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How To Insulate Your Garage Door

For the average homeowner, the garage is an area where temperature control can be quite a challenge. Garages can be excruciatingly hot in warmer climates or insufferably cold in cooler climates. Adding insulation to your garage can help you better control the temperature of the room while also providing your home some flexibility. Here’s why our team at NY Gates recommends every homeowner in the New York area insulates their garage. 

Why You Should Insulate Your Garage 

The obvious and most notable benefit insulation provides is added control of the temperature. This can actually help save you a noticeable chunk of money on your monthly energy bill. Your home will no longer require extra energy to try to warm/cool the garage and the rooms surrounding it. 

Another added benefit is that it can help create a sound-proof environment, keeping sounds out or in. If you live in a busy area, an insulated garage can help keep the noise of passing cars out of the room. Or, if you use your garage as a music studio, it will prevent the music from waking your family members or neighbors. 

Areas You Can Insulate

There are three major areas where you can add insulation in your garage. While it’s ideal to cover all three of these areas, that may not be realistic for the average homeowner. Here are the three areas where you can add insulation in your garage:

  • The garage door – This is the easiest and cheapest area to install insulation
  • Garage walls – This is the area you should worry least about as homes are built with insulation in the walls
  • The ceiling – The ceiling is often forgotten about yet is crucial if you have a room located above the garage

How much of your garage you choose to insulate is going to largely depend on your budget heading into the project. If your budget is higher, you may have the luxury of being able to insulate your entire garage. If you’re trying to save money, you may want to consider only the door or ceiling. 

Types of Garage Door Insulation

It’s important that you have a grasp of the different types of insulation available. While each provides the main goal, helping you control the temperature in your garage, they each have their own pros and cons. Here are some of the types of garage door insulation:

  • Foam boards – These are ideal for installing on garage doors
  • Batt Insulation – This is a cheap option that is ideal for behind drywall and inside walls and ceilings
  • Loose and Blown-In Insulation – This is ideal for attics, crawlspaces, and wall cavities
  • Insulating Foam Sealant – This is ideal for small cracks, crevices, and hard-to-reach areas

Do-It-Yourself Garage Door Insulation

Insulating your garage door can be an easy DIY project that shouldn’t take you longer than a day. It requires buying the materials you would find in a garage insulation kit and putting in a little work on your own. Below are some helpful tips you can follow to help you insulate your garage door:

Measure Door and Calculate Material Needs

The first step, and arguably the most important step, is measuring your garage door to calculate how much insulation you will need. You should measure the dimensions of each panel on your garage door. Depending on the type of door you have, these panels will usually be the same size, making it easy to calculate how much insulation you will need. 

Buy Materials

Next, it’s time to head to your hardware store of choice to purchase the materials required to begin the insulation process. There are online retailers who will ship these products directly to your home. Materials you will need to purchase if you do not have them already will include:

  • Foam insulation panels
  • Box cutter or razor blade
  • Adhesive or glue

Once you have all these products, you will be good to go. 

Cut Insulation to Size

Now that you know the dimensions for the panels on your door, it’s time to cut the foam to size. Repeat this step as many times as needed until you have enough insulation to cover the entire door. You may want to buy extra insulation at the store in case you miscut. 

Adhere Insulation to Garage Door

Open up your adhesive or glue and begin adhering to your cut insulation to the door. If you need to, you can use some masking or duct tape to help hold the panels as the glue dries. Don’t be shy with the amount of glue that you use. 

Let Dry

You should allow the insulation plenty of time to dry. The amount of time needed to dry will depend largely on two different factors – the type of adhesive that you used and how big your garage door is. Typically, a few hours will do the trick but you may have to wait a full day to allow the adhesive to bond. 

Apply Foam Sealant

This step is optional for those who want to go above and beyond to make sure they’re getting all they can out of their garage. Use foam sealant to help fill any small gaps. This includes between the foam panels on the garage door or even the small opening along the wall inside the garage. 

We Can Help You

If you’re struggling to get your garage insulated in the New York area or don’t have the time for a DIY project our team here at New York Gates. We offer garage insulation services as well as other garage door services. We look forward to helping you get the most out of your garage. Please contact us.

New York Gates is the leading security gate and commercial garage door supplier and installer in New York City. We service all the 5 boroughs of NYC. 

 

Get in touch with New York Gates today for a FREE quote.