Many homeowners regularly look for ways to reduce the cost of ownership of their house. One way to lower energy costs, while maximizing comfortable living space, is to insulate their garage. Garage door insulation will reduce your energy bill, costs little to install, and can be easily done by the homeowner.
You can buy an insulation kit at your local home improvement store. Kits include insulation already cut to the size you need, or close enough to where you just have to trim around the edges, and fasteners. Insulation kits are a quick and easy way to do this task yourself. However, if you do need assistance with installing insulation, maintenance, or any other Las Vegas garage door repair issue, the professionals at Sun City Garage Doors can help.
There are several choices for insulation material. Which choice you select is largely determined by the type of garage door you have and the climate in your area.
Reflective foil insulation, or aluminum foil insulation, uses layers of foil surrounding an insulation of polyethylene and bubble wrap, or cardboard. This reflective foil sandwich is easy to install and ideal for warmer climates where you would want to reflect heat in order to cool off the garage.
Batt insulation is a type of fiberglass insulation, backed with paper or foil, which is widely used in walls. It is an inexpensive material that may be used on garage doors but the thickness requirements may not be practical on garage doors in some climates.
For doors that require a rigid insulation material, foam board insulation is the best to use. Foam board is constructed with polystyrene and may be faced with aluminum or vinyl. Polystyrene is similar to the material used to make Styrofoam cups and plates.
Now that you know the basics on the different types of insulation available, you will want to select which one is best for your door type. Steel doors can use any type of insulation. You can use flexible insulation around the frame and panels or you can use the rigid foam board insulation cut into sizes that fit into the frame. Wood frame doors and doors with panels are insulated best using rigid insulation material.
Reflective insulation or foam board is your best option for a flat garage door.
Once you have decided which insulation is the best choice for your garage door, it’s time to install. You will need a hammer, nails, saw, utility knife, a straight edge, and a dust mask. If you bought a kit, your insulation pieces will be precut for you and may only require some trimming.
As the final task in your garage door insulation project, you should consider installing weather stripping on the bottom and sides of your garage door. Air can easily pass through, taking away much of the benefits of insulation by allowing in hot air in the summer and cold air in the winter.
Installing garage door insulation is an inexpensive do it yourself project that can save you time and money, long term, on energy expenses. Sun City Garage Doors is a valuable resource for all things related to garage door purchase, installation and maintenance. Their experts can assist you in making decisions related to how best to insulate your garage door.
