What do you recommend for a shop/garage ceiling?

[Dan_69GTX]

Well, put a bid in on a property - now the negotiations start.

The garage is a 36x40. Pole building style with trusts 4' apart. What do you recommend for a ceiling so I don't have to try and heat a HUGE space above the rafters.

Not sure what will work and not sag w/o putting a board between each rafter every 2-4'. The less I have to do the cheaper and easier, but I only want to do this once. I will be putting insulation above the ceiling, and then lights (below the ceiling ).

For the walls I'll stud out, insulate and put OSB on it. I'll be heating it with an old mobile home propane furnace.

Of course that is providing we get the property.

Here are a few pics of how it is now.

 

[Jim W]

Dan, I am not sure but are the trusses 2X6 or 2X8, pic's do not show very good the size of the truss. As long as nothing is stored in the ceiling you could go with another 2X6 spaced in-between the trusses. They would all be on a 2' center than and you could use ridge foam panel material or this material for pole barns.

https://www.insulation4less.com/ins...aspx?msclkid=a8eb00b7e1491aed01875ed7ed572659

 

[Dan_69GTX]

Good question - I think they are 2x6 spanned 36' wide. But... that is a "think".

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Jihn]

Spray foam, $$$$$$$$ but it would be the easiest.

Jihn

 

[seafish]

I would run cheap 2x3 SPF firring strips above the bottom chord of the trusses at 2' centers and then use them to support 1/4" luan plywood sheets and put the insulation above that. Doing it that way would be extremely lightweight (as opposed to sheetrock) and also would let you put lighting IN BETWEEN the truss chords freeing up a little more headroom as opposed to having the ceiling BELOW the trusses and the lights hanging below that.

 

[SnoKing]

Is that a metal roof that will sweat? If so, then Jihn has a good solution. To sheet rock it you would have to install 2x6's between the present lower boards of the trusses at 2 foot centers. Put the OSB sheets up there first for the loft storage floor. Or you could look at putting a wood I-joists between each trust, creating a 2' center ceiling structure. The current setup will not allow a lot of weight to be stored in a loaf.

The sheet rock ceiling provides the fire barrier you want. Work any lift points you want into the plan, wiring and lighting.

When I built my big garage, I put two sandwiched trusts with a 2X12 on edge between them in two different location locations as lift points.

 

[Timd32]

PVC panels could be an option.

https://www.farmerboyag.com/RibCore..._aAJ3YIielOG07xQjPDFQsgBj4K9CtLkaAiX_EALw_wcB

 

[TFucili]

I think they also make vinyl or FRP faced plywood or OSB.

 

[Dan_69GTX]

There is already a reflective barrier under the metal roofing so hopefully condensation would be minimal.

The problem with Spray foam is I want to no have to heat the area above the rafters.

I thought the i-joist would be expensive - not as bad as I thought - could be a potential

I like the PVC panel idea - easy, light, and reflective. I wonder how that would compare to a corrugated metal, which one would span 4' and not sag...hmmm.

 

[SnoKing]

Angling an I-joist between the existing 4' trusses with give you around 2" on the 36" span. So when in place they would sit on a little over 1/2 of the upper wall plate. However looking at the pictures you might be able to place them up there on their side, center them and stand them up, as it appears the roof overhangs the walls a little.

 

[Dan_69GTX]

https://www.insulation4less.com/ins...aspx?msclkid=a8eb00b7e1491aed01875ed7ed572659

Emailed these folks twice and got generic answers that didn't answer any question I had. Oh well...

 

[Timd32]

If you have facebook this place does ceiling systems. It's a type of PVC system.

https://www.facebook.com/MidAtlanticTriplyCeilings/

It looks pretty nice.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mid...droid-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

I'm sure there is a DIY version.

 

[Wiredawg]

As relatively low the ceiling is, I'd keep it open and move air with 24" attic fans . I installed 3 in my shop in the gables that I wired thermostats about 4ft off the ground set at 80°F. During the summer, they run nearly all the time. I have had one fail in ten years and parts are readily ava I have a ridge vent that runs the full 60' of the shop. I mostly use the HD metal shelving available at Cotsco. Sam's, HD, etc...

If you did decide to use part of the rafters for storage, you could shore up part of it for that, but for me, I like to minimize climbing,and mostly use shelves along the walls.

I have 19 double tube 8 foot florescent lights lighting mine that make it pretty bright in all bays. Work bench has additional lighting as well.

Cheers, Ron

 

[SnoKing]

As relatively low the ceiling is, I'd keep it open and move air with 24" attic fans . I installed 3 in my shop in the gables that I wired thermostats about 4ft off the ground set at 80°F. During the summer, they run nearly all the time. I have had one fail in ten years and parts are readily ava I have a ridge vent that runs the full 60' of the shop. I mostly use the HD metal shelving available at Cotsco. Sam's, HD, etc...

If you did decide to use part of the rafters for storage, you could shore up part of it for that, but for me, I like to minimize climbing,and mostly use shelves along the walls.

I have 19 double tube 8 foot florescent lights lighting mine that make it pretty bright in all bays. Work bench has additional lighting as well.

Cheers, Ron

Those fixtures can be converted to LED tubes!

 

[Wiredawg]

Those fixtures can be converted to LED tubes!

Yes sir, I plan to replace them as they go out. ROI not good enough to replace them before then.

Thanks for the suggestion. Very enlightening.


Cheers, Ron

 

[Dan_69GTX]

I've thought about keeping the ceiling open, but there is a LARGE volume of space above the joists that I don't need to heat. My current small shop is open to the ceiling and I've installed fans to move air around. Still it is normally warmer by 5 degrees at the top - and that is only 5' above the current 10' ceiling. I guess I need to determine longterm cost/benefit.

An open ceiling makes one perceive the space is larger too - benefit if/when I ever do sell.
Also easier to have a place to life higher with tractor or boom if needed to remove an engine out of a tall vehicle....

Are there ever any easy decisions in life?

 

[JR]

I think you are on the right track Dan. If I keep my garage closed up all day there can easily be a 20* difference on a hot day. Can also keep it 60* with nothing but a small propane heater in the winter regardless of outside temps. I work all day in the heat (or cold). It makes coming home and being productive alot easier if I have something that needs done out there.

 

[Ozymandias]

Do the reckoning for how long you can heat for the price of the new ceiling.
As you say the roof itself is already insulated so you don't lost heat through it.

 

[SnoKing]

Do the reckoning for how long you can heat for the price of the new ceiling.
As you say the roof itself is already insulated so you don't lost heat through it.

I do not think a thin vapor barrier under a metal roof would be consider very good insulation. If you look at the walls there was no effort to insulate them. Just saying!

 

[mwilson]

Were it in Maine I would strap the ceiling to 16" or 24" on center, use faced rolled insulation either 6" or 8" thick. Then 1/2" sheetrock. Then strap the sheetrock seams with 3/4" pine boards ripped down to 1 1/4" wide or so. Then you can get 3 or 4 pieces out of a 6" board.

Sheetrock to me is still the best value for a shop ceiling and strapping the seams saves all that nasty drywall mudding...plus it can expand and contract without cracks if you leave a small space between the sheets...

Plus you can usually score a used sheetrock lift if you watch the Marketplace sites or equivalents available locally....