How to Insulate a Garage Door for Winter

Garage doors are often overlooked when it comes to winter preparations. It can cause a spike in your energy bill and negatively impact your garage door’s lifespan. Knowing how to insulate a garage door for winter is necessary to avoid all these troubles.

Your garage doesn’t have to be the “no-go” zone in your house during winter. When the cold season hits, you can always utilize this space by keeping it safe against freezing temperatures.

In this post, we will talk more about garage door insulation, its benefits, and why you should only trust professional installers.

Benefits of insulating your garage door

Many homeowners find the cost of garage door insulation unnecessary. But the truth is that this cost is a worthy investment for your home. Here are some reasons why:

  • It makes your garage energy efficient.
     Insulating a garage door will effectively reduce your heating bills. It can keep you 12 degrees warmer in winter and 25 degrees cooler in summer. With this, insulation can regulate temperature all year long.
  • It dampens outside noise.
     Aside from keeping out cold air, garage door insulation kits make your space less noisy. It will also reduce the rattling sound a light door makes during operation.
  • It strengthens your garage door.
     Insulation will make your garage door panels more durable. The added material will reinforce the panels against impact and harsh outdoor elements.
  • It protects your car.
     Ultimately, garage door insulation will protect your home against intense temperatures. Aside from that, it will also prolong the shelf life of items in your garage, like fertilizer, motor oil, and other supplies.
  • It increases the value of your home.
     Lastly, garage door insulation can increase the market value of your home. In fact, it can be a selling point of your home, especially if you live in a very cold area. Overall, there’s no downside to getting your garage door insulated.

Steps to insulate your garage door for winter

With professional training, installing a garage door is pretty straightforward. It’s usually a 3-hour to 4-hour project for our team, depending on the size and design of your door.

Take note that the process differs based on your preferred type of insulation. Polyurethane insulation is more complicated since the foam will be injected into the door interior. Nevertheless, it offers solid and long-lasting defense against temperatures.

Meanwhile, many of our clients opt for rigid polystyrene insulation. It’s a foam board that’s simple and affordable to install.

To give you a quick preview, here’s a quick rundown of how we install insulation boards on sectional doors.

Step 1. Prepare your materials

Before you start, make sure that you prepare all the tools you need. Here are the essentials:
  • Tape measure
  • Razor knife or utility knife
  • Marker
  • Hand
  • Driver drill with a socket set
  • Foam board insulation

Before buying your foam board insulation kit, make sure that you measure the door’s height and width first. You wouldn’t want to buy a product that’s smaller than what you need.

Overall, purchasing a bigger size is okay; you can cut it later. Also, try to look for foam boards with ridges so it’s easier to bend without breaking the product.

Aside from rigid foam, you can also get other types of garage door insulation. There are fiberglass batt insulation and foil insulation kits. While they are different types, the installation process is similar to rigid foam, as discussed below.

Step 2. Prep your garage door

Make sure that your garage door is closed and detached from the opener. We also recommend disengaging the door in case you have a backup battery. This will prevent accidental operation while you’re working on it.

Next, you’ll need to unfasten the bolts that hold the garage panels together. This prevents the protruding part at the back from shredding the foam. You can remove these bolts one at a time as you install each insulation board. 

Step 3. Cut the insulation material

Once you’re done with prep work, the next step is to cut the foam boards.

Start by measuring the height and width of each panel. Ensure you include the hidden gaps where the edges of the insulation will slide through. This ensures a snug fit later.

Mark your measurements on the board using a marker. After that, slowly cut the piece with a knife, starting on the shiny side that will be showing. That way, you’ll have a clean cut and avoid ruining the insulation.

If you want to reduce the work, you can purchase pre-cut insulation. Some shops allow you to send your needed measurements, and they will cut the boards for you. 

Step 4. Install the insulation board

We recommend cutting and installing the insulation boards one at a time. That way, you will spot a mistake before heading to the next board.

Once you cut a piece, gently slide it onto the panel. You may need to bend and manipulate the product to fit it properly.

A properly fitting insulation board shouldn’t slide or move once installed. If it’s loose or bulging, you likely made the wrong measurements.

Also, make sure you cut small strips for the hidden side edges of the garage door. That way, you won’t have a cold or hot air leaking through it. 

Step 5. Test your door

Once you install all the boards, put all the bolts back and test the door. Close and open the door to see if any insulation will be deformed or pulled out of place. If nothing goes wrong, you’ve done a great job.

Don’t hesitate to remove and re-install insulation boards if it doesn’t fit properly. It may take a little more work, but it guarantees the efficiency of the insulation. 

Take advantage of professional garage door insulation service

While DIY insulation may seem cost-efficient, it also has a higher risk of damaging your door. Also, poor installation will not maximize the insulating abilities of the product.

Installing insulation on a garage door may sound easy, but it takes a lot of skill. If you don’t want to go through all the troubles of DIY installation, you can always opt for a professional service.

You should only trust the experts like California Garage Door Repair. We’ve been installing garage door insulation for 15+ years and counting. Whatever insulation type you want and garage door you have, our team can do the job for you.

We can install rigid foam, fiberglass, spray foam, cellulose, and foil insulation kits. Our team will also help you choose the best insulation material based on how cold your garage gets.

Call us for a free quote! It’s never too late to have your doors insulated. Our garage door technicians are available 24/7.

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