Most home designs don’t include the garage when installing a heating system. And insulating it is the cheapest way to keep the cold out. Also, if you already have a heating system in your garage, it can help cut down on electricity bills. But, you should consider the pros and cons of insulating garage before making a decision.
Insulating your garage will help to control the temperature inside the garage. Thus, you can make your house more energy-efficient. Besides, it prevents loud noises from entering or escaping the garage. However, insulating a garage is costly depending on the materials.
In this article, I will explain the pros and cons of insulating a garage in detail. This should help you decide whether or not you should do it.
What Are The Pros Of Insulating Garage?
Cost is a vital factor for insulating a garage. But if that is not a concern for you, then you should consider these benefits:
Keeps The Garage Temperature In Check
Do you live in a cold climate? Then you have definitely felt the cold while you work on your vehicle in your garage. The chilly wind enters your garage through the cracks of the garage door or vents. So, one of the main purposes of insulating a garage is keeping the cold outside and retaining the heat inside.
Thus, you will feel more comfortable inside the garage. As insulating the garage keeps the heat inside, you will feel warmer than the temperature outside. Interestingly, insulating your garage can also keep it cool in a hot and humid climate. It keeps the extra moisture out, and you feel less heat.
However, this may not always be the case. We will discuss the point later in this article.
Repurposing The Garage
You may not have a car, so you want to use your garage in some other way. A garage has a significant amount of space. You can turn it into a gym, a workshop, an office, or an extra storage space. However, you have to make a few changes to make the space comfortable. One of these changes is insulating the garage.
When you insulate the garage, the space becomes more habitable. It will keep the temperature regulated. Besides, dirt or insects cannot enter the garage anymore because of the extra barriers. You can keep your furniture and equipment without the worry of damaging them. The garage will become just any other room in your house.
Reduce Electricity Bill
Insulating your garage will save a lot of your utility bills. If your garage has no insulation, the outside climate can easily influence the temperature inside your garage.
So, when you work in your garage at a cold temperature for a long time, you probably turn on the heater to stay warm. If the garage is too cold, the heater takes a long time to warm the temperature. Thus, the heater takes more energy to run.
By adding insulation to the garage, you can minimize the amount of cold entering the garage. Then the garage does not get too cold. So, the heater will not take a long time to warm up the space. Moreover, you may not even need to use the heater sometimes.
Also, in hot weather, you can save the cost of using the air conditioner in the garage. The linings and paddings will trap the cold inside. Hence, it will take the AC less time to cool the room.
Now, if you use AC or a heater in your garage, insulating it will dramatically decrease your electricity bill.
No More Noise Pollution
Imagine one of your family members is sleeping peacefully in your room. Suddenly, they wake up to hear loud noises coming from the garage! When you work in your garage, you probably use power tools or other tools that make noise. The sound can irritate and disturb the other members of your house.
Besides, your neighbors may complain because of all the noise. Insulation of the garage will keep the sound from coming from the garage. So, you can use power tools to repair your car or practice drumming for your band without much worry.
It will also prevent sounds from getting inside the garage. So, you will be able to work in the garage without external distractions.
Using The Garage As Extra Space
Are you planning to make your garage an extra storage place? For example, you may like to save some space in your house and keep large electronics, occasional decorative items, or even seasonal clothes in the garage. However, you should not do that if your garage is not insulated.
Insects can get inside the garage and damage your things. Besides, in some climates, extra moisture is a problem. Your electronics and other metal items will get rusty because of the moisture inside the garage.
Insulating the garage will prevent the insects from getting inside the garage and control the humidity level inside the garage. Hence, make sure to insulate the garage to use it as extra storage.
What Are The Cons Of Insulating Garage?
As you can see, there are many benefits of garage insulation. But it may also cause some problems depending on some factors. So, you should be aware of these issues.
An Expensive Project
No matter what materials you choose, insulating a garage is expensive. You may opt to use homemade linings and paddings to insulate the garage, but that can turn out badly for your garage. Hiring a professional is the best choice. For that, you have to spend a good amount of money on that.
First, you have to choose the right materials. You can use cellulose, rigid foam, spray foam, or fiberglass for insulation. Some of these materials are quite expensive.
Then you have to consider how much of the garage you are going to insulate. The larger the garage is, the more materials you will need to cover it.
Not For Hot Climate
Insulating a garage is the best option for colder climates. If you live somewhere hot, think carefully about garage insulation. The heat will stay trapped inside the garage and cause trouble.
The sun’s heat in the summer can get trapped in the garage. Thus, your car gets too hot. You will also feel uncomfortable working during the daytime in the garage. As a result, you have to use an air conditioner more often, which means extra electricity bills.
Things Can Get Wrong
When people try to save the cost of insulating a garage, they often use cheap materials or foams. First of all, the garage will not look nice. Secondly, it raises the risk of accidents.
It is also important to know which areas of the garage should be lined and padded. People who have no idea do it wrong, and thus have little effect on controlling the heat. Furthermore, there is a high chance of fire spreading quickly because of cheap material and incorrect insulation.
Should You Insulate Your Garage?
After seeing all the pros and cons of insulating the garage, it is time you decide. No doubt, there are many benefits of insulating a garage. However, are they relevant to you?
To decide if you will keep your garage uninsulated or get insulated, think about a few facts. First, how much time do you spend in the garage? And how do you like to make use of your garage space? If you spend a lot of time in the garage and use it as a storage space, you should definitely insulate the garage.
On the other hand, if you live in a tropical climate and heat is already a problem in the garage, you should decide carefully. Insulating the garage is a good idea to keep humidity in control. But if humidity is not the cause of heat, then do not insulate the garage.
By now, you must have learned about all the pros and cons of insulating garage. We cannot ignore the benefits of insulating a garage. So, if you have no problem with the cost, or the complexity surrounding it, I highly advise that you do it. Thanks for stopping by and I hope this article was able to help you with your confusions
