Insulated Garage Doors - worth it?

[Saaybogle]

I live in the tri-state area (NY/NY/CT). I was thinking of getting my garage doors replaced with insulated garage doors to lessen the amount of winter cold air seeping into the garage and subsequently into the house. (I'm also planning on replacing the old front door and patio door). Have folks that have gotten insulated garage doors felt they truly make a difference? I admittedly haven't yet gotten quotes, but plan to do so come spring time.
Thanks.

[Californiastate]

Our winter lows are low 30s but our summer highs are 110s. I insulated our garage attic. I insulated our metal garage door with the HD garage door insulation. It made the garage less extreme in both seasons. Yes, it was worth it.

[Boglenaut]

The garage door on our house when we bought it was a very heavy, water-logged wood door. So I replaced it with a nice insulated door that had metal on the inside and outside. No windows. It was lighter than the water-logged monster, so less work for the motor. I really liked it.

My wife hit the new door with the car. So for the new door, I got the same thing, but only metal on one side. A bit cheaper and lighter, but still insulated. I do notice the insulation can make crackling noises on a hot day, but not too bad. It does not look quite as good, but very few people see the inside anyway.

My wife's friend hit it with her car. I thought about getting the non-insulated version, but decided on the insulated/metal on one side only again. It gets really cold here and the door gets a lot of sun in the summer, and the bedroom is above the garage, so I thought the insulation would help. If I knew no one would hit it, I would have gotten the nicer insulated-with-metal-on-both-sides version again, but given its history...

The garage door guy knows me very well now.

[mhc]

When I moved into my house, I had a basic multi-panel metal door. I purchased foam panels from HD and insulated it myself. The metal panels are roled on the edges. Perfect for sliding in the foam insulation with very little cutting. I think it only took about an hour to do. I think it was worth it.

I don't think I would have purchased a new door just to get insulation.

[windaar]

You can get a garage door insulation kit for about $100 at the big box stores and do it yourself. Garage still gets cold but never below freezing, even if it is zero outside. Cars start easier and soda & beer stored out there doesn't freeze.

[jharkin]

The difference in price between insulated and uninsulated is so low there is almost no reason not to. On the prior house I put insulated doors on a detached garage simply because it only cost a couple bucks more and future proofed us in case we later finished the entire structure...

[CenTexan]

Worth it, but only if your garage walls and ceiling is also insulated.

[mancich]

Timely post, as I was looking into this too. Our existing doors work fine (2 car garage), but could definitely be better insulated.
Our attached garage is really cold in the winter and it makes the mudroom colder than it needs to be. I am debating having an insulation company blow in cellulose in the walls and in the garage attic (and put in pull-down stairs in the process).

[BatBuckeye]

We had an insulated door installed when our house was built.
It is/was worth it to me because I do woodworking 1 or more days a week in the garage. I also added insulation and drywall to the outside walls as they were bare. With a kerosene heater the garage is very comfortable on cold winter days.

I have had to replace the springs a few times. I believe because the door is heavier and mainly I put it up and down much more often when I am sanding or creating a lot of dust.

[tibbitts]

If you're having your standard-height 2-car door replaced anyway, approximately what's the difference in cost between metal and insulated metal and just buying the insulation? It seems like an uninsulated door including labor is in the $1500 range. Of course that estimate was last month so maybe $2000 now, but not available until fall of 2027.

[FreemanB]

We replaced a non-insulated door with an insulated door. But the ceiling and walls(Other than the wall shared with the house) aren't insulated, so we really didn't notice any difference. Now we are looking at having the garage attic redone and insulated as well.(To both add storage space and for to help moderate the temperature in the garage. So while an insulated garage door is probably worth it, but the actual impact will vary depending on how insulated the rest of the garage is.

[Saaybogle]

We replaced a non-insulated door with an insulated door. But the ceiling and walls(Other than the wall shared with the house) aren't insulated, so we really didn't notice any difference. Now we are looking at having the garage attic redone and insulated as well.(To both add storage space and for to help moderate the temperature in the garage. So while an insulated garage door is probably worth it, but the actual impact will vary depending on how insulated the rest of the garage is.

This describes our situation. Thus, it sounds like insulating the walls and ceiling (which is the floor of the master bathroom) is more important, or at least should be done alongside the garage doors. I will have to look at getting this done. I’m not a handy person myself.

[Sandtrap]

I live in the tri-state area (NY/NY/CT). I was thinking of getting my garage doors replaced with insulated garage doors to lessen the amount of winter cold air seeping into the garage and subsequently into the house. (I'm also planning on replacing the old front door and patio door). Have folks that have gotten insulated garage doors felt they truly make a difference? I admittedly haven't yet gotten quotes, but plan to do so come spring time.
Thanks.

Good idea.

Points:
1. No matter the door insulation, if it doesn't seal tight or have a perimeter "flap seal thing" around it when it closes, as well as a straight and level floor to seal against when it's down, then all the money spent on a well insulated door is wasted.

2. Look at your existing door when it is closed. How much light can you see around it where it abuts the wall opening. Odds are you are already losing a lot of heat through those gaps. So, address that and perhaps you don't need to replace your doors.

3. Same for your front door and patio door. Check that these exterior doors have tight weather sealing. You can replace worn weather seals with a new set. Also, adjust your bolt/strike plate so the door stays tight. Also, the bottom seal of the door can be adjusted as well as, if it doesn't have one, the threshhold seal which can be replaced as well. Healthy seals are your friend.

One very noticeable change was using heavy insulation and 2 layers of foil faced foam insulation board where the garage attic space shared a wall with the upstairs rooms. During the coldest part of winter, the upstairs interior wall felt cold. It was tough work, but after insulating that interior "gable" end, there was a huge difference in winter as well as summer in those rooms.

Does your upstairs bedroom (over the garage) have cold floors in the winter?

j

[Saaybogle]

I live in the tri-state area (NY/NY/CT). I was thinking of getting my garage doors replaced with insulated garage doors to lessen the amount of winter cold air seeping into the garage and subsequently into the house. (I'm also planning on replacing the old front door and patio door). Have folks that have gotten insulated garage doors felt they truly make a difference? I admittedly haven't yet gotten quotes, but plan to do so come spring time.
Thanks.

Good idea.

Points:
1. No matter the door insulation, if it doesn't seal tight or have a perimeter "flap seal thing" around it when it closes, as well as a straight and level floor to seal against when it's down, then all the money spent on a well insulated door is wasted.

2. Look at your existing door when it is closed. How much light can you see around it where it abuts the wall opening. Odds are you are already losing a lot of heat through those gaps. So, address that and perhaps you don't need to replace your doors.

3. Same for your front door and patio door. Check that these exterior doors have tight weather sealing. You can replace worn weather seals with a new set. Also, adjust your bolt/strike plate so the door stays tight. Also, the bottom seal of the door can be adjusted as well as, if it doesn't have one, the threshhold seal which can be replaced as well. Healthy seals are your friend.

One very noticeable change was using heavy insulation and 2 layers of foil faced foam insulation board where the garage attic space shared a wall with the upstairs rooms. During the coldest part of winter, the upstairs interior wall felt cold. It was tough work, but after insulating that interior "gable" end, there was a huge difference in winter as well as summer in those rooms.

Does your upstairs bedroom (over the garage) have cold floors in the winter?

j

Yes. Very cold. And yes, I do see light around the garage door when it’s closed. Thanks for your tips.

[stoptothink]

Our garage door was insulated when we bought it, so I don't know any different, but we've had a few neighbors do it since. They all seem to think it's worth it.

[MathWizard]

Yes.

Garage rarely gets below freezing, insulated door or not. Any snow left on the car when I get home from parking at work melts by the next day.

With the previous uninsulated door the water froze when it pooled against the door, which stressed the rubber seal at the bottom of the door.
The insulated door does not have that issue and the water runs out and down the driveway when I open the door.

[SlowMovingInvestor]

According to this article

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/upsh ... rtage.html


There is a shortage of garage doors. So, if you're looking for a door now, you may not have much choice

[SmileyFace]

If its a heated garage then yes. If not heated and the rest of the garage is insulated (walls/roof) then maybe. Otherwise probably a waste of money.

[Nowizard]

It's always been amusing how many people leave their garage door open during the day when the weather is cold during winter. After all, we shut windows, and a garage door is by far the largest "window" in a house. Intuitively, at least shut the door during cold weather.

Tim

[Nowizard]

Deleted duplicate.

[lthenderson]

Our house has a grandfathered in duct from our house HVAC system plumbed into it so with insulated doors (along with all other surfaces) it is definitely worth it. We love pulling in our iced over vehicles that have been outside all day and having them thawed and ready to go again by morning. With no additional heat though, all the insulated doors do is slow down the heat transfer which may or may not be worth it depending on how you use the garage and what your expectations are.

[BrandonBogle]

The garage door on our house when we bought it was a very heavy, water-logged wood door. So I replaced it with a nice insulated door that had metal on the inside and outside. No windows. It was lighter than the water-logged monster, so less work for the motor. I really liked it.

My wife hit the new door with the car. So for the new door, I got the same thing, but only metal on one side. A bit cheaper and lighter, but still insulated. I do notice the insulation can make crackling noises on a hot day, but not too bad. It does not look quite as good, but very few people see the inside anyway.

My wife's friend hit it with her car. I thought about getting the non-insulated version, but decided on the insulated/metal on one side only again. It gets really cold here and the door gets a lot of sun in the summer, and the bedroom is above the garage, so I thought the insulation would help. If I knew no one would hit it, I would have gotten the nicer insulated-with-metal-on-both-sides version again, but given its history...

The garage door guy knows me very well now.

It sounds like your insulated door doesn’t have much in the way of visibility. Perhaps that’s a consideration too!

[harrington]

I just replaced my garage door that was non insulated with an insulated door. It’s gets very cold here in the winter and I noticed the difference in my garage immediately. And it wasn’t that much more in cost.

[GAAP]

The more that the garage is insulated, the more likely an insulated door will help. The more that the house is touching the garage -- on one floor or two, on one side or three, second floor over the garage, etc -- the more likely an insulated door will help.

[psteinx]

My wife hit the new door with the car. So for the new door...

My wife's friend hit it with her car.

I feel your pain.

When eldest daughter was ~16, she BACKED OUT into our fully closed garage door.

It's metal (aluminum?) and was pushed out. Then she fussed as I made her spend ~30 minutes with me pounding it back into shape (using some scrap wood on one side, hitting it on the other.

It doesn't look great, but is OK now. I didn't replace. Thought maybe wait until all our kids had gotten past their early driving. Youngest is now 16 - maybe in a year or two...

Wife doesn't hit the garage. She just drives on the grass on the side of the driveway...

===

On topic, if/when we get our next garage door, we'll probably replace our current uninsulated with an insulated, if the cost increment isn't too bad. Yeah, I know that with the garage/attic walls uninsulated, this is of limited use, but I think it might provide a LITTLE temperature buffering. Probably worth ~$300 or so to me. Not sure what the actual cost differential would be...

[bradinsky]

We had a CHI insulated garage door installed in the fall of 2020. The top panel of the door has insulated/double pane windows. Our garage is warmer & it’s also nice to have some natural light in the garage.

[stats99]

I’m in northern NJ, recently replaced my garage door, (daughter incident, sounds familiar?), went with Haas series 600 steel insulated with glass windows. Doesn’t get below 50 degrees in garage.

[NYGiantsFan]

I live in the tri-state area (NY/NY/CT). I was thinking of getting my garage doors replaced with insulated garage doors to lessen the amount of winter cold air seeping into the garage and subsequently into the house. (I'm also planning on replacing the old front door and patio door). Have folks that have gotten insulated garage doors felt they truly make a difference? I admittedly haven't yet gotten quotes, but plan to do so come spring time.
Thanks.

We replaced several years back with Clopay from Home Depot https://www.homedepot.com/p/Clopay-Gall ... /204598447 (similar to this). It has made difference. We have bedroom on the top of the garage as well as TV room sharing the wall with garage. It does still get cold - roughly about 40 F in the winter.

[Bronco Billy]

I insulated my garage door with the styrofoam and replace the weatherstripping PVC Stop Molding on the outside. I could tell the difference more in the summer time when the sun was on the door. Garage is still cold in winter

[JPM]

Insulated unheated little 3 car adjoined garage in southern Wisconsin is about 25 degrees warmer than outside temps at days near or below zero here. DW loves it. She has become less cold tolerant with time and really didn't like getting in cold cars in winter.

[Rdytoretire]

Having an insulated garage door installed was a huge improvement over the old wooden door. Garage is much warmer in winter and quieter. The insulated doors come in various thicknesses. I think, like 1.5" and 2" models. I was considering the thicker model but the installer said that if the walls of the garage are not well insulated the extra thickness does not help much. The new door has windows. Having natural light in the garage is well worth the added expense. .

[an_asker]

[...]So I replaced it with a nice insulated door that had metal on the inside and outside.[...]

My wife hit the new door with the car. So for the new door, I got the same thing, but only metal on one side.[...]

My wife's friend hit it with her car. I thought about getting the non-insulated version, but decided on the insulated/metal on one side only again.[...]If I knew no one would hit it, I would have gotten the nicer insulated-with-metal-on-both-sides version again, but given its history...

The garage door guy knows me very well now.

Were these metal doors magnetic?

[bacon4retirement]

Adding drop-in insulation panels to my metal garage door made a large difference in my garage temperature.

Is your existing door wood or metal? An uninsulated metal door has an R-value only slightly above zero whereas a solid wood door may have an R-value of around 2. An unfinished wall will have an R-value of at least 2 and a uninsulated finished wall would have an R-value of at least 3.

My gas furnace and water heater both use air from the garage for combustion, so during winter there is a net flow of combustion air through the garage. Due to this I did not air seal the garage too tightly.

[Boglenaut]

[...]So I replaced it with a nice insulated door that had metal on the inside and outside.[...]

My wife hit the new door with the car. So for the new door, I got the same thing, but only metal on one side.[...]

My wife's friend hit it with her car. I thought about getting the non-insulated version, but decided on the insulated/metal on one side only again.[...]If I knew no one would hit it, I would have gotten the nicer insulated-with-metal-on-both-sides version again, but given its history...

The garage door guy knows me very well now.

Were these metal doors magnetic?

THAT EXPLAINS IT!!!

Wood door, no problem. Metal door BAM! Metal door BAM!

[tesuzuki2002]

Do you work out in your garage??

I work in mine... both summers and winters. It's nice having the insulation so I can work in the garage in the winters.

[ddurrett896]

Attached garage: insulated
Detached garage: uninsulated

I’d add 120+mph wind load to either.

[Colorado14]

Definitely worth it where I live, in the Denver suburbs. It was purchased several years ago and I was able to claim a tax credit on my state taxes for installing an energy efficient door. You may want to research whether your state allows a similar sort of tax credit. Good luck.