3 sided garage

I am looking for some guidance on a garage issue that I have.

The back story is that I have acquired a house that was built in

1978-79 in Alberta, Canada. The house was finished and then the garage was added to the house. I am now rewiring, insulating and adding cabinets to the garage. As I was looking over the garage to frame up the wall that is against the house I realized that in fact I have a 3 walled garage. On the fourth wall against the house the garage is butted up to the house. So I have a stucco wall inside my garage. The roof line and the two walls that butt the house are properly tied in and there are no leaks. My issue is when I frame up the fourth wall (have to run power) should I insulate and if I did what would I do about the vapor barrier ? If I do not have to insulate then I would go with 2 X 4 framing but if I do insulate then I would go with a 2 X 6 frame. I guess my third option would be to run electrical conduit and mount the plugs on the stucco wall

Any ideas would be helpful. Just remember that I need to insulate so that I can use the garage for a wood shop.

Reply to
Owen Robb
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The wall abutting the house is already insulated. Why would you want to add another insulated wall? Install your wiring on the surface of the stucco, or cut out a horizontal strip of the stucco and sheeting, then run your wiring inside the wall and then sheetrock the strip.

Reply to
RBM

Agreed. It's a garage. This is the type of thing raceway or surface-mounted EMT conduit is perfect for. I go to lots of garage sales- very common to see the original skin of house inside the garage, on the common wall. Apparently the garage was an option on the 1950s cookie-cutters around here, and many were added after house was already sided and dried in. I think basic house came with attached carport, since I seldom see obvious tie-in points up in the rafters. So if buyer wanted a garage, they would just send a crew around to frame in those walls.

Reply to
aemeijers

He HAS to frame a fire wall between the house and garage and sheetrock it with 5/8 Fire Code sheetrock all the way to the roof line...2x4 is fine or

2x6 if you pefer....He also has to have a fire rated door between the garage and living area...Insulation optional , but I would..Never have enough in my book plus it will be an added sound barrier which SWMBO will like when the compressor or table saw is running...HTH...oops I just noticed you're in Canada...I think the codes are the same...You should call your CEO to be sure...
Reply to
benick

Whatever the building code requirements are, should have been met when the garage was built

Reply to
RBM

Cade when the house was built and code today are AT LEAST 2 different things. I would frame it in and sheet-rock it if I was using it as a shop.

Reply to
clare

You should start by reading what the OP wrote, before replying. This is not a building code issue. The OP wants to install wiring in or on the common wall between the house and the garage, or build an additional wall to facilitate the wiring.The garage was built after the house, and there is no reason to believe was done without a permit, and also no reason to believe a C/O was not issued at the time. There is also no reason to believe that this common wall wasn't insulated when it was built. Why kill another 5 inches of your space by installing an unnecessary wall? Insulate the rest of the garage and run the new wiring in or on the common wall.

Reply to
RBM

I did read the OP I did not say it was not insulated (it almost certainl was, as it was an exterior wall)and I didn't say I would insulate it, and perhaps I should have said I would "strap" it, rather than "frame" it.(which means I wouls loose at most 2.5", not 5)

I'd put up a 2X2 wall and put 5/8" sheet-rock on it, tape the joints, and paint it. I would run the wiring before closing it in.

There is nothing harder to keep clean in a wood shop than a rough stucco wall, and fastening anything to it (such as conduit and outlet boxes) is a pain. I would likely cut the wiring into the existing stucco wall, behind the 2X2 framing, and fasten the boxes to the 2X2 frames (shallow wall boxes, most likely)

Reply to
clare

If it is already inspected and approved as a garage, he already has a firewall. Properly applied stucco should be a great fire break. And if it is an exterior wall of original house footprint, it is already insulated, and in all odds the door is steel-clad and fire-rated.

Reply to
aemeijers

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