I'm working on finishing my garage, which currently has a layer of 5/8" drywall, but I'm thinking about adding another layer for better fire resistance and insulation. There's a concrete ledge all around the garage holding up the drywall, and I have about 1.5" of space to work with. The garage isn't small; the long walls measure around 25' x 8.5' and the back wall is 12' x 8.5'. Can I safely install 1/2" drywall on top of what's already there? Thanks in advance for any guidance!
2 Answers
Absolutely, you can double up on drywall for better fire resistance, and it's a pretty standard approach. Just make sure to offset the seams of the two layers for better stability. Also, use longer screws to make sure they properly secure into the studs, and consider using box extenders for any outlets or switches that could get pushed back.
While adding another layer of drywall can improve fire safety, it's important to know that drywall itself doesn’t provide much insulation. Since you already have 5/8" drywall, you might already meet the one-hour fire barrier requirement. If insulation is what you're really after, consider installing a layer of rigid insulation before adding that extra drywall. But if fire safety is your main concern, layering more drywall might not be necessary, and you could save that budget for other improvements.
True, but don’t forget that drywall can help with soundproofing. If you want to avoid noise, layering could be beneficial.
Yeah, if you go the insulation route, just remember that you need to cover any exposed materials like polystyrene as they can emit harmful fumes in a fire.
That's solid advice, but honestly, if your garage isn’t a high-risk area, that might be too much. You could spend the same amount setting up a better system for storage or organization instead.