Adding Insulation over Garage or refreshing insulation in general

[jrref]

I'm looking for feedback from any Villagers who installed insulation in their garage attic.

Did you notice any difference in the temperature of your garage in the summer or winter here in the Villages? Any pros or cons?

Also, some companies offer what they call insulation refresh in the main home attic where they add an additional 4 or 7 inches of blown in insulation. I'm guessing the amount of insulation in our attic's are probably the minimal to pass code so i'm wondering if we added more blown in insulation to get any spots missed when the house was built and or increase the R value of what's already up there makes any sense. I understand as you increase the amount of insulation you get less benefit but I have to believe even 4 inches of additional insulation just to even out everything has to give some benefit given the Florida hear we experience.

I'm only interested in any additional cooling in the summer and warmth in the winter from additional insulation and NOT looking to save money to recoup the cost.

Any feedback from actual experience doing either would be appreciated.

[TedfromGA]

Yes add insulation - you will notice the difference and your cooling/heating bill will reduce.

Typically, the garage attic is not insulated. We have a 2000 sq ft east facing designer home. I've added insulation throughout the house, lani, and garage. The depth of insulation is 2 feet - it was blown in. I also insulated the garage doors with styrofoam panels obtained at Lowes (there is a specific kit for this). Previously, the garage and lani were not insulated.

The difference is noticeable and I believe well worth the $$. Don't do a "refresh", but obtain a couple of quotes. Have the quoting company either survey your existing insulation or require 2 feet of depth throughout - don't just fall for a R38 depth unless they define how deep the insulation will be. That way you can measure and verify.

[jrref]

Yes add insulation - you will notice the difference and your cooling/heating bill will reduce.

Typically, the garage attic is not insulated. We have a 2000 sq ft east facing designer home. I've added insulation throughout the house, lani, and garage. The depth of insulation is 2 feet - it was blown in. I also insulated the garage doors with styrofoam panels obtained at Lowes (there is a specific kit for this). Previously, the garage and lani were not insulated.

The difference is noticeable and I believe well worth the $$. Don't do a "refresh", but obtain a couple of quotes. Have the quoting company either survey your existing insulation or require 2 feet of depth throughout - don't just fall for a R38 depth unless they define how deep the insulation will be. That way you can measure and verify.
Thanks for the feedback. So the Insulation "refresh" from the Solar Guys means they add a fixed amount, 4 or 7 inches or whatever you want of blown in insulation. We purchased the house 2 years ago and the inspector said the insulation was adequate and I can go look to see the number of inches since there are these ruler gauges all over. I've had them install insulation over my Lanai and it all worked out well. I'm always concerned that the guy blowing in the insulation will fall through the ceiling but they did a nice clean job and they do it every day in the Villages.

[dewilson58]

Did the garage, love it, would do it again.

Have not done a refresh.

[DangeloInspections]

Dependent on how old your house is, your R Value is most likely either 30 or 38. It should not need "refreshing" unless workers have been up there and trampled it. While there IS a law of diminishing return, R-38 should be the new minimum, you can go more. As to the garage, there are different views. You will notice more of a difference insulating your garage doors to fight the radiant heat than you will get from insulating the garage ceiling.

While many say they noticed a benefit, the ceiling insulation will also hold the heat IN the garage, especially from hot car engines, etc. Heat rises. Insulating the garage doors is a no brainer. There are different options for you to do that.

[Toymeister]

I increased R 30 by adding six inches myself as a DIY project, the payoff was something like nine years but only because I did it myself.

I certainly would not add insulation if I only have Solar Guys pricing. The payoff just isn't there.

I noticed no difference in home comfort. Although this is subjective I consider myself a good reference. As a burn victim/survivor I feel subtle temp differences and drafts that normal people don't. It just wasn't there with more insulation.

The true test is I did not add extra insulation on my current house. I have no regrets.

[jrref]

Dependent on how old your house is, your R Value is most likely either 30 or 38. It should not need "refreshing" unless workers have been up there and trampled it. While there IS a law of diminishing return, R-38 should be the new minimum, you can go more. As to the garage, there are different views. You will notice more of a difference insulating your garage doors to fight the radiant heat than you will get from insulating the garage ceiling.

While many say they noticed a benefit, the ceiling insulation will also hold the heat IN the garage, especially from hot car engines, etc. Heat rises. Insulating the garage doors is a no brainer. There are different options for you to do that.
Thanks for the reply. So you bring up an interesting point that I've been wondering about and no one seems to have the answer. I have insulated my garage doors and have noticed a difference. But you are right, the garage is going to be at the outside air temperature plus the heat from the car and any solar gain from the doors. I can see that in the late afternoon my garage is hottest because the west sun is beating on the doors. Without garage attic insulation as I have it now, the heat will rise and go into the attic where I have 2 solar vent fans. Since i've installed the solar vent fans my attic never goes above 10 degress higher than the outside air temperature where before it used to super heat on the hottest days so it makes sense to me NOT to insulate the garage ceiling in order to allow the excess heat in the garage to escape through the ceiling to the attic, correct? In the winter you would want the heat to stay in the garage but since it's not living area it doesn't make much sense. BTW, my 2016 Ivy came with the radient heat shield installed in the entire attic including over the garage which i'm sure is making a huge difference.

As far as adding insulation to the main attic, I think I have R38, I have to check but I have no confidence that all the insulation is perfect up there so for the extra cost I can add 4 inches to increase what's there now and to make sure every spot is covered properly. You are right, everytime someone goes up there to inspect they are tamping down the insulation. When i had my Lanai done, I had them cover their steps on the way out which they happy did.

As far as the cost, I rather pay a little more and have someone licensed and bonded and does this stuff every day to lessen the possibiliy of having a problem with my ceiling when doing the job.

[dewilson58]

While many say they noticed a benefit, the ceiling insulation will also hold the heat IN the garage, especially from hot car engines, etc.

We rarely use our car, BUT "it's always hot outside in Florida"...........so trapping in heat from a hot car is extremely minor.

Jus looked: Garage attic temp = 120; Garage temp 86; Outdoor temp 94. I can notice a benefit.

[ohioshooter]

I did the doors and the ceiling, and it’s just as hot as it was before. The only difference is when I turn the A/C on it cools down and stays cool as long as it’s on.

[sdeikenberry]

When we moved in we quickly added attic insulation to above R 42 over the whole attic including the garage. Noticed a big difference. We hired a company to blow it in...nasty hot job. I watched the guy and he crawled way back into the corners...did a nice job. We have a low pitched roof so it was not easy.

[retiredguy123]

The purpose for insulation is to slow down the heat transfer process between a conditioned space and an unconditioned space. Builders do not insulate a garage ceiling because the space below the ceiling and the space above the ceiling are both unconditioned spaces.

[Rwirish]

No, waste of money.

[HJBeck]

We added some over the lani and garage. Helped both, and has prevented cracking of ceiling drywall both places. Make sure they don’t cover/block air vents in soffits.

[Remembergoldenrule]

Insulating your garage door (there are do it your self kits at box stores and Amazon) and insulation over attic (we had Solar Guys) was well worth it. We also put Gila film (did ourself) on window in garage. Everything made big difference in heat.

[Boffin]

I'm looking for feedback from any Villagers who installed insulation in their garage attic.

Did you notice any difference in the temperature of your garage in the summer or winter here in the Villages? Any pros or cons?

Also, some companies offer what they call insulation refresh in the main home attic where they add an additional 4 or 7 inches of blown in insulation. I'm guessing the amount of insulation in our attic's are probably the minimal to pass code so i'm wondering if we added more blown in insulation to get any spots missed when the house was built and or increase the R value of what's already up there makes any sense. I understand as you increase the amount of insulation you get less benefit but I have to believe even 4 inches of additional insulation just to even out everything has to give some benefit given the Florida hear we experience.

I'm only interested in any additional cooling in the summer and warmth in the winter from additional insulation and NOT looking to save money to recoup the cost.

Any feedback from actual experience doing either would be appreciated.

South facing garage. Radiant barrier and 3/4 decking above, vented and insulated doors, and fan installed. Within 10 degrees of ambient air temperature throughout the day.

[Bay Kid]

Did anyone add a radiant shield to the rafters?

[GpaVader]

FWIW, we insulated the doors and put a film on the windows and it's made a huge difference. I use the garage as a shop in addition to parking our vehicles in there. Because I paint, I put a split AC unit and the garage is fine. We use the storage above the garage and have not insulated because we are counting on the leaking cool air to moderate the storage above. We debated blowing it in the other areas there but with the platform for storage I wasn't sure I'd even notice a difference.

[Dlbonivich]

Radiant barrier seems to really work in my house. I can withstand going in my attic even now. I have had it in every house I have had in Florida. I think it is worth the money. Never tried to figure out whether it pays for itself.

[mrf0151]

2100 Sq. Ft. home here. SECO bill for June was $108.00. Would the insulation cost be worth it I am wondering??

[retiredguy123]

2100 Sq. Ft. home here. SECO bill for June was $108.00. Would the insulation cost be worth it I am wondering??
No.

[CosmicTrucker]

Are you even living in the house with an electric bill that low?

[JRcorvette]

I have done the garage attic area and it’s definitely not worth the money. Insulating the door is a good idea. As for blowing insulation through out the house attic the probably I see is you have no idea if it is being done properly or even completely. They usually send out young kids to do the work. Do not due it in the hot months! Some people have put radiant barrier on the rafters and that will help a lot but it is very expensive! Worth it? Maybe over a long period of time.

[Toymeister]

Multiple studies place radiant barrier savings at 3% of your electric bill during cooling months.

In other words, no it is not economic to install radiant barrier.

[Boffin]

Multiple studies place radiant barrier savings at 3% of your electric bill during cooling months.

In other words, no it is not economic to install radiant barrier.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, installing radiant barriers into the attic of your home can reduce cooling costs by five to ten percent.

[Boffin]

I'm looking for feedback from any Villagers who installed insulation in their garage attic.

Did you notice any difference in the temperature of your garage in the summer or winter here in the Villages? Any pros or cons?

Also, some companies offer what they call insulation refresh in the main home attic where they add an additional 4 or 7 inches of blown in insulation. I'm guessing the amount of insulation in our attic's are probably the minimal to pass code so i'm wondering if we added more blown in insulation to get any spots missed when the house was built and or increase the R value of what's already up there makes any sense. I understand as you increase the amount of insulation you get less benefit but I have to believe even 4 inches of additional insulation just to even out everything has to give some benefit given the Florida hear we experience.

I'm only interested in any additional cooling in the summer and warmth in the winter from additional insulation and NOT looking to save money to recoup the cost.

Any feedback from actual experience doing either would be appreciated.

Current temperature outside my garage is 94 inside garage is 96.

[jrref]

Multiple studies place radiant barrier savings at 3% of your electric bill during cooling months.

In other words, no it is not economic to install radiant barrier.

This may be true but I can tell you it makes a Huge difference in my home. Our homes in Osceola Hills had this barrier installed when the homes were built at that time. My friend in Fenney doesn't have the barrier and the temperature difference in the attic is significant.

[jrref]

Thanks for all the feedback. From what I can see, if you have the sun beating on your garage doors in the afternoon like I do, Insulating the garage door and tinting the windows if you have them is probably where to spend the money.

When I measure my garage ceiling with an infrared temperature probe I don't see much heat gain coming from the ceiling because my solar attic fans are keeping my attic from super heating. So my guess is the non-insulated garage attic is transferring some of the heat from the garage is going through the ceiling and the fans are blowing the heat out. If I didn't have the fans then the attic would super heat and the garage would get heat gain from the ceiling so then insulation would fix that.

I have R38 in my main attic so adding 4 more inches to make sure it's all leveled out an there are no missed spots will increase it to R50 which will be more than enough. Again, i'm not doing this to save money eventhough there should be some small savings over time but for the piece of mind that the insulation is better than what i have now and it's done correctly. BTW, I know the Solar Guys may be more expensive than hiring a handyman to do the work but I've had them install insulation over my Lanai and they don't hire kids to do the work. They knew what they were doing, I didn't hear any banging in the attic while the work was being done and I could see all the insulation going into the attic. They are also licensed and insured. You get what you pay for.

And shoutout to D'Angelo inspections for their advice!! Thank you!

[daniel200]

Are you even living in the house with an electric bill that low?

I have a 2000 sq ft home. My June electric bill was $112. My 2022 electric bill was $1233. I live here year around. Heating, water heater and stove are all gas. I have not installed any special insulation anywhere. The only thing, I have done is install a new AC Unit (SEER 16) in 2020 and a smart thermostat. I set the thermostat at 77 in the day and 73 at night. And turn the bedroom ceiling fan on low at night.

[mrf0151]

Are you even living in the house with an electric bill that low?
Yes we are. Since 2005. kWh usage is down nicely. This new AC system is wonderful!!

[Toymeister]

This may be true but I can tell you it makes a Huge difference in my home. Our homes in Osceola Hills had this barrier installed when the homes were built at that time. My friend in Fenney doesn't have the barrier and the temperature difference in the attic is significant.
The attic may very well be cooler however, less than 17% of radiant energy enters from the attic to the home. Heat doesn't radiate downward very much, this should not surprise anyone as heat still rises.

The home is the concern, not the attic.

Radiant barrier can increase shingle life, however, your roof replacement will be dictated by the insurability of your home not the condition of the roof. A sad, but true statement.

[cathiehines]

Did the garage, love it, would do it again.

Have not done a refresh.

Can you tell me who you used?

[skippy05]

Insulation in garage attic and on the garage doors will barely be a noticeable difference no matter what anyone on here tells you to the contrary. Changing the garage door to a factory insulated one of high quality will be noticeable. Power ventilation in garage attic that isn't running on a solar panel will be noticeable.

[Road-Runner]

I insulated the garage doors and noticed it was not nearly as hot as before. The sun shines on our garage door all day and it would just radiate heat into the garage. Afterwards, it's probably 5-10 degrees cooler. Then we added R38 insulation over the garage and noticed at least as big a difference as the garage door did. Finally, I do a lot out in the garage so we added a Mitsubishi split unit. We now keep the garage at 78 degrees for just a few dollars extra electricity a month. That's our experience and would do it all again as we're very happy with the results.

Jim

[dewilson58]

Insulation in garage attic and on the garage doors will barely be a noticeable difference no matter what anyone on here tells you to the contrary.

Oh those worthless gauges I have in my garage and in my garage attic.

:popcorn:

[jrref]

Insulation in garage attic and on the garage doors will barely be a noticeable difference no matter what anyone on here tells you to the contrary. Changing the garage door to a factory insulated one of high quality will be noticeable. Power ventilation in garage attic that isn't running on a solar panel will be noticeable.

The problem with power ventilation in the garage is it's pulling the hot outside air into the garage so if the temperature is 95 in the afternoon, the ventilation will be pulling 95 degree air into the garage and up to the attic. I've seen several of these systems and they don't make much difference.

As far as solar attic fans, I've had both electric and solar. Today, the newer solar attic fans have a way higher rpm and can move a lot of air. Not as much as an electric unit but good enough. I had two high capacity solar fans installed and it was too much ventilation. I could hear the fans going when it was quiet. I changed one of the high capacity fans in the back of my house to one that was the next level down and that did the trick. My attic never gets more than 10 degrees hotter than the outside air and never super heats with these fans installed and I don't hear them running and that's all that matters.

[dewilson58]

Can you tell me who you used?

Sorry, we did it during construction of our house...........it was a Village's sub.

[dadspet]

We had a contractor install foil-backed insulation to the Garage Roof and doors and according to other contractors who did work in our garage after it was done - they commented that our garage attic was a lot cooler than any other garage they were in. So based on these unsolicited comments from the contractors who went into our garage attic after the insulation was installed, I would say it worked and I would highly recommend this type of insulation instead of batt insulation in the floor.

[dadspet]

We had a contractor install foil-backed insulation to the Garage Roof and doors and according to other contractors who did work in our garage after it was done - they commented that our garage attic was a lot cooler than any other garage they were in. So based on these unsolicited comments from the contractors who went into our garage attic after the insulation was installed, I would say it worked and I would highly recommend this type of insulation instead of batt insulation in the floor.