how to insulate garadge door?

[truckman5000]

hi, i would like to know, if posible, to see if there is a way to insulate a steal door. The door i have is about 16'x9 overhead door. thanks

 

[V-10 Killer]

My neighbor had his sprayed with expanding foam when they sprayed the inside walls of his polebarn.

 

[rwhite692]

If you go to Lowes, they have garage door insulation kits specifically for this which you cut/fit to size. They are relieved with grooves on one side so that they "press fit" into the cavity on the back of each door section.

It is a foam material, with a smooth white rigid plastic facing on one side. I installed this at a family member's place on a plain steel door a few years ago and it came out very nice...Rob

 

[truckman5000]

oh, cool, thats what i need thanks,
my heater is on the opposite of my door, all the heat just goes out the door, thanks

 

[JeffXD]

This is my first post, but I have been lurking. I would like to suggest a cheap solution, although not pretty. At the big box stores they sell 4x8 sheets of foam board used in construction. You can cut that to fit the panels of your garage door.

 

[ksp]

This is my first post, but I have been lurking. I would like to suggest a cheap solution, although not pretty. At the big box stores they sell 4x8 sheets of foam board used in construction. You can cut that to fit the panels of your garage door.

Exactly what I did with the yellow dow board and it works perfectly using a table saw to cut panels.

 

[blaze_125]

What about using regular insulation?

Stuff it inside the door and screw a thin board over each door panel to make it look prettier...

 

[chad pickens]

I have 2 10x12 doors I have replaced one stamped non insulated door with a nice aluminum insulated door with 3 windows. I got a real good deal.But im still looking for another one for the right price . I wanted to insulate it for this winter and I looked at the kits and different methods,what i ended up doing is buying 1.5" dow styrofoam board in 4x8 sheets.It worked pefectly. You have to be carefull cutting it to the exact right size and wedge it in the panels.I dont like the pink color but I think maybe Ill paint it.I checked with my hand on the door on some of the coldest days this winter and I think the cheap door with dow board stays warmer than the expensive door!

 

[CraigFL]

Don't forget you're adding weight to the door and the springs will probably need to be reset to balance it.

 

[jackmcmanus21]

If you go to Lowes, they have garage door insulation kits specifically for this which you cut/fit to size. They are relieved with grooves on one side so that they "press fit" into the cavity on the back of each door section.

It is a foam material, with a smooth white rigid plastic facing on one side. I installed this at a family member's place on a plain steel door a few years ago and it came out very nice...Rob

I just went to Lowes with a good friend of mine to pick this up....his came out very nice as well. Not difficult to put on at all.

 

[pirate]

I went to Lowe's to look at the garage door insulation mentioned here and they said they didn't have anythinglike that in the store. I then asked if they could look in their computer and the sales guy said there was no use looking as he knew they didn't have it. I did a search on the Lowe's website and didn't come up with anything although the website didn't seem very user friendly. Can anyone give me a lowes part number or direct me to the web location? I was wondering if living in the south had anything to do with them not carrying the product although I want it to help with air conditionoing. Thanks in advance!

 

[Paul V]

http://www.texasgarages.com/insulation.htm

Try this

 

[lkirchner]

http:///insulation.htm

Try this

That is what I used but someone earlier said that you will have to recalibrate the springs. I had to get a more powerful garage door opener because my old 1/3 horsepower shreded the plastic gears.
I did this to insulate the door from the summer heat in the garage and noticed a 10 degree drop in temperature in the summer. All in all it works well.

 

[pirate]

Any of you that have used the Lowe's kit have a number for it?

 

[russlaferrera]

This is available at Home Depot. It's 1-1/4 fiberglass with a plastic/fiberglass cover. It is available in a 4X8 sheet. Cost ?

 

[rwhite692]

I went to Lowe's to look at the garage door insulation mentioned here and they said they didn't have anythinglike that in the store. I then asked if they could look in their computer and the sales guy said there was no use looking as he knew they didn't have it. I did a search on the Lowe's website and didn't come up with anything although the website didn't seem very user friendly. Can anyone give me a lowes part number or direct me to the web location? I was wondering if living in the south had anything to do with them not carrying the product although I want it to help with air conditionoing. Thanks in advance!

Did you talk to the guys in the windows and doors area, where they handle garage door sales?

I purchased the kit at Lowes in Modesto, CA probably three years ago now...Did you try calling the Lowes 800 number?

 

[pirate]

I did call Lowe's and talked to Customer Service. I found out they do not stock the item in this district and the item is not availible for purchase online. The Customer Service Representative she would get back to me with additional information including a product description , pricing and the availibilty of special ordering and shipping to the store nearest me. Thanks,

 

[ni[x]it]

I used two pieces of metal mylar backed, rigid construction foam (4'x8' and 4'x10'). They use it on the outside of many houses in my area,
before covering with brick or siding. The foam is extremely
lightweight, and very reasonable. Installation is pretty easy as it
flexes.

Put two thickness of it in each cavity, then use some alimiumum tape
to seal it up.

With the sun setting on my doors, just a single thickeness of this
insulation made a SUBSTANTIAL difference in temperatures in the
garage. Radiant heat is nil now.

This project led me to purchase radiant barrier for the rest of my house...
(DIY laborously still in progress).

 

[pirate]

Well for those interested Lowe's did get back to me and say that the brand of garage door insulation they sell is Insufoam. However, even though it is sold by Lowe's it is not availible in all regions of the United States. Nor can it be ordered and shipped to all Lowe's stores. It seems not all regions have the same sales agreements with Insulfoam. I di find out that Insulfoam will sell to individuals although shipping is quite costly not due to weight but bulk size.

 

[pirate]

And now for the rest of the story. After Lowe's said they would not be able to order the garage door insulation kits a manager called me back and said they would be willing to place a special order. I have a 16x8 foot door with 20 places for foam so I ordered 3 kits each of which contains 8 panels. Lowe's ordered the kits from InsluFoam and did not charge me any shipping costs. Shipping typically runs $35.00 per kit not because of weight but because of bulk. I was very impressed with the Lowe's managers customer service and follow up.

Installation is pretty straight forward of measuring and cutting with a sharp utility knife and scoring the panel and then snapping off the rest of the way. I used a long straight edge and a couple of spring clamps to insure nice straight edges along with a carpenters square for good 90 degree angles.

I also chose to glue the panels in place to keep them from rattling around and used Loctite Latex Foam Panel adhesive. The panels fit tight enough you could probable skip that step. My garage is used as a work shop and I'm hoping the insulated garage door which became quite hot in the afternoon sun will allow the A/C unit to cool the area a bit better and not have to work so hard.

 

[stricht8]

By the way for any of you contemplating using foam board insulation, keep in mind that it is extremely flammable. A spark can set it on fire and put out some thick black sooty smoke. This was told to me by a firefighter. If you do any welding or grinding in the garage I'd be leary about using this stuff.

 

[pirate]

In the instructions that came with the kits there were no warnings about the risk of fires. However, the foam has the appearance of a foam coffee cup so it would no doubt burn if exposed to a flame. The side facing into the garage has thin sheet of a vinyl or plastic material glued to it that would probably give some protection from sparks.

This is the same material that are used by garage door manufacturers if fact InsulFoam's data sheets are directed to the manufacturers. However, your warning is no doubt valid and good advice.

 

[comp]

we used the foil foam on a buddy's door,,,he later added some roll alum. flashing on that (glued it all)

 

[shaun]

I used some 1" thick polystyrene that is foil faced. Bought it in 4x8 sheets and cut it down on the table saw. Glued it in place with no-nails. If memory serves me it is supposed to be R2 or 3... The increased reflectivity is an added bonus.

 

[KB in MD]

Please forgive the clutter. It's a work in progress
After seeing all of the other options, mine looks SO ugly.
What can i cover it with?
and I need to have the springs recalibrated?
Maybe a stronger door opener in the future?
I shoulda left it alone

 

[PatG]

Pirate

Did the foam help keep your garage cooler this summer? My garage is facing WSW in NC. The garage is unbearably hot during the summer. I will also have to contend with the horizontal reinforcement strapping when I insulate.

 

[pirate]

The foam really helped with the heat in the garage. My garage door has a southern exposure and from around noon to late afternoon the metal would get hot enough it was uncomfortable to lay your hand on. This is in south Alabama where the summer heat is pretty intense anyway. After putting the foam in you could lay your hand on the plastic veneer of the foam and there was no transfer of heat from the sheet metal. I have a window air conditioner mounted in the wall and it had a very hard time cooling the garage as the door acted like a giant heat sink. The difference was very noticeable after adding the door insulation.

After adding the foam to the door I also added about 8" of blown fiberglass insulation to the ceiling a couple months later. That also made another big improvment. I can now work in the garage in complete comfort and it take a lot less time to cool off after turning on the A/C.

 

[Kevin54]

Pirate

Did the foam help keep your garage cooler this summer? My garage is facing WSW in NC. The garage is unbearably hot during the summer. I will also have to contend with the horizontal reinforcement strapping when I insulate.

Unbolt the strapping, insulate underneath it, then bolt the strapping back on.

 

[rockford33]

Just curious, but are any of these kits designed to work with doors that are not perfectly flat? My garage door has embossed panels, so the thickness varies (as measured from the rear rolled edge of the door panel) from about 1-1/2 inches down to maybe 3/4 inch, so a 1-1/2 inch styrofoam panel would not work unless I carve out niches for where the panels are embossed (not something I want to do).

Any other options out there?

Thanks,
Neil