to insulate it is to use spray foam insulation and just fill in the gaps, of course the best choice would be to hire a professional for the job.

GARAGE DOOR INSULATION

Neglecting the garage door when insulating your garage would be counter productive. Ideally you would purchase a new door that has a higher R-value, but if you don’t have the money for that, then you can add insulating gaskets between the joints, and make sure to replace the weather stripping at the bottom of the door. When the door is closed, a tight seal will keep drafts from coming inside.

INSULATING WINDOWS IN GARAGE

Be sure to make the widows as energy efficient as possible. Seal the gaps around the frame with spray foam insulation. So the windows seal tightly, be sure to replace any worn weatherstripping. Sheets of clear plastic can also be taped to the window frames to reduce further heat transferring. If there is a window air conditioner for the hot weather, be sure to cover it in the winter to prevent drafts.

Contact Spray Foam Kings for any further information if your looking to get your garage insulated in the GTA. You can learn the prices of spray foam insulation per square foot in the greater Toronto area here: http://sprayfoamkings.com/blog/cost-per-square-foot-of-spray-foam , you can also see a list of services we offer or simply give us a call at  (647) 846-7592