garage doors insulation

If your garage is attached to your home's living space, or if you use it as a workspace and other activities, an insulated garage door can be great to get thermal comfort, energy savings and soundproofing. But that's not always true...

Note: Be aware. Vehicle emissions in garages may demand their ventilation instead of airtightness and insulation. If the use of your garage involves car emissions, their external insulation (the insulation of the exterior door and eventually the exterior walls) is not a good idea.

See, on this issues: Garage Insulation

When the insulation isn't important

If your garage is not attached to your home, and if you aren't interested in comfort or soundproofing, you certainly do not need an insulated garage door.

Garage door insulation: R-value

The best insulated garage doors have R-values around 10 (or higher). Most of these doors are steel-made, with polyurethane foamed-in-place insulation.

Choose a door with a high R-value (at least 7-8 , in cold climates).

Polyurethane insulation is better than the also common polysterene insulation. For the same thickness polyurethane delivers twice the insulation value of polysterene.

Note: the R-value measures the thermal efficiency of the door; efficient garage doors offer higher R-values.

The true R-value

The R-value (the insulation performance) claimed by garage door manufacturers isn't necessarily the correct one. They often figure out the R-value taking into account the thickness of the insulation material and its properties, but that doesn't match the insulation value of the whole door. Only the R-value of a section of it...

We shouldn't forget that the energy-efficiency of a door is greatly affected by the way it is constructed (that's why a good door-maker is important). And that insulation values should be calculated in compliance with DASMA TDS-163 and other industry recognized standards - which in most cases doesn't happen.

Garage door seals

If your garage door is a sectional roll-up door, it should have efficient weather seals between its sections. Seals involve gaskets that compress when the door is closed, ensuring an effective insulation. They can be designed into the mating surfaces of the panels.

Bottom weather seals are also crucial to ensure an effective insulation. It blocks drafts and, by that way, helps save energy. Bottom seals should remain flexible even in extreme cold, to ensure energy savings and to keep the bad weather away.

Garage door windows

Garage door windows are a potential pathway to unwanted energy losses and gains. Using double-paned glass windows to get natural light and to keep the winter cold and the summer heat out, can be a good solution.

garage doors

Wood, fiberglass and vinyl provide some natural insulation to the garage doors. But the best price-quality ratio is usually found in steel (and aluminum) garage doors with thick layers of polyurethane insulation.

See:
Steel garage doors and
Aluminum garage doors
Wood garage doors
Fiberglass and vinyl garage doors

Garage door & Insulation kits

If your steel or aluminum garage door has low or no insulation at all, consider installing an insulation kit. There are several companies offering insulation kits for garage doors.

These kits may not provide by themselves high-insulation grades (that depends largely on the insulation material, the way the door is manufactured, the section and bottom seals, the door windows...) but they can improve the thermal comfort of your garage.

Most of these kits are made from expanded polystyrene, with a plastic film applied on one side. Some companies offer a one year warranty, and professional installation. UL certified expanded polystyrene is a warranty of quality.

Make sure the insulation is properly installed and conforms to legal requirements for fire safety.

Do not forget that the additional weight added to the door may interfere with the operation of the opener. Pay attention to that detail.