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Originally Posted by sa226
As it turns out I have the makings of a pretty awesome garage.
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It only has two 15amp circuits, one for lights, the other for receptacles. I would like to get some 220 in there for additional options, and I might like to get a 20amp circuit in there as well.
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Would you use a 220 for anything? I have a 220 in my garage and I was considering using it for brewing, but so far I haven't needed the extra power.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sa226
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My questions revolve around heat and insulation.
First, insulation:
Can I just blow a bunch of cellulose crap up there and call it a day?
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I'm just a stupid lawyer so this might be terrible advice, but I insulated my garage this summer. I ended up putting batts in between the joists (mine were mostly 16" OC, with some 24" OC - both standard insulation batt sizes). This way I was able to wedge the batts in without them falling down. Then I vapour barrier'd it all and drywalled over that. My alternative would have been to vapour barrier and drywall first, then try to lay batts or blow insulation in through the incredibly tiny access point that I would have been left with. I'm 6'4" so that wouldn't have been very fun.
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Originally Posted by sa226
The roof is vented, but if I'm doing ceiling insulation without insulating the roof, do I need soffit vents and all that stuff? The trusses are only 2x4 so that doesn't allow for much of an r-rating if I want to do a storage area. I have thought of securing additional 2x4's the the trusses to essenstially make then 2x8s then I can have additional insulation under the storage floor in the middle, then just have the loose insulation on either side of the storage floor, if that makes any sense.
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You absolutely need soffit vents (I assume you are talking about the polystyrene venting you staple to the underside of your roof). Otherwise your insulation will block the soffits and you have no air flow, meaning you will trap moisture up there and grow mold. They are ridiculously cheap. I bought a 10 pack for about $15 and cut them in half.
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Originally Posted by sa226
Second, heat. I do have gas running to the garage. We're not super high maintenance that I want to keep the thing heated 24/7 all winter long. I just want to be able to turn on the heat so that I can go out there and work comfortably. Is a Mr Heater maxx or Reznor furnace worth it in the long run after the upfront costs? Or is it just as good to put a 7500w construction heater in there for my needs?
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If you have gas piped to the garage already, buy a gas furnace. I'd recommend getting a properly sized one, so that you can turn it on, wait 10 minutes and go out into a reasonably warm garage.
An electric heater will cost a lot more per BTU. I'd guess you'll break even in a couple of years at most (less so if you forget to turn the electric one off :P)