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britbear_

Cooling Master Above Garage

Britbear_
9 years ago

My master bedroom is above the garage and I'm looking for suggestions to keep it cool in the hot Georgia summers.

The room is connected to our central air, but in order to keep it comfortably cool I'd have an enormous electric bill. Of course we have a ceiling fan, but that doesn't seem to help much either.

Heating the room in the winter isn't an issue because I prefer a cool sleeping environment.

I've been searching around looking for suggestions and have come up with insulating the garage ceiling and getting insulated garage doors. Any other suggestions?

Comments (5)

  • mike_home
    9 years ago

    Check the insulation in the attic. You want at least an R30 insulation value, and preferably R49. While you are up there check on how the attic is ventilated. You may need to add more vents to improve air flow.

    The garage ceiling must be well insulated. If it is not all the hot air in the garage will rise up into your bedroom. The garage and attic create a sandwich of hot air. This is why the master bedroom is the hottest room in the house.

  • Britbear_
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I was planning to check the insulation in the ceiling this weekend. I'll make sure to check the attic as well.thanks!

  • energy_rater_la
    9 years ago

    the issue is temperature gain from the extreme attic temps
    that surround these rooms.
    we generally use spray foam on roofline..high cost
    but fast...& pay lots of attention to details of foam install.
    must be air tight to outside as you are creating an unvented
    semi conditioned attic..depth & type of foam must reach
    recommended R-values of your area.

    other than that...you can add a reflective foam board
    at all walls shared with attic space (over insulation..
    caulked to air seal, taped seams & attached with
    button cap nails). this will add insulation value to the walls,
    air seal & reflective coating on foam sheathing will reflect
    heat back into attic space.

    search southface's website for air sealing pdf's.
    this wall shared with attic space is called a kneewall.
    which also applies to the difference in ceiling heights
    of interior rooms in attic space.

    as your central unit runs...it pulls attic air/temps into
    these walls open to extreme attic conditions.
    stopping the heat gain & air infiltration is the
    best investment.

    depending upon how well your existing ductwork is
    sealed...and average home has minimum of 30%
    duct loss...mastic seal of ducts is also a quick
    return on investment & improvement in comfort.

    best of luck.

  • roadking
    9 years ago

    The room over the garage cooling problem is a very common one. Agree with comments regarding better insulation to decrease heat gains as the best solution for the long run.

    If your looking for the cheapest way to get better cooling consider a window air conditioner albeit you'll deal with more noise.

    A second idea might be a mini split AC or heat pump unit for that room. Mini splits are very quiet and very energy efficient.

    Third idea would be creating another zone just for the master bed room (assuming you don't already have that).
    Assuming your present AC system wasn't already running almost 100% of the time during the hottest days zoning would help. This might lead to the highest electrical bills though.

  • energy_rater_la
    9 years ago

    you either fix the problem
    or purchase more a/c to cool the area.
    the first is a one time cost with lifetime benefits
    the latter is more upfront costs & higher costs
    every month to operate.

    search the site for F.R.O.G. (family room over garage)
    threads...homeowners always find these areas
    difficult to condition.

    best of luck.

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