Insulating a garage for winter, above all, means knowing how to insulate your garage door. As the largest opening in the structure, the garage door invites temperature and moisture change, so it’s crucial to insulate your garage door before winter strikes. Fortunately, there are many realistic, cost-effective ways to protect your entire garage from the elements.
Any entry point to your garage is vulnerable to leaking air, which means it is therefore subject to losing warm air during the winter and cool air in the summer. It is important to remember that insulating a garage doesn’t always mean the usual things we think of — fiberglass batting and the like — when insulation is mentioned. Insulating means to prevent the transfer of something, such as air, heat or sound. When it comes to drafts, weather seals are perhaps one of the best ways to insulate a garage door. They’re also a frequently overlooked component when attempting to insulate a garage door. Thus, weather seals should be prioritized. Resolve those drafty entryways first. Then you can start thinking further about the how to insulate a garage door for winter.
Benefits of Insulating a Garage
On top of the obvious, there are numerous benefits of insulating a garage that are sometimes overlooked:
Energy Savings: Is your heater or AC constantly running? Most people don’t recognize their garage’s starring role in creating heat loss in winter. Insulating a garage should be one of the first options you consider when looking to reduce energy costs and keep your home comfortable.
Reduced Maintenance: Excessive heat and/or cold, and swinging back and forth between the two, can significantly impact your garage, car and other assets. For instance, consistent heat can cause painted walls to fade and crack. Cold temperatures can drain your car battery and lower your tire pressure. Anything stored in a garage can degrade when subject to temperature extremes.
Noise Control: Insulation comes with natural soundproofing abilities that are often undervalued. Whether you’re in a room on the other side of an attached garage wall or in the yard next door, that noise reduction will be appreciated when the power tools or garage bands kick into gear.
Durability: Insulation is an extra barrier to your garage door. It provides enhanced rigidity to the structure and protection to the inside of the door. From debris to dents, your garage door is equipped with an extra layer of defense against daily wear and tear.
Choosing the Right Insulation
Here are some basics you should know about insulation before going shopping:
R-values measure thermal efficiency. The higher the R-value, the more effective a product or material is in terms of heat insulation.
The higher the R-value, usually the more expensive the product.
Fiberglass batt and rigid foam can typically be easily cut to size. Loose-fill and spray foam insulation may be more complicated jobs.
Insulation comes in many thicknesses, densities and materials. The performance properties vary greatly. The best material for your job may be fiberglass, rigid foam, spray foam, cellulose or a combination thereof. As a result, it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking for before starting your project.
How to Insulate Your Garage Door
Working with insulation can be dangerous for your eyes and lungs and irritating to the skin. Always wear protective gear — safety glasses, masks, long sleeves and pants — when moving or installing garage door insulation. After that, most DIY kits follow a fairly standard process:
Using double-sided tape or the provided adhesive, secure retainer clips to the middle of each garage door panel (interior only).
Measure each panel and cut the insulation slightly larger than your measurements (about 1.5 inches larger). You’ll want each piece of insulation to fit snuggly with no wiggle room. This ensures a tight and effective fit.
Tuck the insulation into each panel and cut a very small slit where each retainer clip is protruding.
Secure the retainer clips with the provided caps, and you should be all set.
If you have any material left over, you can even start lining the walls and ceiling to help insulate your garage even further — just make sure you consider any carbon monoxide concerns.
How CMB Can Help
Of course, some old, fractured and super-leaky garage doors are beyond insulation. When it’s time to replace your garage door, consider CMB Garage Doors.
CMB will go through all the insulated options and help match you with the best garage door for your needs and your budget.
Regardless of whether you’re choosing CMB for a new garage door installation or opting to shore up your old door, you’ll be surprised what insulating a garage can do not only for the comfort of your home, but for your energy consumption costs as well. In the long run, the insulation may wind up paying for itself!