How should one insulate a garage door?
There are pre-made kits to insulate most garage doors, and one can also cut "board" style insulation to fit. What is the best insulating material and fit and value for this job?
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Feb 16, 2009. 10:21 PMlandmanhall
says:
I ve seen styrofoam glued directly to the panels but I think putting furrring strips on first, to provide dead air space would be more effective. Use at least 1". I would also concentrate on eliminating any and all leaks around the door first.
Oct 7, 2010. 9:39 AMjustible (author)
says:
This is essentially what I ended up doing, though the 2" board filled the gap so tightly furring strips were out of the question. I did find foam board with a reflective side -- like thin foil -- which I faced into the garage, to reflect heat back into the room. This has made a big difference, and of course the garage is a much quieter place to work now, too . . . unless I'm the one making the noise.
Thanks to all for the helpful suggestions.
Thanks to all for the helpful suggestions.
i was thinking of doing something like this cause i work shop is in my garage and it gets very cold in winter (Iowa) and i do most of my building in the winter because of all the free time and i have this small old heater that i need to put a couple fans in and i was thinking of putting some sort of clothe over the door than duck tapeing it to the door and that would be just to put more stuff between me and the outside cold air. i might do a scale model of some sort first than try to see what really works than do that
Landmanhall mentioned something I think is often overlooked "concentrate on eliminating any leaks around the door first". While insulating the door is a good idea, you'll find very dramatic results in just eliminating air flow. After you've weatherstipped all sides of the door, you can probably just pop off the panels of your garage door, from there I'd look for a dense high R batt insulation (or if you're willing to go the extra mile use expanding spray insulation. Caution: messy). Cut the batt to size and stuff it in there, then pop back on the panels.
Feb 17, 2009. 12:28 PMjustible (author)
says:
By "batt" insulation, you mean *not* to use the board insulation often used in garage doors, but to go for a high-R fiberglass or similar "fluffy" insulation? Is that durable enough for the movement of the door? My garage door doesn't have "panels", only brackets for holding the Overhead-door brand insulating board kits.
I'm in South Dakota, and we can have many days of sustained sub-zero temps, which, of course, is when cars like to break down. My goal is to have a warm place to work when that happens. Thanks!
I'm in South Dakota, and we can have many days of sustained sub-zero temps, which, of course, is when cars like to break down. My goal is to have a warm place to work when that happens. Thanks!
Hmmm.. Batt insulation (yes, the fluffy kind) is not ideal for a garage door with no panels. You would need something more sturdy, so yes board insulation is better for this. You are correct, typically you do not use batt for garage doors, as it's expensive and cutting giant rectangles out of stiff board is easier during manufacturing. In your case, I'd recommend a board insulation, I believe that weatherstripping around the edge of the door will also provide some additional warmth. Hope that helps, good luck!
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