Is Insulating a Garage Door Worth It??
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- This video I go Full Mythbusters and discover whether or not adding Fiberglass Insulation to my Garage Door is worth it by doing before and after temperature tests!
Link to Testing Results: biglousworksho...
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Insulation Kit Used on Door: thd.co/3ugPV5L
The effect of radiant heat from doors and windows can't be understated. I don't see a big difference when it's in the 80s, but when it's in the upper 90s and that sun is directly hitting my door, it felt like I was standing next to an oven. This insulation was one of the best things I could have done.
yeah man... I am almost kinda bummed I did not think to get this done like in July so I could get some better data points on Summer here in FL!! But it's cool and dry in my shop, and that's really all that matters!!! hahaha
YES!
Better for keep things cooler than keeping things warm.
Exactly. The east and west garages with metal doors are unbearable.
Mr. Big Brain over here, making the door go up half way so you dont have to kill your back. BRILLINT!!!
hahaha... work smart not hard my friend!!! Thanks for the comment!
You have a great presentation style and this video was 100%. Well done sir. Love it.
Thanks so much... I really appreciate that!
It may be a simple thing but moving the garage door up as you install was a great tip not mentioned!
Thanks for this practical view of installation and results. 👍
Thanks man... I actually debated on including that in a talking point but figured I had rambled on enough, and that detail was shown pretty clearly! I'm so glad you noticed it!
Hey BL...my garage door is just like yours and my garage gets really hot during the summer time. Have not had a chance to insulate it but definitely need to cool down the garage....especially during the summer. Thanks for posting and keep up the good work brother!!!!
Thanks so much for the support as always my man... yeah quality of life in the shop certainly makes for a much more enjoyable Maker Experience!!
While heat gun testing my garage i found my ceiling hotter then my door.
Today (Phoenix AZ) 108 outside no sun on door yet.
Door = 108°f. Ceiling 111°f. Attic Door 113°f... air temp in garage 103°f
Walls all 104°f one is exterior.
Definitely gonna insulate the attic.
Maybe even foam board the ceiling too.
You entertaining. Bravo.
OOOOFF... yeah man... that's rough!! I'm fortunate that my ceiling is vaulted and there's a space for the hot air to gather above my head. The cooler AC air sinks down to where I'm working which helps out a TON since I dont have any insulation up there, there's not even an attic space to add insulation to if I wanted!! But you CERTAINLY should look at doing that! Stay safe my man, those temps are dangerous numbers, and thanks so much for sharing your numbers!!
Big Lou, thanks for answering my question about insulating a garage door. I have been putting it off for years due to the fact that I thought it would be way harder than you made it look.
the hardest part about it was suffering through the itching of the fiberglass!! It really was a simple project! Thanks for the comment, I appreciate hearing feedback knowing my video's are worth makin!
Goodness big Lou you had me at hello. I will be doing this in the spring. Can't tell you how much I enjoyed watching and of course your sense of humor is priceless!
Thanks so much!!! Really made my day!!
Big Lou, thank you for your data testing your the best and god bless you and your family 🙏🏻🙏🏻
I appreciate that more than you know... the same to you!!
I enjoyed your video. Thanks for putting it out there.
Glad you enjoyed it! and thanks for taking the time to comment!!
I did my garage door couple months ago. Florida, sun facing garage door. I just did 3/4 foam w relctix foil. 10-15 degree diff, no extra weight to door. Used hot glue, instead of depending on double stick. Big diff.
The no/ac temp difference is ASTOUNDING even though the door faces north! Wow. I can't even imagine how much difference it would make if it faced south where the sun gets a direct punch...
Yeah... it's that number that made me REALLY wish I had done this test in July just to see what it would have been! And yes, the fact my Garage faces North is one of the biggest things I'm thankful for about my house LOL LOL LOL!!!
Excellent presentation and one of best I've seen. Thank you Big Lou!
Wow, thanks! I appreciate the feedback!!
Love that background music!! I just finished up my double door this weekend. I used wax and grease remover on the panels (because I already had some on-hand).
I live in Alabama, and my 3-car garage (one double door, one single door) faces West, and is not air conditioned. On July 31st I checked temperatures. My insulation surface temp was basically room temperature (duh...), and the non-insulated aluminum garage door was ~ 2- 3 degrees warmer. Note it was not very sunny this weekend. The uninsulated door was ~93-94 deg F.
I do recommend adjusting the torsion spring on a double-door, due to the added weight. Judging by sound, it loads up the opener.
One thing I don't personally don't care for is blocking the garage door windows. Plus, when and if I get A/C for the garage, I prefer to work with the garage door up/open which kind of makes the insulation pointless. At least while I am working. The insulation will no doubt reduce the inside temp during the day (while away) of the non-A/C garage..... At least until I park a hot car in there....
My next move is to insulate the attic space above the garage, but I am starting to believe A/C is really necessary to get the full benefit of all this.
Can understand the desire for the natural light... however I can legit feel the heat radiating from those window panels, which in my garage are just exterior rated plexiglass. Plus I do filming of my projects so it's also a studio which means I need to be able to control the light, and the filtered haze that comes through those panels is not good at all!! And yeah... all the insulation in the world wont amount to a hill of beans without an AC unit!! I wish I had an attic space to insulate!! Oh well!! Thanks so much for the feedback my friend!!
Fellow Floridian. I'm in Cape Coral, West facing door painted brown and it's 138 degrees this afternoon. Ambient inside garage is 108 at ceiling. This is N U T S! My door happens to be hurricane rated so it has a couple more VERTICALS and EIGHT horizontals braces. A pain in the arse if i chose rigid foam board. Thanks my brother for posting this!!!
heck yeah man... mine WAS hurricane rated when it was installed 15+ years ago... but then they changed the rating!! hahaha ... I'm so thankful that my door is white, I'll never not own a white garage door in a tropical climate... maybe if I move to Vermont or something I'll have dark door!! So glad you found it helpful, and thanks for sharing the stats!!
Hey there, I just wanted to tell you that the way you insulated the door is the same way Airplanes are done. A precut piece, 1 inch thick, fit into place and held by they same style fasteners that you used. That was so funny to see you do it that way, good video also.
Very cool ... thanks so much for the info, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video!!
Another great one! It will be very interesting to see if anyone from up north takes you up on your invitation for a cold weather version of this.
Thanks... I know, I really hope so, I would hate to have to buy a house in Michigan simply to get the comparisons myself!!! hahaha
lol.... that was hilarious!!! "..... mostly about my mom texting me about 'what are you going to do about....?'" Greg (garden grove, CA)
hahaha ... thanks, I'm glad my humor is appreciated!!
“My brotha!!” 😂😂 Great video. This might be something even I can do.
You TOTALLY should my man... it's so worth it!!
I get this is probably a night and day approach. However, look into the spray foam kits. They physically adher to the door and by my calculations one 20ft garage door would be served by one of the 6 can kits. I am going to know soon because I normally use the SprayEZ cartridge guns but the bathroom I am currently finishing is too small so I needed to order a Kraken kit to do some nics and crevasse. Obviously, you can not do a garage door with a two component cartridge system.
Big Lou! First time coming across your videos. Thank you so much for your time. In your opinion, do you think the styrofoam panels or the batting insulation you installed is better? To me watching installation of both the batting insulation seems easier to tuck in to the panels rather than messing with the styrofoam that isn't as forgiving. Thoughts?
thanks so much for the comment I really appreciate it!! As for your question I really can't speak to how effective one is over the other, but the fiberglass kit that I bought has worked remarkably well for my door. I went with this option cause the installation seemed far more simple than trying to cut the rigid foam panels to size. I hope this helps!
Hi big Lou I like it I'm going to try it I'm in Texas very 🥵. Here some summers. Thank you
oh yeah... TOTALLY worth doing in that Texas heat!!
Insulation= GOOD !
Agreed!!!
Has anyone tried the solid foam insulation and did a compare of the temps vs the bats just to see any difference.
Thanks so much for the question, I honestly have not seen anyone do a solid foam insulation on a door like this that was not in a really cold climate. All of the ones I've seen in hot and humid area's like I am have all used the kit I am using, or something similar.
Big Lou's awesome video.... question did you have to calibrate or do something to your garage door or garage opener after the installation? I just did my garage and i dont know if its my impression but i think the garage is slower to open. Any advice will be appreciated
This is the same comment I just replied to you with on my IG post... not sure which one you'll see first, thanks for the question... "it's hard to accurately say since both the door and the opener were 20+ years old when I put did this installation, and since I put it in I have replaced the opener, the bearings, and the drums. But both technicians that worked on the door said that these panels are not enough weight to have a negative effect on anything that is "properly" installed and calibrated!! Hope that helps!"
I didn't see you talk about making sure your garage door can lift the insulation. Some garage door pullers will break if you add too much weight.
This is true... however this Kit is super light, I think the entire thing only weighed like 5 lbs. But every Garage door is going to vary in weight depending on size, and material, and number of windows, ect... and the majority of the power is going to be done by the tensioning spring. So if that's a concern you can always have your tension spring adjusted to compensate for the addition of the insulation. My door has had zero issues since installing it several months ago.
Man, I need to do this. Thanks for the how to!
yeah man... this is gonna be a game changer even if I didn't have the AC!!
@@BigLousWorkshop 👌👌👌
Will be doing this once I get everything moved into the new shop. No help on data though cause I’m in Tampa 😂
Well then that settles it... I'm just gonna have to buy a summer home in Idaho!!! hahaha... good deal man, you wont regret it!!
What about the electrical in the garage door walls. Is it ok to insulate over them - mine do not have conduit ....etc. Also most insulate to keep heat in - will insulation keep the garage a bit less warmer in hot weather?
I’m a little confused about what you mean “electrical in garage door walls” the door itself should not have any electrical in it. But always check with an electrician if you’re uncertain about how to alter or cover any electrical components!!
I went on Instagram to but couldn't find updated data. I am wondering how you made out this summer with the high temps? I was either going to buy this at R8 or Home Depot has 1/2" insulation board (foiled on one side ) and make a box in each panel. R factor was around 4....but using two of them with an air cavity
I was not out in the shop much this summer due to one reason or another so I dont have much data to report.
So Lou, after a year, what have you noticed about being insulated?
The heat radiating from the door is nonexistent anymore with the insulation
@@BigLousWorkshop awesome
Thanks for the video. The bolts that hold the garage together on the panel, protrude inside, in my garage door. Will this cause any problem in installing this insulation sheets and if yes, what do you suggest. I want to avoid taking those bolts out , install the sheets and put them back in , worried if that will leave some of the screw not properly secured.
well first off, I am by no means an expert on Garage doors, or insulation for that matter, but I would absolutely avoid messing with any bolts that hold the door together. Just going off of your description I would think that there would be minimal interference between the bolts and the battens so you should be fine, however, there is a phone number on the packaging for questions and concerns, I would give the insulation manufacturers a call if your really worried about it! Thanks for the question!!
For some reason when it rains my garage door that is just like yours catch’s water so when I raise the door it starts to drip onto the garage floor. Not a lot. Just enough to be really annoying. Not sure why. I need to see if a panel may be bent or misaligned. Then I need to add this stuff. My bedroom is above the garage and it gets hot in summer and cold in winter haha.
yeah man... since I've added these I've noticed a significant change in the temp of my garage and have been championing to EVERYONE that it's something they should do!!
@@BigLousWorkshop thanks sir. Appreciate it.
Good luck with your insulation
thanks!!
Great video thnx
Thanks for the comment... I hope you found the video useful.
Ooo, a new video every few days...like like like
Yeah Buddy!!! I'm trying to stick to a new video a week, published on Wednesdays!!
My interest in garage insulation is heat retention not heat absorption.
It it worth it to insulate for this reason?
Would insulating my garage make it too cold in the winter?
Any comments are welcome.
Thank you.
Insulation typically works both ways... it limits the temperature transfer regardless of if it's keeping the cold air IN like in my case... or keeping the cold air OUT like would be the case in colder climates!!! I hope that helps clarify some things for ya!! So yeah... I'd think it would be worth it!!
Thank you for the video. Where did you get the retainer clips? I need to replace a few that are falling on my doors and can't find them.
Oh wow… yeah man the clips I’m using came with the kit I bought. They probly sell them separately from the kit, maybe try searching for Garage Door Insulation replacement parts? I hope that helps.
I have some 2 ea 12 by 12 doors in my shop. It has wooden doors. I'm trying to figure out how to insulate them.
Looking for the summer update on your Insta!!! I live in Florida too and I'm about to get a new house and want to insulate the garage! ❤️
Sounds like a good idea... I was planning on doing something like that once I have a full year worth of data points.
@@BigLousWorkshop Hopefully soon because I move in June and plan to insulate asap and use it as my office! 😄 Haha
@@KimberlyGraceArcher LOL ... noted!! Well the insulation is a big help for sure... but If it were me I would also get a Mini Split AC unit if your going to be using your Garage as an office!
So it’s been a while now since your install..do you find maybe the insulation falls out away from the panels? I was thinking maybe using 6 pin/caps two in the middle like you’ve done then one in each corner then the insulation won’t fall out of the grooves. .. thanks for the video!
I would change nothing about how I installed these panels... it's been over a year with garage openings several times a day and have had zero issues with the panels coming loose or falling out or anything!! The two pins are plenty, at least on my unit cause the door panel's have the lip on top and bottom to stuff the padding into. Hope this helps, and thanks so much for the question.
I used small zip-ties between the buttons. Seems to hold button much better.
Insulation over grim yum!
pro tip for everyone, those insulation panels can flake and have particles come off during the insulation, wear a facemask so you don't breath any of it in
it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be!! But yeah... always good for full PPE!!
What is the total weight on 8 panels (one box)? just want to make sure my old garage opener can lift with the additional weight. Thank you.
For a door this size I needed two boxes and each box was like 3 or 4 pounds... the overall weight added to the door was maybe 10 pounds, if that!!
@@BigLousWorkshop Thanks for the super quick response. That is exactly I need to know. Thanks for the video and thank you for sharing how to get it done. 👍
Happy to help!! Also ... based on your profile photo I see you're a fellow Nerd, if you're interested I have second channel where I do watch alongs and reactions to all kinds of TV Shows and Movies... Big Lou's Clubhouse!! www.youtube.com/@BigLousClubhouse
@@BigLousWorkshop By the way, what is the reason you pick Corning R8 (more expensive) instead of other foam board product or reflective bubble ? is it fiberglass more easy to install plus it has the higher R valve (R8) and Foam board only has R4-R5 and also need to be measured and custom precise cut (more time consuming) and more difficult insert into panels. Thanks again.
@@BigLousWorkshop Love it 🥰😍 Thank you so much.
Great video. One question - did you have to re-balance the garage door after adding the insulation?
Nope... not even a little bit!! Works like a champ even all these months later!!
@@BigLousWorkshop You do need to have the doors adjusted with the Owens Corning kit. The garage door tech that I use had to adjust the springs on all 4 of my doors. People that don’t do this after installing the kits keep him busy. My garage is 1400 square feet and a 60,000 btu furnace keeps it at a nice 60 degrees with these panels.
Hmmm. I don't do videos. So i'll just type it in. I insulated my 400sq ft attic which runs up to 130 deg F. during the summer rather than my 120 sq ft garage door with an outside temp seldom over 112 deg. Problem solved. I'll never bother to insulate the garage door. I blew in 14 inches of that grey wooly looking stuff. My son and I did it in about 2 hours. Home depot loaned us the blower. I don't remember what the insulation cost. It was 20 years ago. I cool the garage (1/2 of it converted to woodworking) with an 8000 btu Panasonic AC. Not COOL, but can work in it year-round. Just saying...
Oh, I forgot to say. That 400 sq ft attic space is the space above the garage. The rest of the attic was alrerady insulated. But I'm sure you figured that out. :>)
Whatever works for your situation I say roll with it man!!! Thanks for the comment!!
Mythbusters!
Heck Yeah Mythbusters!!!!
THANK YOU, data vs just doing it. I hate like "go insulate" without facts showing why you do it.
I'm also a stickler for "show me the data" mentality!! Great minds think alike my friend!!
Aren’t you not supposed to be anywhere near the pink stuff? Doesn’t it have fiberglass or something
It does have fiberglass... and yeah, long term exposure is not good... however, for this small of a project the risk is quite small!! Thanks for the concern!!
Lower panels look like you covered up the mold on them. I would have cleaned with bleach and water.
Good lookin out, but it was just caked on dirt and soot from car exhaust from back when my Grandmother was alive and parked her car in there! I promise it was not mold, I would have made a point to showcase cleaning it if it was. I appreciate the concern and feedback my man!!
Looks like typical insulation for indoor walls. Cheaper to jus buy that than 120$ box 2 of them
That’s certainly an option… but these have that vinyl backing, are cut narrower to fit in the panels, and come with all the clips needed for installation… well worth the money in my book!!
5 degree difference?
Worth it?
Hmm…
here in FL for an uninsulated garage with a metal door... you bet it's worth it!!
Big Lou,
You should wear the long sleeves for protecting from insulation that causes cancer.
Can I put insulation doubles?
Can I use the gorilla glue on the garage door?
Subscribe 👍
it only causes cancer if you inhale it and over a long period of time... for what I did here it may be a little itchy, but thats about it!!
Not sure what you mean by insulation doubles... these panels are only designed to be one layer.
Gorilla glue would not be my first choice, the adhesives that come with the kit have been more than strong enough to hold everything firm.
5° is not worth it.Period
for some... perhaps not... I feel it was well worth it. To each their own, thanks for the comment!
Yes it is worth insulating your garage door. Just did mine with rigid 1" foam board panels plastic one side foil on the other side, and immediately could tell the difference. Cost at Home Depot 4 panels 4x8 feet was plenty for 2 car garage door. Cost about $120...well worth it. A bit tricky cutting panels to a size they fit and would stay in...but after one or two it gets easier. These panels are very light weight and no door adjustment was needed.
heck yeah man!!!! Well done!!