Warming the Room Over the Garage

Q: The floor of the room over our garage is very cold right now. How can I fix this?

A: A: This is a common problem and it exists for two reasons. First, over-garage floors are almost never adequately insulated to begin with. Adding two inches of rigid foam to the garage ceiling, covered with a new layer of drywall, goes a long way to solving the cold foot problem. If you're planning to replace the floor covering in the room, then put another layer of rigid foam down first, with a new plywood subfloor and finished floor on top. If you'll be redoing the finished floor anyway, you might consider installing electric radiant heating grids in the floor, as part of the renovations. Yes, electricity is one of the most expensive heating options in the long run, but it's very convenient in a renovation situation like yours. And as a small supplemental heat source over an insulated floor, it won't make a big dent in your home heating bill.