Garage Door Insulation Project

LastChanceWoodshop

New User
Jason
With the temperatures dropping in the last several weeks I was reminded of the promise I made to myself to insulate my garage door before it got cold again this year, both for my own comfort and also my kerosene consumption.

MVIMG_20191104_124514.jpg


My doors have a "C" shaped cross section that is a little under 1 5/8" deep, so I chose 1 inch foil faced insulation and 5/8" backer rod to hold the panels up against the door.

MVIMG_20191104_124456.jpg


Will post more pictures as I finish up.
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
Just curious, I've been putting this off for several years myself. Why not use 1 1/2 inch insulation board?
 

LastChanceWoodshop

New User
Jason
Mike,

I've seen kits that have 1.5" insulation that is regularly kerfed so its flexible enough to fish inside the "C" shape but you sacrifice the foil facing on both sides. Also, my local big box stores didn't have anything in that thickness that wasn't pink.
 

badger fan

Bruce
User
Thank you for posting this. When I talk to the garage door opener installer , he mentioned the additional weight on the motor as a concern. Personally I can’t imagine this adds much weight, but I would be curious if you could estimate it and comment on how everything works.
Thx
 

chris_goris

Chris
Senior User
Thank you for posting this. When I talk to the garage door opener installer , he mentioned the additional weight on the motor as a concern. Personally I can’t imagine this adds much weight, but I would be curious if you could estimate it and comment on how everything works.
Thx
If youre concerned with weight, just give your torsion spring another twist or two....
 

LastChanceWoodshop

New User
Jason
Thank you for posting this. When I talk to the garage door opener installer , he mentioned the additional weight on the motor as a concern. Personally I can’t imagine this adds much weight, but I would be curious if you could estimate it and comment on how everything works.
Thx

Bruce, each of my 4'x8' sheets weighs 5.13 lbs. With the backer rod my 4 sheets of insulation is adding 22 lbs, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of a 10% increase in the total weight of the door.
 

Dee2

Board of Directors, Vice President
Gene
Staff member
Corporate Member
Mike Davis
I used 1-1/2 I'm my doors. in order to insert it to the door flanges I scored it (side opposite foil) and snapped it. If you use foil backed and are careful, the foil will keep the two halves together. Bend it at the score and stuff up under the flanges. Push it flat and run foil tape over the seam. I stuffed off cuts into the flange along the door edge panels and yes I removed all the hardware one panel at a time to install the foam. This was a bit challenging as my doors are double and the wind braces are not insignificant to handle by oneself. I put the foil to the outside and a layer of radiant barrier on the inside. I've had no issue with pucker at the seams. This will be my 3rd winter with the insulation installed.

This past January, the springs died on my door and I had to have them replaced. Don't know about the extra weight of insulation but the technician said the springs were good for about 10,000 cycles and they usually break in cold weather. Now I have to figure out how to further insulate the springs, LOL!
 

Raymond

Raymond
Staff member
Corporate Member
I used the garage door insulation kit from Lowes on my double wide door. I also covered the windows as there is just as much heat loss through there as there is in the rest of the door. A little trick is I cut up a black trash bag and taped that over the windows on the inside and then put up the insulation. No one can tell if you are working in there at night.
 

junquecol

Bruce
Senior User
I bypassed all this when I built my shop in 1980. I installed factory insulated doors. Had to have my distributor special order them for me. Cost a whopping $38 dollars more than standard uninsulated doors. Never a regret.
 

bob vaughan

Bob Vaughan
Senior User
I also had installed factory insulated doors on the recommendation of a well-qualified friend. The door guy recommended a screw type door mechanism because of the strength and longevity with the heavier door. I'm glad I listened to them. The sting of the price in 1995 is long forgotten and I still have the insulated doors.
 

NOTW

Notw
Senior User
So what kind of r-value is the board rated for? My last garage door was a single car door and i did it with R-13 batt insulation and tape, wasn't pretty but it worked and the door more lifted it fine.
 

Dave Richards

Dave
Senior User
Looks much nicer than what I have. I used 2 inch thick 4x8 pink foam panels that I attached to the door vertically using some wooden battens and screws into the metal of the door. Over that I have a large sheet of poly which is attached to the wall above the door and around the sides. It comes down on the floor and out about 18 inches from the door. I've laid some boards down on the bottom to keep it in place. Not pretty but it helps. Keeps the wind out and it helps keep the garage cooler in the summer, too. It does make it so the door can't be opened without removing it but that isn't a problem for me. There's a pretty short period throughout the year when I'd want it open anyway.
 

LastChanceWoodshop

New User
Jason
So what kind of r-value is the board rated for? My last garage door was a single car door and i did it with R-13 batt insulation and tape, wasn't pretty but it worked and the door more lifted it fine.

My foam panels only have 3.8 rating, but it's gotta be better than bare steel.
 

Oka

Casey
Corporate Member
The rule of thumb for insulation is 1" = R3.5-4 ....... Getting the double scrim (foil) sided stuff 1" = R4.2 1.5" R6.2, and the 2" depending on the brand will get you R8-9.

BTW nice install very professional. ............ or as my wife often comments ......... "wow- that looks like a professional installed this...":rolleyes: ...........
 

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
The rule of thumb for insulation is 1" = R3.5-4 ....... Getting the double scrim (foil) sided stuff 1" = R4.2 1.5" R6.2, and the 2" depending on the brand will get you R8-9.

BTW nice install very professional. ............ or as my wife often comments ......... "wow- that looks like a professional installed this...":rolleyes: ...........
Is that in comparison to some of the "re-purposed pallet living" there in HI? :p:cool:
 
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