Insulating existing garage door

[rockford33]

Anyone have any good ideas on how to insulate an existing garage door? I noticed last night that my metal garage door has a nice hollow ring to it, which probably explains why my garage is so darn cold in the winter (as well as the living room above it). I really don't want to go through the hassle of buying a new one because of HOA restrictions, etc., plus I don't think I could sell the wife on the cost since we will probably only be here for another 3-4 years. I also want to maintain the interior appearance of the garage door (i.e. not gluing foam backing to it). Any thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[BearHit]

Lowe's sells the precut styrofoam insert kits - if that would fit your door.

I need to measure each panel on my door - My last garage door was already insulated.

I think insulating it will make it less noisy when opening/closing also...

 

[OI812]

I would go with styrofoam. I would even consider gluing it to the door. I would not use the polystyrene stuff. Thats the foam with all the little white beads. It is not very water resistant, and it makes a big mess.

 

[rockford33]

Lowe's sells the precut styrofoam insert kits - if that would fit your door.

I need to measure each panel on my door - My last garage door was already insulated.

I think insulating it will make it less noisy when opening/closing also...

Yeah, I found on the web that Insulfoam makes a kit. Unfortunately, it doesn't show up on either Home Depot or Lowes websites. And the Insulfoam website isn't a lot of help. http://www.premier-industries.com/insulfoam_cm.cfm?view=gdik. No link to find retailers. Might have to check Lowes in person to see if they have anything. If not, maybe call Insulfoam directly.

 

[trovato]

How well sealed is your door around the edges? My door is wood, but my problem is the air gaps around the edges let in a small gale. Not to mention a few rodent visitors.

 

[Ken Greene]

trovato,
there is a gasket made to seal the gaps around your door. It is a piece of wood witha weatherstrip attached to it. Use that and the critters wount get in anymore or the air leaks.

 

[trovato]

Thanks, I know. What I was trying to say was insulation won't help much if you have a lot of air infiltration around the edges.

 

[Major Ramifications]

I would go with styrofoam. I would even consider gluing it to the door. I would not use the polystyrene stuff. Thats the foam with all the little white beads. It is not very water resistant, and it makes a big mess.

FYI, Styrofoam is polystyrene. (But we know what you mean)

 

[GSRspeedracer]

Yeah, I found on the web that Insulfoam makes a kit. Unfortunately, it doesn't show up on either Home Depot or Lowes websites. And the Insulfoam website isn't a lot of help. http://www.premier-industries.com/insulfoam_cm.cfm?view=gdik. No link to find retailers. Might have to check Lowes in person to see if they have anything. If not, maybe call Insulfoam directly.

Does anyone know where to buy this stuff? Home Depot doesn't carry it.

 

[aero]

B

 

[rockford33]

Thanks, I know. What I was trying to say was insulation won't help much if you have a lot of air infiltration around the edges.

It seems to be sealed pretty well around the door. Looked in Home Depot and Lowes, neither one carries the insulfoam garage door kit. I think I might put some styrofoam insulation on the door (glue it or something) and then seal over top of that with some radiant heat barrier that adheres to the foam and panel edging. That should protect it fairly well and keep the garage better insulated.

 

[rockford33]

Well, as I was looking around at various websites for insulating my garage door, I came upon some interesting information I thought I would share. A few websites like askthebuilder.com, etc. stated that the garage door should be rebalanced after adding any insulation to make sure that it operates properly. It also stated that this is not a job (rebalancing) for Harry Homeowner. Just curious if anyone here has insulated an existing garage door and if they had it rebalanced. It doesn't seem like insulation would add a whole bunch of weight to the door, but I would rather be safe then sorry and not have the door come crashing down on something.

 

[AZLS1]

Does anyone know where to buy this stuff? Home Depot doesn't carry it.

My Home Depot doesn't have it, but my local Lowe's does.
I need 2 kits for a two car garage - They are $52 per kit.

 

[krooser]

I used 2X4' fiberglass ceiling tiles in my door...worked great but the weight willl surprise you...but my bride can still open it so it can't be THAT heavy...

 

[GSRspeedracer]

Do you think duct insulation will work? It's fiberglass with an aluminum/foil backing. It comes in rolls 12" wide and about 1" thick. I saw it in the HVAC aisle at Lowes.

I also saw the white styrofoam packages. It comes in strips about 12" wide and 6' long. How well does styrofoam insulate?

 

[kal-el]

Well, as I was looking around at various websites for insulating my garage door, I came upon some interesting information I thought I would share. A few websites like askthebuilder.com, etc. stated that the garage door should be rebalanced after adding any insulation to make sure that it operates properly. It also stated that this is not a job (rebalancing) for Harry Homeowner. Just curious if anyone here has insulated an existing garage door and if they had it rebalanced. It doesn't seem like insulation would add a whole bunch of weight to the door, but I would rather be safe then sorry and not have the door come crashing down on something.

I insulated mine (I think it is 18'x8') with polystyrene and all I did was ajust the sensativity, because it did add weight and the door would stop because it would trip the safety because of the resistance. Adjusted the sensitivity and it is fine. I actually didn't have to adjust it too much. I was thinking of gettting it rebalanced even before I put the foam in it, the motor seems to work alittle harder than I would like.

Does anyone know how much (about) costs to get it rebalanced.
(is it usually a 50$ minimum service charge?)

 

[jonkav]

My door seems to be a thin sheet of metal, so whatever I would do would be exposed to the garage side... thoughts on covering the exposed insulation? I could always spray paint the entire face...

Additionally, what is the R value of an insulated door? It'd be nice to do something that actually does something (insulating-wise) vs just adding bulk to the door...

 

[gb387]

I have been thinking about adding some more insulation to my garage door... but I never thought about re-balancing it!?!? there is a little weight to it now... how can you tell if the door needs to be balanced? Should it hold in any position when you open it without the opener or should it close/open slowly?

 

[Biscuit]

If you have a screw-drive opener be sure to lube the screw at least once a year with lithium grease. Less friction means less load on the motor and it will be quieter.