Insulate basement garage ceiling under living area?

beckydewit

I'm new and this is my first post here, so please be gentle with me.

1931 airplane bungalow with a single-car garage attached to the basement which has stone foundation walls on two sides. There is simple drywall on the other sides separating the basement section from the garage to meet code, so the garage is technically unheated but gets some heat from the basement (which is unfinished). It never gets to freezing in there, but it does get chilly.

The joist bays have no insulation and the garage is directly below living space in the first floor of the house. If I were to buy bats and install them in the ceiling of the garage, would this help to keep my feets warmer in the winter, or am I just putting a bandaid on it?

I know nothing of actually doing this, and this is my first foray into finding advice on the subject.

gregzoll

It should actually be spray foamed to seal out CO from the living spaces.

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beckydewit

Thanks, Greg. Will that insulate it from the cold as well?

gregzoll

It IS insulation. Just depends on what the locals that do it recommend.

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beckydewit

K. I assume that, by "locals," you mean local professionals who spray in foam. I don't know anything about that.

My CO detector has never detected any CO, and I don't know what the code here is for that. I'll have a city inspector here on Monday so I'll ask him.

In the meantime, if it doesn't need to be sealed for CO, is it possible that bats would do the job for cold?

gregzoll

Home CO detectors do not detect the lower amounts, that over time cause more harm if in that area to allow prolonged exposure. If you go with batts, you still will need to use 5/8" gypsum and tape the joints.

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joed

It will need a vapour barrier on the Hot side(top of bays) and fire rated drywall after the insulation. Spray foam is a vapour barrier and insulation all in one. It is more expensive but it is the best way to do it.

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Bondo

Ayuh,... If you want the Ultimate in warm feet,...

Install radiant heat under the floor 1st,.. Then insulate, 'n seal it up...

beckydewit

Ah. Is there really that much CO that infiltrates with one car that spends a maximum amount of about 30 seconds (in and out) inside with the engine running with the outside door open? We've been living with it for 20 years and I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure none of us has suffered.

Like I said, I'll ask the inspector on Monday about it.

There are many things up in parts of the bays, like outlets and pipes and things that have to get gotten to at times - can the foam be sprayed around these things?

I'd love to have radiant heat, I just can't afford to do something like that right now. We've just shot our wad on electrical upgrading and customizing and it will take some time to save up more money for such things. This is why I'm asking about using batting.

I really appreciate all of your answers and I thank you.

gregzoll

Get the measurements, and then go to Home Depot or Lowe's and price out Plastic Sheathing for the vapor barrier, unfaced batts (May need R-38 or higher), and 5/8 Gypsum with the mud & tape. You may find out that the cost is on key with Spray Foam for the space. As for around ceiling boxes, they know how to spray around. You should not have to get up in the bays to mess with anything if it was done correct to begin with.

beckydewit

Comparison pricing. Always a good idea. It may indeed be on key with foam, plus I'd save trips back and forth to HD or Lowe's and the labor involved, not to mention the savings in frustration.

Thanks for your help, Greg.