insulation material.edited.doc

04 Mar insulation material.edited.doc

Choosing the best material to insulate your garage door
Insulating your garage door is quite important. Not only does the
insulation work as a buffer against any noise from the streets, it
regulates the temperature in your garage, therefore, making it more energy
efficient. The garage door repair can cause your energy bills to rise at an
alarming rate, especially if the garage is attached to the house, or if
your water heater is in the garage. Some garage doors come uninsulated,
although others already have the insulation installed. In case yours is the
former, insulating your garage door is quite simple, but you have to start
by choosing the best insulation material.
Take a look at some of them.

Reflective Foil
Reflective foils are used as an insulation on the inside of the garage
doors. They are sold in rolls which can be purchased in either single or
double foil. It consists of polyethylene foam sandwiched between two layers
of aluminum foil. The double foil has an added layer of polyethylene.
Although the reflective foil makes a good insulation for your garage door,
it is not attractive visually and is not quite appealing to look at.

Polystyrene foam
This insulation is sold in large sheets and has a resistant laminated
plastic surface. The foam insulation will need to be cut into sizes that
will fit the panels of your garage doors. It is quite rigid, which make it
more difficult to work with, especially if you are insulating the garage
doors yourself. The polystyrene foam insulation, however, is a better
insulator than the reflective foil. They are especially great for metal
doors.

Panel Kits
Panel kits are usually made from either fiberglass or plastic laminated
polystyrene. They usually come pre-cut into panels which fit inside the
channels of your garage door. Polystyrene offers better insulation as
compared to the fiberglass panels. The fiberglass panels, on the other
hand, are resistant to mold and water. Using panel kits to insulate your
garage doors is easy and the installation will only take you a short time.

Spray foam insulation
This is the most expensive choice for insulation for your garage doors.
Although it is a very effective method, you will have to buy a kit and hire
a qualified professional to do the installation.

Prodex insulation
If you are going to do the insulation yourself, this may be the best option
for you. The prodex insulation comes as a cell foam covered with tear-
resistant foil on both sides. It is an effective insulator and is quite
inexpensive as compared to the other options.

When choosing the material to insulate your garage doors, you will have to
consider a few extra factors. Take the weigh of the material, for example.
Insulation that is made from very heavy material may affect the efficiency
of your garage doors. It is also advisable to contact a garage door
technician to rebalance the springs once you are done. The R-value of the
material is also important. This basically refers to the efficiency of the
material as an insulator. Ensure you go for the material with the highest R-
value, as long as it can fit in your panels.