Garage Door Insulation

There are two types of doors in garages: those for people and those for cars. In an energy-efficient house, both types of garage doors will be insulated and weatherstripped. Insulation improves energy performance by reducing heat transfer, while weatherstripping helps to limit air leakage.

An exterior door inside the garage

When a house has an attached garage, the door between the garage and the rest of the house should be considered an exterior door (even though it's inside the garage). This door should be insulated and weatherstripped for energy efficiency and rated for fire protection as called for in local building codes. The most common type of garage door in this situation will have a rigid foam insulation core covered by a "skin" of steel, PVC or fiberglass. On better-quality doors, the door's skin is textured, contoured and colored to look like varnished wood.

Doors for cars can also be insulated

When it comes to the larger garage doors used for cars, many homeowners choose insulated versions as well, either when a house is built or when replacing old garage doors. Insulated garage doors have cores that are filled with foam insulation, and metal "skins" that are often textured and detailed to look like old-fashioned frame-and-panel doors made from wood.

Although insulated garage doors are more expensive than uninsulated "economy" versions, they're often well-worth the extra investment. In addition to improving energy efficiency, the door's insulated core helps to prevent the metal surface from being dented and bent out of shape.

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