Insulating your garage door can help regulate the temperature of the space. If your garage is attached to the main part of the house, regulating temperature can also have positive effects on your home’s heating and cooling costs.
Many manufacturers sell kits to help to insulate garage doors, but basic insulation can also be used to insulate your garage door. Of course, if your garage door is already in poor condition, the entire system can be replaced with an insulated garage door.
Step 1
Determine the depth of the cavity on the interior of the metal garage door and purchase insulation to fit and fill each panel’s depression. Keep in mind that a higher R-value yields more effective insulation.
NOTE: There are two types of insulation that are appropriate to insulate your garage door. Foam sheathing has a fairly high R-value but may be difficult to economically cut and fit the size of your specific garage door panels. Reflective, flexible insulation has a lower R-value but is easier to use and install. Offered in rolls, it is also easier to install without much waste. The type of insulation you choose largely depends on your budget and confidence in installing the insulation.
NOTE: You might need to re-balance your garage door due to the added weight. Unless you really know what you’re doing, this is best left to a professional. Also, the foam board is flammable and not meant to be exposed. Thus, there is some risk in using the method outlined above instead of a real garage door insulation kit.
Step 2
Cut a piece of insulation to insulate a single panel cavity using a utility knife and a straight metal edge. If you are using flexible insulation, make the width of each piece 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch wider than the cavity: it will bend to fit into the cavity, creating a tighter seal. Rigid insulation should be cut, so it fits as snugly into the cavity as possible, keeping in mind it cannot be bent during the installation process.
Step 3
Slid the piece of insulation into the garage door panel cavity. If it fits correctly, use that piece as a template to cut the rest of the insulation. Of course, you should be sure that each panel is the same size.
Step 4
Install each piece of insulation into the appropriate garage door panel, making sure it fits into the channels in between each cavity.
Step 5
Use foil tape to secure the insulation into the garage door panels by running it along the perimeter of each panel. The tape will also help insulate the garage door by blocking drafts and creating an air pocket.
Although insulating your garage door is a fairly straightforward task, the extra weight added by the insulation may cause problems with automatic garage doors. Luckily, the balance of a garage door can be recalibrated to accommodate this extra weight. The manufacturer of the garage door should offer instructions on how to do this properly for your particular model, but you may require help to do this properly.
