Insulation is an excellent way to keep heat out of your home while acting as a noise barrier and helping lower energy bills significantly.
Florida climate zone 1 requires that insulation at R-13 must meet or exceed R-30 for best practice, with loose-fill and spray foam being common forms of existing garage attic insulation solutions.
Cost
Insulation upgrades can be an excellent home investment when coupled with qualifying for insulation tax credits. Insulation also improves R-value, or resistance to heat flow; this helps lower energy consumption – an invaluable commodity in Florida.
Many homeowners insulate their garages to save money on heating and cooling bills while creating extra usable space in their home. When selecting insulation material, the proper choice should be selected – commonly used options include cellulose and fiberglass insulation, while spray foam provides the highest R-value insulation barrier available.
Attic air quality may be responsible for unexplained health issues in your home. This could be the result of old, dusty or wet insulation as well as wildlife infestations contaminating it – Raccoon droppings contain potentially hazardous bacteria while squirrel and bat guano can spread histoplasmosis into living spaces.
Garage Attic Insulation Benefits
Many homes have attics or garage attic spaces that have gone insulated-free since the house was first constructed, leading to drafty and stuffy environments in these spaces. Insulating your garage attic will not only increase storage space but will also lower energy bills while making life in your home more comfortable year round.
Your garage attic needs insulation in order to prevent temperatures of over 140degF on hot days from rising to extreme levels and to reduce humidity levels that could cause condensation build-up. Without insulation, temperatures in an uninsulated attic can quickly exceed 140degF and lead to overheating conditions that lead to condensation issues.
Choose between fiberglass batt or blown-in insulation options for your garage attic insulation needs, with batt being the more affordable of the two at $0.65 to $2 per square foot. Blown-in is more effective and suitable for attic spaces or walls with drywall. Insulating your garage attic is a smart investment for your home that can add value when selling, as well as earning wind mitigation credits that could potentially lower insurance premiums.
Installation
Insulating your garage attic is a fantastic way to increase home comfort while simultaneously cutting your energy costs. Florida summers can be extremely hot and humid; with proper insulation keeping your house cooler than ever.
Installing insulation can be accomplished on your own, but preparation of the space prior to beginning can make this task more manageable. Safety equipment including goggles and face mask should be worn when breathing in insulation particles; any personal belongings should also be removed prior to commencing work, along with adding a vapor barrier in order to prevent moisture accumulation and mold growth.
Many homes contain attic or garage spaces that were never adequately insulated, leaving drafty winter air flowing in through drafty doors or hot stuffy air coming through summer windows. As time goes on, older insulation loses its R-value; replacing this insulation will create a stronger thermal boundary for your entire house, saving money on heating and cooling bills in both seasons.
Maintenance
Most homeowners do not prefer storing tools, motors, and furniture in their attic due to heat, humidity, bugs and fire risks.
Ideally, if a garage is attached directly to a house, both should be insulated as part of a climate-controlled air supply for optimal temperatures in both areas. This will prevent temperature-controlled air escaping into the garage and vice versa.
Insulation upgrades are among the best home improvements to increase energy efficiency and comfort in a house, as they save homeowners both energy and money by selecting and installing proper insulation types. Common types include fiberglass batts, cellulose fiberboard, blown-in spray foam insulation and rigid foam board – each type has different R-values and costs; higher R-values tend to cost more money; fiberglass has one of the lowest R-values at approximately 2.2-4.5, with other forms having slightly higher values.