One of the most asked questions we receive is about the different options for insulation. While almost all new residential and commercial projects have the insulation selected prior to construction, most workshops and garages normally do not.
Insulating your garage door is one of the best ways examples of a do-it-yourself project that can make a big impact on energy efficiency.
While you might not think it is worth the time or effort, if you plan on spending significant time in your workshop we think it is one of the best investments you can make.
Think about this way, every time you open up the door from the garage, you’re allowing a blast of outdoor air to enter the building. The air, whether cold or hot, will mix with the interior air, making your HVAC system work harder.
A harder-working HVAC system means one thing: higher energy costs.
If you want to stop this excess energy usage, you can insulate your garage doors.
The right garage door insulation will:
- Create insulation barriers in the garage
- Offer an easy installation
- Save you money on electricity bills
Homeowners that already spend enough on remodeling, repairs and other home expenses may put their garage door insulation on the backburner.
But with DIY garage door insulation kits, you can quickly and effectively insulate your garage in an afternoon. Most people will have their insulation installed within an hour – it doesn’t take long.
Are Insulated Garage Doors Worth the Cost?
Garages are always a little cooler than the inside of your home. While the garage may be a nice escape from a warm home, it also traps in cold or hot air. If you do any work in your garage, you’ll likely have a heater or cooling system hooked up to adequately control the space’s temperature.
A lot of this air, whether hot or cold, can also escape into the home.
When you have an attached garage, it’s a weak link in your home’s thermal encasing. Every time you open the door, you’re exposing the interior of your home to the outdoor air.
Insulating garage doors can help reduce the amount of outdoor air escaping into the home.
An energy-efficient garage door allows you to spend less money on your energy bills. But is it worth the cost?
How much air is your garage really leaking into your home? A lot.
The walls and ceiling of a garage door may be insulated, but when the doors are not insulated, you’re spending more money on heating and cooling.
Professional insulation installs are expensive, and it can take several years to recuperate these costs. But when you use a kit for garage door insulation, you’re taking a DIY approach and will save money as a result.
For less than $200, and in many cases significantly less, you can insulate your garage doors.
Proper insulation will:
- Keep garage temperatures more stable
- Reduce the amount of outside air leaking into your home
Installing the insulation yourself will save you money in both installation costs and energy each month.
You’ll also being making your home a little more environmentally-friendly in the process.
When you visit Amazon, Home Depot or your favorite home improvement store, you’ll find a slew of DIY kits. There are kits in the $80 to $140 range that will be able to insulate your garage perfectly.
But be aware, there’s a difference between fiberglass and double bubble insulation.
Every kit is slightly different as far as different R-values, installation requirements and sizes are concerned. We’ve done the hard work for you and have chosen three kits that are perfect for a DIY install.
US Energy Products – Our #1 Pick for Best Garage Door Insulation Kit
US Energy Products are our top choice for good reason. You may pay slightly more for these products, but they’re going to create a residential vapor barrier that is one of the most efficient in the industry.
This roll of DIY insulation comes in 48” x 100,” so it’s more than enough to cover two garage doors.
The thermal barrier that you create will be an R-Value of 8.
What I like about this insulation is that it’s very thin. You’re not going to lose much interior space when installing, and it takes about an hour to insulate two garage doors. I have seen users measure temperatures before and after installation.
The door temperatures went from 117F to 81F – that’s a massive drop in temperature.
When weatherproofing, installing US Energy Products is one of the best choices you can make.
What are US Energy Products Consumers Saying?
US Energy’s kit has a lot of reviews, and what I found was that people loved a few aspects of this insulation:
- Material is very lightweight, so it does not impact the door’s load.
- Material works great to keep heat out of the garage.
- Doesn’t cause the “fiberglass itch” that other materials produce.
- Reduces temperature by as much as 40 degrees.
- Easy to install.
US Energy Products offers one of the industry’s easiest, lightest insulation products. Installation is fast and easy, you won’t suffer from fiberglass itch, and you’ll notice an immediate difference in your garage’s temperature.
If we had to pick one insulation product to install on our garage doors, it would be Energy Products.
Second-Best Choice: NASA Tech Garage Door Insulation Kit
NASA Tech offers a white foam kit that is 16-feet wide and 8-feet high. The kit includes improved, double-sided tape and has an R Value of 7.5, although the manufacturer promotes it as an 8.0 value in some instances.
The double-sided tape makes this install quick and easy, and shipping is top-notch.
Kits are based on a four-panel door, but you can message the manufacturer to determine if the kit will fit your five-panel door. Radiant heat is reduced by 95% or more once installed, and surface temperature can be reduced by as much as 50 degrees.
You can choose the white side or the reflective side to face into your garage.
I prefer the reflective side for aesthetic purposes, but it’s really up to you. The tape will stick to either side of the material.
What are Nasa Tech Consumers Saying?
Consumers are also impressed with NASA Tech – the product works well. A few of the comments that stood out to me during my research were:
- Product comes in separate rolls to cover each strip.
- Installation is a breeze thanks to the double-sided tape.
- Instructions are easy to follow and to the point.
- Reduces interior temperature by up to 50 degrees.
NASA Tech is a great product, and it’s our second choice for a garage door insulation kit. The kit offers double-sided tape, fits cleanly on four-panel doors, and reduces temperatures drastically.
Budget Pick: Owens Corning Garage Door Insulation Kit
Owners Corning offers our only fiberglass insulation kit, and you’ll have multiple options when ordering. You can choose an eight-panel option (the most common), or you can choose a two-, three- or four-pack option.
When installing, you’ll be able to enjoy a five-times better thermal performance versus non-insulated doors.
Noise level reduction is 20%, and a nine-foot door can have full installation in as little as an hour.
All you need to install this insulation is:
- Utility knife
- Market
- Straight edge
- Tape measurer
Owens material offers a dent-resistant exterior and can also be washed with mild detergent. Fiberglass is used as the insulating material, so the material will cause the “fiberglass itch.”
Each kit offers insulation for a door that is 9-feet wide and 7.8-feet in height.
What are Owens Corning Consumers Saying?
Owens Corning is a budget-friendly garage door insulation kit, and consumers are up in arms about it. The consumer reviews that really stood out to me are:
- Interior temperatures decreased by 10 degrees (far less than the competition).
- Gorilla tape will be needed for a perfect install.
- Installation is quick and can be performed in as little as 30 minutes.
- Fiberglass is far thicker than the other two options listed, so it is a bulkier installation.
- Product contains gloves and additional items to help make installation easier.
Owens Corning’s garage door installation kit is recommended as a budget-friendly option. While the material is thicker and less insulating than other materials, this product is one of the easiest to install – just don’t forget to wear gloves.
Double Bubble vs Fiberglass Insulation
Why choose double bubble insulation over traditional fiberglass insulation like the Owens Corning Garage Door Insulation Kit? Owens is the most budget-friendly option, but fiberglass insulation is less effective than US Energy Products.
Fiberglass insulation will not reflect heat in the same way that double bubble insulation is able to do.
Heat reflection means that the space is less hot. Fiberglass is still a common insulation material, but the double bubble options offer a less bulky, strong and lightweight option for insulation. You’ll be able to create a strong vapor barrier with double bubble insulation.
The double bubble option also offers a faster, easier install, and will resist humidity and moisture.
When choosing either type of insulation, ensure that you choose the appropriate R-Value. All of the items on our list have an R-Value of 8, so they’re all very effective at insulating your garage doors.
The only caveat is that the double bubble insulation is resistant to humidity and moisture, while fiberglass is not.