Hello Everybody.
As a result of a discussion that started in the BOI about the garage being too hot to be used as somone's reptile room, I wanted to share with you all some of my insight.
The background:
I just bought a home in Fremont, CA and the garage was unusable as a reptile room when I moved in. The walls had sheetrock sloppily put up, no outlets, a single incandescent light and the ceiling was the underside of the roof. During the day on a hot day (85 or so), the garage was about 110-115 and at night it would cool off to outside temps (mid 60's); way to hot in the summer and it would be way too cold in the winter. The main problem with a garage is that the ceiling is seldom finished and insulated so the heat dissipates through the roof at night and the sun beating down on the roof all day radiates heat into the space like an indirect greenhouse of sorts. When the garage is closed up it builds up to intensely hot temperatures.
I decided that my reptile collection would eventually grow to a point where the garage would be a necessary place to house them if I could make it habitable for them so I got busy.
I am a DIY guy with a lot of experience so I do have an advantage in that respect; the downside is the amount of time it takes to get everything done one weekend at a time, so when doing a project like this consider whether it may be better to hire someone.
The process:
I first had to rip out all the old sheetrock and put wiring for outlets and lighting everywhere. I used #12 romex as it can handle a heavier electrical load than the typical #14 that houses are wired with. I also added 20 amp breakers for every 2 outlets that were installed. Figuring that I will have a freezer running for my rat supply, and I may need to run a space heater if the winter gets really cold, I wanted to have the electrical capacity to do all that. When installing wiring you HAVE to get it done right or you will burn the place down or be electrocuted. If you do not know what you are doing, hire someone who does! My dad trained me and supervised me with his 45 years of PG&E experience so this was no problem.
Next I insulated all the walls and put the sheetrock back up. I used R-19 insulation because it is thicker than the R-13 that is in most Bay area houses and I wanted this garage to be a stable environment. You can go with thicker insulation if your area is hotter or colder. Also remember that the wall adjoining the house has to be done with 5/8" sheetrock to meet fire codes! everywhere else can be 1/2". Also do not cover the air vents on the side of the garage; those are there for combustion air for the gas burning water heater, if it is in the garage. I am putting adjustable vents over the space on the inside so I can reduce or increase the air as needed. I also added a vent next to the water heater at the ceiling below the eves and at the base to allow good air flow in that area. Do not forget to install a smoke and carbon monoxide detector!
Currently I have finished putting up insulation and sheetrock on the ceiling. This part can be tricky depending on what kind of studs you have to work with. My garage had no studs so I had to install studs every 24" and add vents under the eves to prevent moisture buildup in the attic space that was created. When you install eve vents you must be sure they are sealed all the way around and have a bug screen to keep critters out. I insulated the ceiling with R-19 insulation but you can use a higher number if you live in a hotter or colder area.
Next I plan to install this rigid styrofoam insulation board in the garage door sections to keep heat from radiating in during the summer and prevent heat loss in the winter; I am also putting in a utility sink to make cleaning more convenient.
If you live in a very hot area you may still need to add an AC unit; The insulated walls and ceiling will help it run more efficiently (same with heat in cold areas).
As things sit right now, the daytime temperatures in the garage on a hot day peak at 79-80 at most and drop to 70-73 at night, a dramatic difference from where I started. I suspect the temps will further stabilize in the mid 70's once I insulate the garage door. I plan to keep an eye on things for quite some time before anything is moved out there, and I will post any additional problems and solutions as they come up. My collection is not in immediate need of the space but I wanted to plan ahead for expansion and hopefully share something that may help other herpers get their reptile rooms set up. Please post questions and any additional advice here so we can build on this as a community resource.
Thanks For Reading,
Best Regards,
Jon
As a result of a discussion that started in the BOI about the garage being too hot to be used as somone's reptile room, I wanted to share with you all some of my insight.
The background:
I just bought a home in Fremont, CA and the garage was unusable as a reptile room when I moved in. The walls had sheetrock sloppily put up, no outlets, a single incandescent light and the ceiling was the underside of the roof. During the day on a hot day (85 or so), the garage was about 110-115 and at night it would cool off to outside temps (mid 60's); way to hot in the summer and it would be way too cold in the winter. The main problem with a garage is that the ceiling is seldom finished and insulated so the heat dissipates through the roof at night and the sun beating down on the roof all day radiates heat into the space like an indirect greenhouse of sorts. When the garage is closed up it builds up to intensely hot temperatures.
I decided that my reptile collection would eventually grow to a point where the garage would be a necessary place to house them if I could make it habitable for them so I got busy.
I am a DIY guy with a lot of experience so I do have an advantage in that respect; the downside is the amount of time it takes to get everything done one weekend at a time, so when doing a project like this consider whether it may be better to hire someone.
The process:
I first had to rip out all the old sheetrock and put wiring for outlets and lighting everywhere. I used #12 romex as it can handle a heavier electrical load than the typical #14 that houses are wired with. I also added 20 amp breakers for every 2 outlets that were installed. Figuring that I will have a freezer running for my rat supply, and I may need to run a space heater if the winter gets really cold, I wanted to have the electrical capacity to do all that. When installing wiring you HAVE to get it done right or you will burn the place down or be electrocuted. If you do not know what you are doing, hire someone who does! My dad trained me and supervised me with his 45 years of PG&E experience so this was no problem.
Next I insulated all the walls and put the sheetrock back up. I used R-19 insulation because it is thicker than the R-13 that is in most Bay area houses and I wanted this garage to be a stable environment. You can go with thicker insulation if your area is hotter or colder. Also remember that the wall adjoining the house has to be done with 5/8" sheetrock to meet fire codes! everywhere else can be 1/2". Also do not cover the air vents on the side of the garage; those are there for combustion air for the gas burning water heater, if it is in the garage. I am putting adjustable vents over the space on the inside so I can reduce or increase the air as needed. I also added a vent next to the water heater at the ceiling below the eves and at the base to allow good air flow in that area. Do not forget to install a smoke and carbon monoxide detector!
Currently I have finished putting up insulation and sheetrock on the ceiling. This part can be tricky depending on what kind of studs you have to work with. My garage had no studs so I had to install studs every 24" and add vents under the eves to prevent moisture buildup in the attic space that was created. When you install eve vents you must be sure they are sealed all the way around and have a bug screen to keep critters out. I insulated the ceiling with R-19 insulation but you can use a higher number if you live in a hotter or colder area.
Next I plan to install this rigid styrofoam insulation board in the garage door sections to keep heat from radiating in during the summer and prevent heat loss in the winter; I am also putting in a utility sink to make cleaning more convenient.
If you live in a very hot area you may still need to add an AC unit; The insulated walls and ceiling will help it run more efficiently (same with heat in cold areas).
As things sit right now, the daytime temperatures in the garage on a hot day peak at 79-80 at most and drop to 70-73 at night, a dramatic difference from where I started. I suspect the temps will further stabilize in the mid 70's once I insulate the garage door. I plan to keep an eye on things for quite some time before anything is moved out there, and I will post any additional problems and solutions as they come up. My collection is not in immediate need of the space but I wanted to plan ahead for expansion and hopefully share something that may help other herpers get their reptile rooms set up. Please post questions and any additional advice here so we can build on this as a community resource.
Thanks For Reading,
Best Regards,
Jon
