How To Insulate Your Home Garage Door Before Winter

For many homeowners, the garage is a vital portion of the house. Though they're intended to hold one or more cars, they can and are often used for other things. Some use it for additional storage, others convert it into a workshop of some kind. There are even folks out there who look to their garage as a source of Raspberry Pi projects. No matter what you might use your garage for, though, odds are you want to take good care of it.

Alongside mouse-proofing your garage and the car potentially within, one of the best projects you can undertake to optimize your garage is insulating it. Doing so can keep it relatively climate controlled during colder months, and it can dampen outside noise a bit if you live in a busy area. Of course, insulating the walls of a garage isn't too different from insulating any other room in your house — one of the best home energy savings tactics out there. Insulating your garage door on the other hand is a bit different of a process, but in the end, the benefits are much the same.

Before getting started with insulating your garage door, you need to choose the proper insulation for you. This is determined through the insulation's R-value, which indicates how effective it is at retaining heat in the winter and keeping things cool in the summer. The higher the R-value, the better — and typically more expensive — it is. According to Home Depot, R values of 0 to 6 are best for detached garages, attached garages need 7 to 9, heated garages need 10 to 13, and garages with above living space need a 14 or higher R-value. Once you decide and get what type you need, measuring tape, double-sided tape, insulation fasteners, and retention clips, installation can begin.

1. Mark where the insulation fasteners will go. There should be two per garage door panel, typically 12 inches from each end and centered vertically.

2. Place double-sided tape on the markings and stick the fasteners on.

3. Measure each garage door panel individually, end to end and top to bottom. This way you can cut the insulation down to the proper size. Make sure to wear proper eye, skin, and lung protection when doing so.

4. With the insulation cut, situate each piece into its designated panel. The flat vinyl or reflective side should be visible with the soft side against the door.

5. Feel for the insulation fasteners behind the insulation. Once you find them, create a small incision to reveal them, then attach retention clips.

The bulk of the work is done, but there's a little that can be done to ensure optimum insulation.

Adding insulation is a big step forward in getting your garage door ready for winter. However, there's are other important things you should consider when preparing your garage door for extreme temperatures. First is the weather stripping located on the outside, which is along the top and sides and attached to the stop molding. It not only protects your garage from harsh weather and animals, but helps maintain your garage's temperature, too. Over time this can become damaged and less effective, so replacement will be necessary. This can be done without much hassle.

1. Remove old weather stripping. Either unscrew the screws holding it up, or, if it's attached with nails, pry it out of the wall with a hammer, pry bar, or flathead screwdriver.

2. Measure the old strips, this way you have the proper lengths for the new sections. Ensure the side pieces won't touch the ground when attached as to prevent rot from heavy water exposure.

3. Attach the top weather stripping section first using nails or screws. Before starting, double check that it's flush with the shut door.

4. Moving on to the side sections, bring the side up to the corner so that it's touching the top strip. Use nails or screws to attach.

5. Open and close your garage door a few times to make sure the weather stripping isn't catching.

To take this a bit further and increase insulation, you can even peel and stick adhesive weather stripping between your garage door panels.

At this point in the insulation process, you're in pretty good shape. The panels themselves have insulation applied to them, and the side and top weather stripping has been replaced. Is there anything else left to do to prepare your garage door for the winter? Yes, and it's not too dissimilar from the weather stripping. At the bottom of most garage doors is a rubber door seal to cushion the door as it closes, keep out pests, and defend against the elements. Naturally, it will lose its shape, crack, and leave gaps with use, so it's best to replace it once these issues emerge.

1. Open your garage door partially and remove the old seal. This may call for a knife and flathead screwdriver to do so. It's also important to clean the track out before installing the new seal.

2. Measure and cut your new seal to the proper length. You'll want to measure and cut it a bit longer than the track to leave some extra seal. This can account for if the rubber shrinks over time.

3. Fold the new seal so that it forms a U-shape. Start on one end and begin sliding through the track while, if you have someone else around, a helper pulls from the end of the seal or feeds it through.

4. If the old track was held in with any end nails or screws, reinsert them before then testing the door. There should be no gaps between the door and the ground.

So long as you've done all of these processes correctly, your garage door should be completely insulated and more than prepared for whatever winter might cook up this year and in some years to come.