I Sorta Got Insulation for Christmas

Last year I asked Husband for garage insulation for Christmas  because I really want to get my garage workshop project moving after painting the walls Smurf Village blue. He thought I was being way too practical (again) and went in another direction.

I’ve been whimpering, or loudly whining and complaining if you want to believe (and you shouldn’t) the other member of my household, that I can’t spend quality time with my compound miter saw (last year’s Christmas gift) once the weather and garage grew cold.   

Lisa really likes this Pink Panther guy

Husband and I decided to bump this project up in priority on our (my) punch list. 

I did a bit of insulation research at the trifecta of home improvement stores (Lowes, Home Depot, and Menards) that are all so close to my house that I may never move for that fact alone. *happy sigh*

Here’s the wall insulation low down:

Soy based spray foam -  is the best insulator because it gets into the nooks and cracks of the structure before it dries rock hard. It isn’t’ a DIY job and the ball park estimate I got was well over a thousand dollars for a small two car garage – pass.

Blown cellulose Insulation – is made from recycled newspapers. I have it in my attic. I could rent the blower and do this myself. However, my garage walls are unfinished, which doesn’t make blown insulation an option – pass. 

Reclaimed/recycled cotton bat insulation  - they make some cotton bat insulation from recycled denim. Of the DIY options, it is more expensive than fiberglass. I was leaning toward it due to the less itchy and to be honest, the super cool eco factor. (It may be wrong to admit I wanted it partially for bragging on the eco front but in pursuit of keeping it real, I’m admitting that yeah, sometimes I can be that shallow. Sorry.) However, I have to order it no matter what local store I want to buy it from. The on line reviews said the shipping charges are murder. Also, me being me, I’d run out in the middle of the project and wouldn’t be able to buy more supplies and finish the project the same day – pass.

Fiberglass insulation –  is the most affordable option. I have yellow fiberglass insulation in my house. I have no idea which brand is yellow, but it’s itchy as all get out for the few fix it jobs I’ve had to deal with it. I hate the super itch factor. That made me leery of insulating my garage door with the Owens Corning pink stuff. Turns out the Owens Corning Garage Insulation Kit I used was less dusty (itchy) than I expected and the kit made the project was a snap to complete. It has made a significant difference in the temperature my garage and that’s just the door! I am considering the Owens Corning Eco Touch insulation. It contains 50% recycled content, which makes me feel a bit better about all of those glass wine bottles we recently chucked into the recycling bin for a Lazy Budget Chef wine review post (the life of a food blogger is tough, I tell ya!) It’s also the only insulation I researched that is Greenguard certified and verified to be formaldehyde free. Not to mention Owens Corning has an Ohio connection - their home office is in Toledo and they have several plants in Ohio. Based on how well the garage door project worked out fiberglass insulation is a go!

A nice little Christmas miracle happened.  Owens Corning asked me if I would be interested in insulating my attic with Owens Corning Eco Touch insulation because most homes are under insulated in the attic. I already checked the insulation in my attic and knew it meets code.  I took a chance and asked Owens Corning if I could insulate my garage (as we already planned) and they said yes! So now I have a Home Depot gift card courtesy of Owens Corning in my hot little hands. After the holidays, I will be insulating the garage earlier than I planned!

Whoopie!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe I'm getting this excited about insulation but I am. I'm weird like that.

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