Bedroom temperature issues...how to insulate?

5 years ago

I'm in a newly constructed house by a decent tract builder near Atlanta (zone 3). My master bedroom is at the back of the house on the second floor. In front of our bedroom is our master closet which abuts the uninsulated garage attic (that wall is insulated and sheathed with OSB on the garage side). We also have a large storage area in the garage that goes under a portion of our closet and bedroom (there is insulation in the joist space between the garage ceiling and our bedroom/closet floor). Prior to building, I was concerned about temperature issues with my room being partly over the garage but was assured that it would be sealed and insulated well and wouldn't be a problem. It's a problem, but one the builder won't take care of (because on the really mild day they checked, there was less than a four-degree difference between rooms upstairs). So I'm looking at various ways I can improve my room's comfort and reduce the temperature swings. I believe the most influential changes I can make at a reasonable cost are to insulate the garage to some extent since that affects our closet wall and our floor. I've insulated the 2-wide garage door with a radiant barrier bubble wrap style insulation. So far, I don't think that will do much because the ceiling in the garage isn't insulated. So I've had a few thoughts and I'm not totally sure which way to go. I've thought about using the radiant barrier bubble wrap on the underside of the garage rafters to reduce the summer heat gain in the garage (and to a lesser extent keep in some heat in the winter). I've also thought about using that radiant barrier bubble wrap or some other type of insulation on the attic side of our closet wall, but that won't help with the floor/garage ceiling. Obviously, I could also insulate the ceiling with batts, but I feel like that will help more in our short winter than in our long, hot, summer.

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Comments (3)

Mini-Split Warehouse
5 years ago
https://www.cooling-heating.net/

Insulation has the biggest impact on energy conservation and these simple measures can make the greatest financial savings:

Top up your loft insulation to 27cm depth.

Draft proofing (foam strips, draft excluder brushes and chimney balloon).

1. Roof Insulation

Insulating your loft to a standard depth of 27cm, which is almost the length of a school ruler, is probably the easiest and most effective way to keep heat in your home and stop it escaping into thin air.

2. Draught Proofing

Draft excluder brushes and chimney balloons all prevent cold air from rushing into your home from the gaps around windows, doors, letter boxes and other holes in the building fabric. These are easy to fit as they come with self-adhesive strips. They are cheap to buy and make a noticeable difference.

3, Thermostats and Smart Thermostats

Whereas thermometers tell us the temperature in a room, thermostats set the temperature in a room. Thermostats are a more efficient and easier way to control the temperature of your house in winter.

4.Wall Insulation

Regardless of how old your house is, the structure or materials used, it is possible to insulate walls to prevent heat loss. =

5. Floor Insulation

If you have a particularly draughty floor then plugging the holes and using rugs are quick fixes. However, if you plan to change the floor covers, such as lay new carpet, or renovate downstairs rooms, then floor insulation is ideal.
sktn77a
5 years ago
Insulating an unheated garage is a waste of time. The only thing you need to insulate is interior walls between the conditioned space of the house and the garage. Bedrooms over garages are notoriously cold. You could take up the bedroom floor or the garage ceiling and confirm there is insulation in there (you might be surprised). Add or change insulation as appropriate, add an additional air supply and/or return to the room. Supplemental electric heat will always be in so it will be expensive to add a small electric heater.
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Jon
Original Author
5 years ago
Well, I have plenty of time, so is it a waste because it won't help, or because it will be expensive? It's pretty easy and cheap to insulate the garage ceiling and garage door. Adding or changing insulation in my room, taking up the floor or the ceiling, adding additional air supply and return are all time consuming and expensive propositions.