[Brass2312]

In Arizona, where it sometimes gets to 120 degrees,
I want to build a pantry in the garage, to keep some food stuffs cooler.
I've already cut (and framed) a one-square-foot hole in the wall,
between the air-conditioned house interior and the garage.
Planning to build a pantry, right up against that wall.
Just 18" deep, so I can still park my car in that garage area.
Normal 2x4 framed walls on both Sides of the pantry, well-insulated,
1/2" drywall on both sides, floor to ceiling.
The problem: finding or creating INSULATED sliding doors,
trying to keep the Cool air in the pantry, not going out to the garage.
Can't find 'em, so I think I need to make the doors myself.
Thinking of some 4x8 sheets of 1 1/2" thick rigid insulation, cut to size,
and adding metal J-channel to all four sides, for added support.
Add wheels to the door bottoms, inset in the doors,
with some metal bent and added to the inset to attach the wheels to.
Create "channels' on the wall sides, floor, and ceiling,
using three pieces of L-shaped metal, for the doors to slide and seat within.
I think it's gonna' be a hassle. Ya' got any better ideas?

Darn. For some reason, I cannot add an attachment.
Please view a picture of this plan at
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y13wbkggzecubwr/2037 pantry pic 11.jpg?raw=1
Thanks, people.
Brass2312

 

[rjniles]

Why not open the doors into the house?

 

[Brass2312]

Well, Niles, because THAT would attempt to cool the Entire friggin' garage!
Duh.
Can somebody offer some Constructive ideas here?

 

[Nealtw]

Well, Niles, because THAT would attempt to cool the Entire friggin' garage!
Duh.
Can somebody offer some Constructive ideas here?

Dah, would be a dumb answer, which was not called for.
You have cut thru a fire rated wall that is sealed so auto off gasses can not get into the house. So maybe a better explanation of the plan would be better..

 

[carpdad]

You can but the pantry cabinet has to be built then covered with 5/8 drywall and compounded for air seal. Can't be slider door. The door also has to be fire rated (1 3/4 solid wood or metal skin 1 3/8) and must have weather seal against gases, like the doors from garage to living spaces. They must latch tight and maybe even self closing. Insulation also does not stop heat trasfer, just slows it down. The pantry could start having moisture condensation problems. If you have a bsmt, it's cooler there. Not sure why pantry food has to be cooler also. I'm in nj but even some very hot humid days had no effect on dry noodles and such. It would turn the paper boxes floppy but not the noodles. Sugar bag, I keep in free plastic bags from the grocery vegetable section.

 

[lenaitch]

In addition to the sealing issues between the house and garage, I'm not sure a 12" square hole is going to do much to cool the space (although size not shown). Thermal energy moves from heat to cold so the heat in the garage is going to want to try and move into the house (no insulation is perfect). If anything, you would need two holes - one high and one low - to get some convection movement, but I still don't think it's going to do much.
Although readily dismissed, I think Niles' suggestion of a sealed insulated box jutting into the garage is going to perform better.

 

[Brass2312]

Hhhmmmm. . . You guys don't seem to like my plan very much.
Yes, I understand that the existing wall is a firewall.
Neal, you want a "better explanation"? I don't know how I could
improve the current explanation. Maybe you want a Different plan?
Lenaitch, sitting in the 12" hole is a small box fan.
Blows air from the house into the garage.
The bottom edge of that hole is about 6 1/2 feet off the floor.

The pantry will be about 76" x 18", floor to 8 foot ceiling.
I Like your idea of a 2nd (smaller) hole, for circulation.
And, I cannot see "Niles' suggestion of a sealed insulated box".
Thanks, people.

 

[House Designer]

In my experience,
Garage = bugs.
House = Fewer bugs.
Those doors better be nearly hermetically sealed, or your food may inherit a bug problem from the garage.

 

[lenaitch]

Hhhmmmm. . . You guys don't seem to like my plan very much.
Yes, I understand that the existing wall is a firewall.
Neal, you want a "better explanation"? I don't know how I could
improve the current explanation. Maybe you want a Different plan?
Lenaitch, sitting in the 12" hole is a small box fan.
Blows air from the house into the garage.
The bottom edge of that hole is about 6 1/2 feet off the floor.

The pantry will be about 76" x 18", floor to 8 foot ceiling.
I Like your idea of a 2nd (smaller) hole, for circulation.
And, I cannot see "Niles' suggestion of a sealed insulated box".
Thanks, people.

Mentioning a fan would have been helpful. With forced circulation, a second hole is more important - the air blown in has to go somewhere. If you are going to do this, I would put the fan on the lower hole (assumes you are pushing air in - if pulling air out, do the opposite). The conditioned air in your house will be cooler near the floo6. You still have to fire/gas isolate the two spaces.

 

[Nealtw]

Now that I have better understanding of what you are doing I would suggest making it wide enough for a prehung exterior door so you could stay within code.

With two holes in the wall I would have made them just big enough for a fan and I would pump air out into the box in case you develop leaks you don't want to be sucking air out of the garage.

 

[SPS-1]

As I understand rjniles' idea, I think it is still the best. Make the pantry conditioned space - i.e part of the house. Put doors into what is now the kitchen wall. Make the garage-side of the pantry the fire rated walls. In Arizona, an R12 sheet for a door is not insulation, its a toy ----- make the garage fire-rated walls thick and fixed and put R40 in there. (and don't forget insulation on floor and ceiling).


.

 

[Mystriss]

IDK if it helps, but they make portable air conditioners. I think I'd just make a decently insulated box/room with exterior grade door and stick one of them in there.

 

[Nealtw]

IDK if it helps, but they make portable air conditioners. I think I'd just make a decently insulated box/room with exterior grade door and stick one of them in there.

Or a fridge?? :smile:

 

[Mystriss]

Or a fridge?? :smile:

HA!

I assumed they're just looking to not cook their food in an unheated/uncooled garage. Fridge isn't fiscally well suited for most pantry type items, dry pastas, grains, flour, etc.

 

[ron45]

Why not open the doors into the house?

I agree.

Have the garage side completely closed off.

The only entry into the Lean-To would be from inside the house.

I would put an exhaust fan at the top blowing air out of the Lean-To with air able to enter the Lean-To through a door with vents.

I also agree with others if it's possible a cellar.

 

[Brass2312]

Thanks for the replies, people.

HouseDesigner, there are close to ZERO bugs in the garage.
Monthly pest control sprays, and Big doors are only opened when moving a vehicle.
And there's basically Never any car exhaust fumes. We head-in, and back-out.
Besides, food is Already in the garage, with no bug infestations.

Lenaitch, I apologize for not mentioning the Fan earlier. Yup, that's an important part of this.

SPS, and Ron45, (AND apparently Niles originally, I didn't catch what he might have meant):
VERY Interesting. . . Garage-to-house door is very near this.
So, I just spent ten minutes standing in that area, trying to figure out How to
simply relocate the fire-rated door, making the Pantry a part of the house.
Darn. . . there's no space to make that work.

Mystriss, that's funny, and timely. Just yesterday, I sold (on craigslist) a portable AC unit.
Tried it for a while to cool the garage area, and the electricity bill went up $100 for that month.

There ain't a basement / cellar in these homes.

Again, Thanks for the continued conversation, people.
Brass2312

 

[Brass2312]

Sorry, I was s'posed to say Neal, not Niles.

 

[Nealtw]

Sorry, I was s'posed to say Neal, not Niles.

That's OK I have been called worse.

Why not just build the full insulated box in the garage and cut out for a 14" loovered door to the inside.

 

[ron45]

Just for fun.

Think about a box with with a fan.