Vapor barrier between home & attached garage/shop

[Bret Jensen]

I am converted a existing 2 car garage into a wood shop. It is an attached garage, with an open crawl space leading to the roof. Previous owners left the existing roof and put a new roof a few ft. above the old one, with 1 basement window. My problem is I live in the colder climate of the USA, and want to run a Nipco heater run from propane, but the exhaust smell gets into the home, wife not happy. I plan on finishing off the shop with insulation and 1/2" CDX, but need to keep the vapors or smell out of the home. Any one have any questions, I am a DIY'er.

[benick]

For starters the wall between the garage and living area needs to be a sealed firewall...This is accompolished by hanging 5/8 Type X Sheetrock on the garage side of the wall ALL the way to the roof...Then it musted be taped with tape and joint compound to seal it...A fire rated steele door may also be required...Check your LOCAL CEO for details.....I think the vapor barrier goes on the house side of the wall between the insulation and drywall...Perhaps somebody will verify that...HTH....

[Steve Barker]

it doesn't need all that if it's NOT going to be a garage.

[PeterD]

A proper heater, vented, is certainly the best way to go. Sounds like you are running an unvented gas heater in a residential building, which probably violates building codes.

[Rudy]

I'd forego the ply and use 5/8" sheetrock. Its probably cheaper than ply and is of course non flammable. If you're thinking of using vapor barrier, the norm is to install it on the "warm side" of the wall which means you probably already have it on your inside wall, under your sheetrock which adjoins the garage. You don't want vapor barrier on both sides of a wall..

I would add vapor barrier to the top of the garage before I installed the "rock", to help keep odor/gases from seeping into the house