BASC Search | Building America Solution Center

Spray foam insulation air-seals and insulates the floor above the garage; the joist will be filled with fibrous insulation in this flash-and-batt approach.

Insulating Existing Floors over Garage

Guide with information about how to upgrade a garage ceiling when a portion of the interior of the house is located directly above the attached garage by adding insulation and air sealing.

Insulation Installation Guide: Air Sealing Garage

Publication Date

June, 2017

Video describing a technique for airtight drywall installation on garage walls using foam gasket strips.

Rigid foam insulating sheathing installed over an existing garage ceiling with retrofits to air seal exterior wall before adding exterior wall insulating sheathing

Publication Date

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 12:00

Rigid Foam Insulation Installed Between Existing House and Garage Walls

Guide describing how to upgrade walls that separate the garage from the house by providing a continuous air control layer on the garage side of the wall and adding rigid foam insulation.

Right – Spray foam insulates the walls and ceilings separating the garage from the home.

Publication Date

Mon, 09/30/2019 - 12:00

Air barrier at garage band joist - 1 inch rigid insulation with 1x3 wood furring

DWG

PDF

Air barrier at garage band joist - 1 inch rigid insulation with 2x2 wood furring

DWG

PDF

Air barrier at garage band joist - 1 1/2 inch rigid insulation with 2x4 sleepers

DWG

PDF

Right - Walls and ceilings shared by the garage and living space must be air sealed and insulated.

Wrong - Rigid insulation blocking is installed but not air-sealed with spray foam around edges.

Wrong - The faced batt insulation does not provide an air barrier in the joist bay between the garage and the conditioned space of the home.

Right – Closed-cell spray foam insulates and air-seals the rim joist above a shared wall between the garage and living space.

Rigid foam insulating sheathing is installed on existing garage ceiling and covered with a new gypsum board fire protection layer installed over the foam.

Publication Date

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 12:00

Right – Closed-cell spray foam insulation in the shared wall between the garage and living space helps to air-seal the wall and protect occupants from garage pollutants.

Garage Rim/Band Joist Adjoining Conditioned Space

Publication Date

July, 2015

Video describing best practices for air sealing an attached garage during construction using plywood and spray foam in the band joist and providing an exhaust fan to ventilate and depressurize the attic.

Air Sealing Attached Garage

Guide describing ways to air-seal an attached garage in new and existing homes.

Floor Above Garage

Publication Date

July, 2015

Video describing best practices for air-sealing floors above garages.

The original corner seam is air-sealed with caulk, then rigid foam is installed on the existing garage ceiling and walls, and finally covered with drywall.

Publication Date

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 12:00

Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Historic Home in Eastern Washington

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Organization(s)

PNNL

Publication Date

December, 2011

Case study describing a cost-effectively reducing energy use by over 50% in an existing home.

Air Sealing the Air Handler Closet

Guide describing the repair and reconfiguration of the air handler closet and platform when replacing the air handler.

New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Nelson Construction: Hamilton Way, Farmington, CT

Author(s)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Organization(s)

PNNL

Publication Date

April, 2012

Case study describing the design and testing of 10 high-performance homes in Farmington, Connecticut.

Mechanical Ventilation for Attached Garage

Guide describing how to install an exhaust fan in an attached garage to pull fumes out of the garage and to depressurize the garage with reference to the home.