HI how to insulate a garage door

[CrealCritter]

Starting a Homestead Improvement Thread, How To Insulate a Fiberglass Garage Door.

The Door

The issue why standard insulation kits containing thick panels wil not work.

 

[wyoDreamer]

How big is that door? How often will you be opening and closing it?

I would worry that insulating it would be adding too much weight.

 

[Hinotori]

Friend of mine used fiberglass insulation duct taped in. I don't have a garage so never even thought about it.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I think I'd use 1" styrofoam, cut to fit each panel, and "Mickey Mouse" attaching each foam piece to the panels. I had considered just blocking off the door area with styrofoam, and moving them as necessary. That would work well for me, with the overhead door to the garage under the bedroom end of the house, IF we replaced the pass door. I keep my tools, chicken feed, and we keep our wood down there. So... no need to plan on parking a car. The pass door is about 10 years beyond requiring replacement, so is not functional.

 

[CrealCritter]

How big is that door? How often will you be opening and closing it?

I would worry that insulating it would be adding too much weight.

It's 7'x16' I will not be opening and closing it often. I thought about taking it down and standing up a wall. But decided I want to keep it. It's very handy for our multi purpose room. I have 3 screws across the top, to hold it closed. My wife and I installed new weather strip on the outside and also replaced the sill at the bottom of the door. Now it's time for insulation...

Your right... Whatever I use to insulate the inside can't add too much weight. Or the springs will not hold the door open when it's opened up. The biggest problem is the sides that I have pictured in the first post. They leak outside air like crazy. It's because of the way in which the fiberglass panels were attached to the aluminum U frame. It's just 2 tabs that hold the horizontal fiberglass panel in place, there are 4 panels used to make up the width of the door.

if I go outside and with the lights in in the cave you can see light coming through up and down both sides of the door from the U channel. This light mean a air gap, for air to pass through.

The next problem is the fiberglass panels are thin so they basically remain at the temperature of the outside air. Hot in the summer and cold in the winter.

I'm kind of left scratching my head on what to do. I want a functional garage door but the way the horizontal fiberglass panels are shaped, prohibit the use of fitting rigid foam board to fill the cavity the way most steel garage door panels are shaped.

 

[CrealCritter]

Friend of mine used fiberglass insulation duct taped in. I don't have a garage so never even thought about it.

Thought about something like that. But since the building has a heat pump for heat and air conditioning, I'm pretty sure I would be looking at mold city or at least damp insulation. Fiberglass insulation is good don't get me wrong but it also acts kind of like a temperature and humidity sponge. Humid outside air will try and pass though to the less humid air inside and get trapped without a proper vapor barrier installed. I don't think duct tape would be a very good vapor barrier. That and besides fiberglass insulation needs to breath think of your attic. It's vented to the outside with the insulation exposed to the outside air.

 

[wyoDreamer]

How are your skills with foam insulation. I would spray "great stuff" in those leaky corners at least. That stuff doesn't weigh much and has a little bit flex to it so it should stay put when you open/close the door. Maybe just hang old blankets along it for some insulation value. Easy to remove if you want to open the door

 

[CrealCritter]

How are your skills with foam insulation. I would spray "great stuff" in those leaky corners at least. That stuff doesn't weigh much and has a little bit flex to it so it should stay put when you open/close the door. Maybe just hang old blankets along it for some insulation value. Easy to remove if you want to open the door

Thought hard about spray foam for the edges and I believe that's what I'll do. But while enjoying a nice Oktoberfest Homebrew last night and thinking on this challenge. I recall reading long ago in one of the many sciece sites I frequent. About a new thin, mold resistant, lightweight and effective type insulation type that space agency was going to bring to market. I seem to recall it was developed by NASA. Now I just need to go and find it and see if it's cost effective. Do more research and see if it will work for my garage door.

 

[CrealCritter]

I believe I found a solution.

NASATech AD3

NASATech AD3 HVAC Duct Wrap Reflective insulation Foam core 48" X 50ft | eBay

AD3 (1/8 thick) 4ftwide x 50ft Long. Inhibits condensation and does not promote the growth of fungi, mold or mildew. Does not promote nesting of insects or rodents.

www.ebay.com

Knockoff

Amazon.com : US Energy Products (AD3) Reflective Foam Insulation Shield, Heat Shield, Thermal Insulation Shield Radiant Barrier 24" x50ft 100sqft : Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com : US Energy Products (AD3) Reflective Foam Insulation Shield, Heat Shield, Thermal Insulation Shield Radiant Barrier 24" x50ft 100sqft : Garden & Outdoor

www.amazon.com

Both Made in USA

Need to do a little more research first though.

 

[CrealCritter]

Another with white on one side. Doesn't say the country of origin. For me, it must he made in the USA or you can keep it. I sent the seller a question asking for country of origin.

SmartSHIELD -5 WHITE Reflective Insulation roll, Foam Core Radiant Barrier 5MM | eBay

Crawl Space. Shed, Fish & Hunting Shelter. SOUND BARRIER - excellent soundproofing material. Radiant Heat in a Concrete Floor. Radon Barrier. Concrete Floor. Radiant Heating Under a Wood Floor.

www.ebay.com