How to Insulate a Garage Door
Measure your garage door panels., Purchase insulation., Cut the insulation to size., Fit the insulation into each garage door panel., Affix the insulation to the door., Consider buying a garage door insulation kit as an alternative.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Measure your garage door panels.
The panels are the rectangular parts of the garage door that are recessed from the latticed frame.
You will be installing the insulation on the inside face of the garage door, so measure from the inside.
Use a tape measure to determine the dimensions of each panel; you don't need to be exact at this point, as you just need the dimensions to know how much insulation to buy. -
Step 2: Purchase insulation.
There are 2 different kinds that are well suited for use with garage doors.
The first type that you can use is reflective foil insulation.
This insulation is usually about 1/2 inch (12.5 mm) thick, and consists of a sheet of polyethylene foam sandwiched between reflective aluminum foil.
This insulation is sold in rolls, and has the benefit of being quite flexible.
Make sure you investigate how this material will insulate in hot and cold weather.
Another type suitable for use with garage doors is polystyrene foam.
This type of insulation is rigid, and is sold in large sheets.
Polystyrene will insulate better than reflective foil insulation, but it can be more difficult to work with due to its rigidity.
Shop around for the highest R-value you can fit in the space.
Johns Manville and Owens Corning offer very good R-values of
9.8 and
7.5, respectively, for
1.5 inch (3.8 cm) thick material.
Neither fiberglass batt insulation nor spray-in insulation should be used.
These are not suited for use with garage doors. , Using a straightedge, measure out the dimensions of a single garage door panel on a sheet of the insulation, marking the dimensions with a pen.
Using the straightedge as a guide, cut the insulation to size with a utility knife.
It is best to err on the larger side, because you can always trim off the excess later. , Place the panel of insulation up against the recessed door panel.
If your garage door has a metal frame that extends past the door face, you should be able to tuck the insulation into the frame itself.
If not, simply align the piece of insulation directly with each recessed panel.
Trim any excess as needed. , Use aluminum foil tape to tape the piece of insulation to the garage door face.
If you were able to tuck the insulation into the frame, you may not need any additional tape.
As an alternative, you can use double-sided tape by first affixing the tape to the panel in long strips, and then pressing the insulation into the panel.
Repeat this process until all panels have been insulated. , Insulation kits are readily available at hardware stores, and can speed the process along, as the insulation will already be cut into panels.
Make sure, however, that the panels in the kit are not smaller than your garage door's panels.
The process for installing the kit will be very similar to the process described above. -
Step 3: Cut the insulation to size.
-
Step 4: Fit the insulation into each garage door panel.
-
Step 5: Affix the insulation to the door.
-
Step 6: Consider buying a garage door insulation kit as an alternative.
Detailed Guide
The panels are the rectangular parts of the garage door that are recessed from the latticed frame.
You will be installing the insulation on the inside face of the garage door, so measure from the inside.
Use a tape measure to determine the dimensions of each panel; you don't need to be exact at this point, as you just need the dimensions to know how much insulation to buy.
There are 2 different kinds that are well suited for use with garage doors.
The first type that you can use is reflective foil insulation.
This insulation is usually about 1/2 inch (12.5 mm) thick, and consists of a sheet of polyethylene foam sandwiched between reflective aluminum foil.
This insulation is sold in rolls, and has the benefit of being quite flexible.
Make sure you investigate how this material will insulate in hot and cold weather.
Another type suitable for use with garage doors is polystyrene foam.
This type of insulation is rigid, and is sold in large sheets.
Polystyrene will insulate better than reflective foil insulation, but it can be more difficult to work with due to its rigidity.
Shop around for the highest R-value you can fit in the space.
Johns Manville and Owens Corning offer very good R-values of
9.8 and
7.5, respectively, for
1.5 inch (3.8 cm) thick material.
Neither fiberglass batt insulation nor spray-in insulation should be used.
These are not suited for use with garage doors. , Using a straightedge, measure out the dimensions of a single garage door panel on a sheet of the insulation, marking the dimensions with a pen.
Using the straightedge as a guide, cut the insulation to size with a utility knife.
It is best to err on the larger side, because you can always trim off the excess later. , Place the panel of insulation up against the recessed door panel.
If your garage door has a metal frame that extends past the door face, you should be able to tuck the insulation into the frame itself.
If not, simply align the piece of insulation directly with each recessed panel.
Trim any excess as needed. , Use aluminum foil tape to tape the piece of insulation to the garage door face.
If you were able to tuck the insulation into the frame, you may not need any additional tape.
As an alternative, you can use double-sided tape by first affixing the tape to the panel in long strips, and then pressing the insulation into the panel.
Repeat this process until all panels have been insulated. , Insulation kits are readily available at hardware stores, and can speed the process along, as the insulation will already be cut into panels.
Make sure, however, that the panels in the kit are not smaller than your garage door's panels.
The process for installing the kit will be very similar to the process described above.
About the Author
Joseph Ross
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
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