How to enclose and insulate garage?

[92GMC]

I have an old garage, well really a shed that's been enclosed, but with the wood that was used there are gaps between each one. I'm really wanting to heat it this winter because I'm tired of working in the cold lol. What would y'all do if this was yours? Put strips of wood over each crack or maybe metal all the way around? Just looking for some ideas on what would be the cheapest. Also looking for insulation ideas. Here's the best pic I have of how it's built untill tomorrow. The windows will be replaced with the correct size later. They were just free so I threw them up to help keep the wind out.

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[great white]

Tyvek house wrap the outside, then siding. That stops the wind.

Fiberglass pink the interior and then vapor barrier.

Install a ceiling with vapor barrier and then insu!ate with pink. Almost all your heat goes out the top.

Or: patch the cracks so most of the wind doesn't get in and shiver.

Insulating is never cheap.

I've used a wood stove to keep drafty structures warm in winter. But you have to keep it really rocking and you have to install it right or you just may burn the whole thing down....

 

[supertrucker1978]

patch the cracks so most of the wind doesn't get in and shiver.

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I would just do this, Kentucky cold isnt like "real" cold like the frozen tundra of MN or Canada. Poly the walls and ceiling to keep the draft out and find a portable heater of some sort.

 

[92GMC]

I've got a 125.000 btu torpedo heater but it just doesn't stay warm. It doesn't have to be insullated like a house but I'd like to keep it warm when I'm in there. I like the idea of siding to match the house, I'll definitely check into that. Are those insulating 4x8 foam boards like you get at lowes decent?

 

[great white]

Tyvek and siding will go a long way. Sell it to the wife as matching the house and she'll probably be happy.

90% of your heat goes out the roof. A ceiling of some sort will bring your best gains. It will also help by preventing all your heat from shooting up into the rafters and making the space smaller and easier to heat.

Styrofoam on the walls will help, but not as much as wrapping the structure and a ceiling. Also, if you cut and weld steel in there it would be a good idea to get some drywall over the foam. It,s highly flammable and an errant spark or thrown slag could turn into a very bad thing....

 

[96-1500]

A little late reply but I'll echo great white... if you are on a really low budget, do what you can to cut the drafts, and safely install a woodstove and, as we say here in the Maritimes, spudge 'er up till the paint peels (big roaring fire with lots, and lots, and lots of dry firewood). Then a couple fans to blow the heat around and you won't freeze.

Easy for me to say since I cut my own wood for cheap, if you have to buy firewood, may not be as economical.

 

[Nash]

I used 4'x8' 4" foam boards to insulate my garage. I had to cut them to fit in between the 2 x 4's . I purchase these at recycling place here. I gave $5 a sheet for the 4' x 8' sheets. They are 2nds from a company that manufactures these for refrigeration rooms. I thinks he has gone up on his price for the sheets. I covered that with plastic then OSB sheets. Yea, I have heard about fire danger but my walls are 4"ft cement blocks before the studs start and they are covered with steel panels.

 

[IOWNJUNK]

I used 4'x8' 4" foam boards to insulate my garage. I had to cut them to fit in between the 2 x 4's . I purchase these at recycling place here. I gave $5 a sheet for the 4' x 8' sheets. They are 2nds from a company that manufactures these for refrigeration rooms. I thinks he has gone up on his price for the sheets. I covered that with plastic then OSB sheets. Yea, I have heard about fire danger but my walls are 4"ft cement blocks before the studs start and they are covered with steel panels.

Spray foam works nice inbetween those foam panels.

 

[RyanMerrick]

^ Do what Great White said, I'm not going to spend time typing the same thing.

Even though you don't live in the "frozen tundra", the same principles apply. Do it right and the space will take less energy to heat up initially and will be able to maintain temperature much more easily.

 

[Nash]

I use the Styrofoam on the ceiling also and used the spray foam to seal in between the cracks the of the wood and foam sheets on the side walls and ceiling. I used sheetrock to cover the ceiling instead of the OSB. My ceiling is 13ft for 12k lift.