Florida Garage Door Insulation

[MSG C5]

With the hot spring/summer season fast approaching, I am in the process of preparing my garage to help reduce as much heat as possible.

It is a 3-car garage that faces south. I have one, single car door and one, double car door. Both doors are metal and non-insulated. Each door also has a row of windows at the top which I have just completed installing some UV reflective window tint. I noticed an immediate improvement of heat reduction, however I now want to move into insulating the panels.

The garage is attached to the house with bedrooms above it and a master bedroom sharing the back wall. The garage has finished drywall and cinder blocks and an insulated attic.

In researching online and on this board, I want to go with a simple pre-cut panel solution. I know that his more expensive the uncut rolls, etc., however I don't mind paying a little more for the convenience factor. My question, is what brand/store/solution is the most bang for the buck. I have read about the importance of including an air gap between the metal door panel and the insulation in order to decrease the radiated heat. I have also read that the foam material offers better insulation than fiberglass. Not sure if that is true, however below are a few products I'm considering...

Insulfoam (Home Depot)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/202523...oreNum=4647&productId=202523129&storeId=10051

Reach Barrier (Home Depot)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/203536...ping-_-googleads-_-pla-_-203536784&ci_gpa=pla

Owens Corning (Sears)

http://www.sears.com/owens-corning-...-SPM7638057402?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

I appreciate any advice, feedback or recommendations.

Thanks!

 

[billviverette]

ttt

I, too, am about ready to do this. So let's hear some ideas from those with experience.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[where2]

Inspect your doors carefully and see if you can find a FBC or Miami-Dade product control number sticker. If not, consider upgrading to a hurricane rated insulated door. The fact that there are windows in it makes me suspect it may have no hurricane rating. Windows were the first thing to go away when they started firing a 2x4 at 34mph at them after Hurricane Andrew.

 

[antinym]

I know a guy who found an installer to do his garage door. It cost him only a smidge more than a DIY kit, and he didn't have to do any work.
That might be an option.

 

[JCQuick]

here check out what wingnut did
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=112143

 

[overheaddoor]

If you are having trouble with your garage door, visit http://www.overheaddoorofamerica.com/ to find professionals that can help you with garage door service & repair in Cocoa, Merritt Island, Melbourne, Vero Beach, Daytona, Port Saint Lucie, Orlando and Surrounding Florida Areas.

 

[hughfree]

MSG,
I used a similar product to the Inuslfoam product that you list from Home Depot. I purchased mine from Lowes. Product was fairly easy to install. The best thing about the product was that the exterior surface had a paintable surface. Definitely made a difference.

 

[vjlobel]

Ahh Sarasota...used to live there in grad school working at the Ringling Museum. Best place I've ever lived, hands down. Would go back in a heart beat. May I suggest hiring an installer and heading on down to the Bahi Hut for a few Mai Tais or Sneaky Tikis?

 

[litljay]

Bumping this for more opinions on which insulation product to choose (Foam v. Fiberglass v. radiant barrier).

I face South/East and get a mean morning hot box in the garage that heats up the play room above it (2 story).

 

[Nowater]

I am just south of you and all my door are factory insulated, no windows (lites), and wind resistant. The big doors are the weakest part of your house. They blow in or out and the house follows. If you have the cash, replace them. You'll save on insurance.

 

[Smilodon]

When I remodeled the shop I needed hurricane rated stuff to meet code (I'm in FL) so just got insulated doors when I replaced my old ones. However, in the old shop, I had uninsulated panel doors. I was able to just get some of the (blue) semi-rigid foam panels from Home Depot and cut them to fit the inside height of the door panels. They would bend just enough to pop them in the panels. No glue or anything else.

Just that made a big difference, particularly in radiant heat from the door. The entire garage/shop wasn't insulated (I was slowly putting batting in the walls when I re-arranged stuff so overall, still a sweatbox. Even so, I tended to work near the door and could feel the difference.

I kind of went nuts insulation-wise after the remodel. My big problem now is that when I pull a car into the garage, it takes quite a while for the heat of the car to dissipate. Apparently, insulation works both ways!

 

[Metal-Marc]

When I remodeled the shop I needed hurricane rated stuff to meet code (I'm in FL) so just got insulated doors when I replaced my old ones. However, in the old shop, I had uninsulated panel doors. I was able to just get some of the (blue) semi-rigid foam panels from Home Depot and cut them to fit the inside height of the door panels. They would bend just enough to pop them in the panels. No glue or anything else.

Just that made a big difference, particularly in radiant heat from the door. The entire garage/shop wasn't insulated (I was slowly putting batting in the walls when I re-arranged stuff so overall, still a sweatbox. Even so, I tended to work near the door and could feel the difference.

I kind of went nuts insulation-wise after the remodel. My big problem now is that when I pull a car into the garage, it takes quite a while for the heat of the car to dissipate. Apparently, insulation works both ways!

This is a 13yo thread and OP is long gone.

 

[Smilodon]

Huh, for some reason it popped up as recently updated. I thought somebody had added something to it. Oh well. Sometimes I don't see the fine print.