I am closing in an old separate garage here in the northwest that was built in the ’30s. It’s about 17 x 17, and is built with 2×4 walls and bevelled cedar siding. There is no housewrap or tarpaper, etc between the exisitng studs and the exterior siding.
I plan on insulating, putting on a layer of poly, and then drywalling. The interior space will be heated, I plan to use it as an extension for my shop.
Is insulation/poly/drywall the way to go, or should I be concerned about the lack of housewrap??
Dan
Replies
if the siding is sound and not leaking yur plan sounds good...
back prime the siding before you close up the walls...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Good point, I should have mentioned that the siding is sound, it's not rotting or anything. Although a sliver of light is visible in places if you put your head up against the inside of the siding and look down through the overlap.I had not thought of backpriming - latex or oil or does it matter?Thanks for the suggestion!Dan
the sliver of light maybe because of loose boards...
is there any tell tale signs of water intrusion...
if the siding is tight caulk is the solution...
with todays laytexes.. go for it...
get miss colored paint from SW, P&L or BM... use that and save $$$$...
tell them yur intent and they will supply ya with exactly what ya need...
I would leave the paints from Home Desperate right where they are...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Having done this to my 1930's garage ... and then attaching it to the house, I'd be concerned about the lack of SHEATHING, unless there is substantial let-in bracing. These older garages without wall diaphragms can rack - mine was 1 1/2" out of plumb in 8'.
Combined with the tool shop idea, why not use finish plywood on the inside (I used birch ply in the shop area as a painted finish) but I did sheath the exterior as well.
Without building paper on the outside, there will be leaks into the wall, and with your poly on the inside maybe a tendency to trap water too.
Just my $0.02
Jeff
Jeff,Thanks for the feedback. With the lack of building paper I am concerned about water getting in. The previous suggestion of backpriming seemed reasonable, but what do you think about forgoing the poly? I agree that it might trap the moisture. I am prepared to run a dehumidifier inside if need be. From a structural point of view I hear you on the lack of sheathing. There is some diagonal bracing that I wanted to remove to make the drywalling easier, but after consulting a retired structural engineer (AKA dad) decided that it would be better to leave it on. So I had to put furring on the studs for the drywall. See the attached photo. I had considered plywood on the interior but decided that drywall would be better from a fire perspective. Bottom line structurally is that this thing is 70+ years old & still standing pretty good, I bolted the sill plates down, framed in the double wide opening, doubled up a couple rafters, repaired some water damage in the corners, and poured a new slab. Dan
If you can afford it, foam-in-place insulation would rigidify the structure and pretty much keep water to the exterior. It isn't really affected by water and forms it's own vapor barrier. Just the damned initial $$$$
Jeff
That was my idea, but I would staple a piece of roof felt inside the stud bays, lapping the studs 1/2", to keep the foam from sticking to the siding.SamT
I'm in between the last two posts.
If the siding is natural outside, I'd spray foam right over the inside wall. This will increase wall strength the most and the siding could still dry to the outside.
If the siding is sealed outside, I'd tar paper then spray the foam. You'll still gain a bit of strength and the siding can dry to the inside but you'll need to leave a gap at the bottom for condensation to run out. My only concern with this is the moisture that the studs will have to deal with....water and untreated wood....never a good situation.
Pedro the Mule - I prefer to lie in dry sawdust and let the cat have it when it gets wet