Your garage turns into a baking oven during a typical Mesa summer, radiating brutal heat right into the rest of your house. If you are tired of walking into a wall of stifling air every time you park the car, you have probably got questions about getting it insulated. Spray Foam Pros of Mesa tackles the things homeowners ask our team every single week.
Will insulating my garage actually lower my electric bill?
Yes, but it depends on how your garage is connected to the rest of the house. If you have a room directly above the garage or a shared drywall interior wall, insulating the garage exterior walls and door stops that brutal desert heat from soaking into your living space. Spray Foam Pros of Mesa sees a noticeable drop in AC runtime for homes around Las Sendas and Dobson Ranch once the garage envelope gets tightened up.
Can I use regular fiberglass batts, or do I need spray foam?
You can use fiberglass, but it is rarely the best choice for our climate. Fiberglass sags over time, and standard garage walls leak air like a sieve. Open-cell or closed-cell spray foam seals every crack and gap while stopping radiant heat transfer in its tracks. At Spray Foam Pros of Mesa, we usually recommend foam because it handles the extreme temperature swings much better than paper-faced batts.
What about the garage door itself?
Insulating the walls will not do much if your garage door is a single sheet of uninsulated metal acting like a giant radiator. You need to add rigid foam board insulation panels to the door or upgrade to an insulated model. Keep in mind that adding weight to the door means you might need to adjust or upgrade the torsion springs so the opener does not burn out.
Will my garage become completely air-conditioned?
Not automatically. Insulation slows down heat transfer; it does not create cold air. If you want a comfortable workshop, home gym, or man cave, you will need a mini-split AC unit or a portable system after the insulation is done. The good news is that an insulated garage makes a mini-split actually work efficiently instead of running constantly.
Does insulated drywall help with the heat?
People ask Spray Foam Pros of Mesa about radiant barrier drywall all the time. While it helps reflect a bit of radiant heat, it is not a magic bullet. Real thermal resistance comes from stopping conductive heat flow through the framing cavities. If you are re-drywalling anyway, it is an okay addition, but do not skip proper cavity insulation.
How long does a typical garage insulation project take?
For most standard two-car or three-car garages in Mesa, spray foam application or batt installation takes just one day. Spray Foam Pros of Mesa can knock out the prep, spraying, and cleanup before the afternoon heat peaks. You will be back to parking inside by the next day.