What even is insulation in the first place?
Insulation is an important factor in both the construction and preservation of a building. But what even is insulation? Insulation put simply, is a material that helps protect a structure from the elements- whether it be cold weather or pests. In order to understand why insulation is so important, it’s helpful to first understand the different types of insulation and their purposes.
Insulating a garage door is one of the most important things you can do to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Not only does it help keep your home cooler in the summer, but it also helps reduce noise levels. Garage doors are often one of the first places that heat escapes from your home, so insulating them will help to reduce your energy bills.
Insulation and R-levels on your garage and walls
Garages can be a valuable addition to your home, but if they’re not properly insulated, they can also lead to big energy losses. In this article, we’ll take a look at the insulating properties of different materials and how you can improve the insulation of your garage. We’ll also discuss the R-value of different types of insulation and show you how to calculate it for your own garage.
R-value = temperature difference between the warmer surface and colder surface of a barrier divided by the heat flux through the barrier.
Though insulated garage doors do cost a little bit more than regular ones, in the long run, they save you a lot of money through energy bills.
Your garage door should have an insulating R-value of around 16-18, which is the most ideal. Otherwise, a minimum of 11 can be accepted on your door.
How insulation in your walls work
Your walls are the foundation of your home. Not only do they provide support and structure, but they also play a critical role in insulation. Insulation helps keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer by preventing heat transfer between the inside and outside of your house. There are several different types of insulation, but all work in basically the same way. The 7 types of insulation are:
- – Glasswool insulation
- – Earthwool insulation
- – Polyester insulation
- – Rockwool insulation
- – Reflective foil insulation
- – Insulation rigid boards (EPS / XPS)
- – Spray foam insulation
The ideal insulation you will want for your garage so it’s nice and cozy for you and your car will be fibreglass foam insulation. The reason why fibreglass foam insulation is ideal is that it offers a high amount of R-value per square inch, and is very compact so it can fit into any tight space, perfect for garage doors and walls.
Be very careful because if your garage is heated with fibreglass foam insulation, then you should have a Vapor Barrier. The reason being is because the vapour barrier blocks water vapour and more moisture from building up in your walls and atop of your insulation, therefore preventing all of it from rotting and moulding.
What is each insulation made of and what does it do?
Insulating a garage door is a great way to save on your energy bill. Garage doors are one of the most common sources of heat in a home, and insulating them can help reduce the amount of energy that’s used to cool the house in the summertime. Additionally, insulating your garage door can help keep your family safe from weather-related injuries.
Glasswool insulation is made up of fibres made of glass using a binder material and the overall turnout has a similar texture to wool, thus the name.
Glasswool has many forms, like panels or even loose fill material. They are used to insulate flat surfaces such as ceiling tiles, curtain walls, and cavity wall insulation.
Earthwool insulation is made up of recycled materials, such as sand and even glass bottles. Earthwool is actually a special type of Glasswool insulation, but since Glasswool has a very irritating and itchy type of feeling, Earthwool feels much softer to the touch.
Polyester Insulation is made out of a special fibre that is also used in clothing, which is called Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). It is a really popular alternative to fibreglass, has a very soft feeling, is very strong and durable, and also does not degrade with time.
Rockwool is an insulation that is made out of rock and stone fibres. when installed correctly, it can have some crazy home benefits. The disadvantage of Rockwool insulation is that it is a bit more expensive than regular fibreglass insulation, and it is not biodegradable.
Reflective foil insulation is a type of insulation that is reflective on one side. it provides a radiant barrier between a hot surface and the area on the other side. According to the US department of energy, reflective foil insulation is much better at preventing downward heat flow. The material this insulation is made out of is aluminum foil, and/or aluminized polyester.
There are 2 types of insulation rigid boards, EPS and XPS. They are both closed cell rigid insulation made from the same base polystyrene resins, but EPS is are bead-type insulation that is moulded and cut into various shapes and sizes. XPS is extruded sheets of insulation.
Spray foam insulation is 2 different materials binding together so it can expand up to 30x more. it’s used for insulating buildings and also sealing up cracks, and gaps, making the building more energy efficient
Insulation preferences
There are a variety of garage doors on the market today that offer different levels of insulation. Some people might choose to buy a more heavily insulated door in order to keep their garage and the belongings inside it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Other people might choose a less insulated door to save on energy costs.
There are also a variety of special-purpose garage doors that provide more or less insulation depending on the needs of the homeowner. For example, there are garage doors with foam panels that can be attached to the inside of an existing door to provide more insulation, and there are also garage doors with metal skins that can be used to block out cold air in the winter.
Choosing the right type of garage door is important for both keeping your home comfortable and keeping your energy bills under control.
Your garage insulation should be around 1.5 inches thick and insulating it actually comes with a bunch of benefits.
It adds an extra layer of durability and protection from intruders, and it can keep your garage at a very consistent temperature, which saves you money on energy bills and is even better for the environment.
pros and cons of insulating garage
Garages are often used to store vehicles in the winter, but they can also be used as a workshop. In order to keep your garage warm in the winter and cool in the summer, you may want to insulate it. While insulation does have some benefits, there are also some drawbacks that you should consider before deciding if it is the right choice for you.
Some of the advantages that you may see when insulating your garage include: Making it easier to heat without using a lot of electricity, it keeps the garage at a perfect temperature during the intense seasons, it can cut down on the moisture inside of your garage, and can even provide a lot of sound insulation from the outside.
But some disadvantages include that it can be very expensive to make as a project and could potentially take years to recover the cost of all of the insulation. The garage door may cause more issues since there is more on the door making it weigh more, and during winter or even the summer, it can make your garage way too hot for its intended use. The looks of the garage wouldn’t be to your liking either, because all of the pink or yellow fluffy stuff just hanging around it wouldn’t be very aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
General information about garage insulation
It is not required to insulate a garage door, but it comes with many many benefits.
Some include that it keeps your garage cool in the summer and warm in the winter, it can add some value to your home, it adds protection against weather and everything inside of your garage, and so on.
You can even insulate your garage at home, with some DIY insulation kits.
The cheapest version of this would be fibreglass insulation batts, that come with precut insulation, some fasteners or even some tape, and at times some gloves and utility knives.