Garage ceiling insulation question

[FishingNut]

Hello, I"m new to the forum and I have a question about insulation for a garage ceiling.

First of all, above our garage is our kitchen. Last year our refrigerator water hose had a small hole and it leaked thru the cabinet into the garage ceiling. Eventually, part of the ceiling (drywall) collapsed. We removed about 5x10 feet of soaked fiberglass to locate the leak. After we addressed the water leak, we would like to re-insulate the garage ceiling.

I did alot of research on the internet and did not get any hits on this topic. It usually talks about an attic that is above the garage and the method is spray foam and such.

So, my question is what type of insulation should I get? I have looked at Home Depot or Lowes and it seems the insulation is much thinner than what I have installed in our ceiling. Also, it's on a big roll. Aren't there insulations that comes in sections?

Finally, we asked our handyman and he says to look for some insulation that is fireproof.

Thanks for any advice,
Peter

 

[EricG]

I would just replace it with the same kind of fiberglass stuff you took out. The roll stuff you saw at home depot. It's pretty tightly compressed on the rolls, and expands when you open it up and unroll it. For ceilings, it comes as pre-cut bats as well - typically 4' long IIRC. Just look around for the width and thickness you need - you want the paper vapor barrier which has a strip down each side that you'll use to staple it into place.

Drywall between an attached garage & living space is typically required to be 5/8" Type X "fire code" drywall - but if it's older you may have 1/2" and will want to match the thickness of the rest of the ceiling.

 

[D'Animal]

Welcome to IH8MUD

As you experienced at Lowes and Home Depot, you can select from many different insulations.

The "R" value will generally determine the thickness.
Insulation comes in Rolls or "Batts". (Batts are precut sections.)

Check you local building codes to see if you need fire rated insulation in your garage. Generally you need 5/8" drywall on the ceiling. Some areas specify additonal fire rated 5/8" drywall.

If you shop at a local lumber yard, they may be able to tell you what the local requirements/codes are. A phone call to you local building code department or a good general contractor in your area should answer the questions.