Best way to block this gap in garage?

binft

Need to block this gap in my garage as the one next to me is an absolute pit and is letting tonnes of spiders and god knows what move across into mine. Was thinking of cutting timber to fit in the gap then add expanding foam on top as the roof is wavy, are there any other ways I might not be thinking of that will be better?

FreeBear

A strip of wood plus expanding foam will do the job. But you will never eliminate spiders, so just get use to the little darlings.

Just be thankful we don't have huntsman spiders in this country.

binft

FreeBear said:

A strip of wood plus expanding foam will do the job. But you will never eliminate spiders, so just get use to the little darlings.

Just be thankful we don't have huntsman spiders in this country.

Haha ok well it will help eliminate 90% of them. I blocked the end gaps up and that stopped alot but I was out there with my neighbour one time and they showed me inside their garage and it's an absolute bombsite, looks light something from the set of eight legged freaks. I thought no wonder I keep getting more spiders in this damn thing.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

what about these, easy to squeeze into gap?

[Deleted User]

Invertebrates wouldn't be stopped though !

casper_gutman

Something squashy you can push into the gap seems the right idea. I'd avoid any solution which requires cutting or drilling the existing structure as I bet there's asbestos in there.

Section62

binft said:

Need to block this gap in my garage as the one next to me is an absolute pit and is letting tonnes of spiders and god knows what move across into mine. Was thinking of cutting timber to fit in the gap then add expanding foam on top as the roof is wavy, are there any other ways I might not be thinking of that will be better?

Is the garage actually owned by you, or is it a rented one?  It has the appearance of an LA prefab garage block - there may be restrictions on what physical changes you are allowed to make.

One issue is ventilation - the gap between the rear wall and between individual garages was probably left to ventilate the spaces, reducing the risk of unsafe levels of CO and also (if you are storing a car or anything valuable in there) to regulate the humidity and problems with condensation.  In the right conditions, an unventilated garage can allow condensation to form on the underside of the roofing material which results in droplets of water (having picked up dirt or minerals from the roofing) falling onto the contents of the garage like rain.  Mineral-laden water droplets can make a right mess of vehicle paintwork, hence LA garage designers went to great lengths to make sure of good ventilation.

The roof looks as if it is very likely to be asbestos cement, or similar, and whilst you can only be sure by getting a sample tested, it would be sensible (in the absence of test results) to work on the basis it is asbestos containing.  Therefore be very careful not to damage or disturb the roof material.  Also, if you are using aerosol foam beware of the pressurised gas causing any existing accumulation of (asbestos) dust to become airborne.

As others have said, closing the large gap is not going to prevent spiders from getting into your garage.  There's still the gap around the door, and quite likely gaps between the precast partition panels, which are more than large enough for spiders to get through.  Sealing the garage up to the extent you keep all spiders out will reduce the ventilation levels down to a point where moisture and condensation will be a serious issue.  It's going to come down to which is a more serious issue as far as what you are storing in the garage is concerned.

Another_Level

Celotex, kingspan type pir insulation. Cut slightly larger than the gap for a snug interference fit. Fill any gaps with grey sealant.

Maybe the spiders get in around your garage door or somewhere else, ther cunning critters.