CHICAGO - WESTERN SUBURBS Blog

How to Fix a Cold Room Above a Garage

If you have a finished room located over your garage, you know how great this bonus space is. Whether you make it into a playroom, media room or the master bedroom of your dreams, finishing the room over your garage is a great way to increase your square-footage and the value of your home.

But, the struggle to control the temperature of this space is real. We often get calls from homeowners – even folks with brand-new homes – who have a room over their garage that’s too cold to comfortably spend time in during the winter months. 

But don’t worry, there’s a fix!  

Why Is the Room Above My Garage Cold?  

You might think that the room over your garage is cold because your garage is cold. But it’s actually because the room itself isn’t well-insulated. 

Usually, an under insulated floor is the biggest culprit. To understand why, imagine the space between the ceiling of your garage and the floor of your room. If you want a room that’ll be comfortably warm in the winter, this space needs to be packed full of insulation. When homeowners call us to ask if we can warm up their cold room, the first thing we inspect is this space, and it’s almost always under insulated. 

It’s also possible that your exterior walls are also under insulated, and need an upgrade. And then there are pesky gaps around baseboards, windows and even light fixtures. Even the smallest of air leaks can drop the temperature of your room significantly. 

How to Warm Up Your Cold Bedroom

Good news: you can ditch the space heater! Regulating the temperature in the room over your garage is possible, and insulation is the key to success. Take these steps to transform your room from a frozen tundra to toasty oasis. 

1. Add Insulation to the Garage Ceiling 

When we inspect a garage ceiling, it’s pretty common to find a thin layer of batt insulation - just the bare minimum to meet building codes, along with several inches of empty space filled with nothing but ice-cold air. To warm up your room, you’ve got to eliminate any opportunity for cold air to find its way in there. 

Adding insulation to your ceiling is best done by an expert. Your local insulation company can provide a free estimate and can give you options based on recommended R-value and your budget. 

So, how do we insulate your garage ceiling? Short story – we drill holes in your drywall, blow cellulose insulation into every inch, then patch up the holes. Problem solved!  

2. Air Seal Problem Spots

It’s not uncommon for a room over a garage to feel drafty, especially during the cold and windy winter months that we get here in Chicago. 

Those cold air drafts aren’t just making your room cold, they’re increasing your heating bill too. Rooms over a garage often have cold air that seeps in from the baseboards, but air-sealing problem spots is a simple job, and one your insulation provider can bundle with insulation installation. 

3. Improve Exterior Wall Insulation 

Another way to make your room over the garage warmer is to take a look at the insulation in your exterior walls. We’ve added insulation to walls in homes all over the Chicago suburbs – from Downers Grove to Schaumburg – and have seen it all, and fixed it all! 

You might be surprised that your walls need more insulation, especially if your home is fairly new. But since code requirements have changed, a home that was built just a few years ago may be under insulated by today’s R-value standards. For example, a home built in the early 2000s may have passed inspection with an R-value of R-11, but today, the same house would require a value of R-21. 

Adding insulation to exterior walls can be tricky, and the method depends on several factors. 

If your house has vinyl siding that can easily be removed, and the weather is cooperative, we can actually install blown-in insulation from the outside of your home. We simply pop off a section of vinyl siding, drill small holes, and fill the wall with cellulose insulation. Once the walls are packed full, we patch the holes and reinstall the siding, leaving no trace (except a warmer room!). 

If your home’s exterior isn’t a good candidate for adding insulation from the outside, you’re not out of luck. Blowing insulation into interior walls can be done though the same process, it just requires some careful wall patching and paint after installation. 

Bonus Benefits of Insulating the Room Over Your Garage 

Lower Energy Bills 

Creating a room you can comfortably live in might be your #1 goal when you decide to add insulation. But, you’re also going to also love the energy savings. 

Adding insulation is the best way to save money on your heating bill, with most homeowners seeing savings up to 30%. 

Cooler Temps in the Summer

If the room over your garage is cold in the winter, chances are it’s hot in the summer. Adding insulation and air sealing will also help keep your room cooler during those hot and humid Chicago summers, too. 

Need Help? Talk to an Insulation Expert 

Remember – if you’re looking for someone to take on your insulation job in Chicago’s western suburbs, the team at Koala is ready to help. We promise to warm up your cold room in no time flat! 

Until next time, 

the Team at Koala Insulation