Which Garage Door Insulation Works Best?

Thanks for all the effort put into this. A couple tips to improve accuracy: 1 - The laser dot is marking the center of a circle and the temp is averaged within the circle. The diameter of the circle is dependent on the distance and the angle set by the manufacturer. Check the manual for this info. 2 - the paper wasn't making good contact with the insulation, so there was very little conductive heat transfer. 3 - paint a black matte section directly on the insulation and read the temp off of that at a close range for the best accuracy (verify w/ a thermocouple taped to the service, or similar).

Great video comparison! Having a 100° garage was very unpleasant! After 2 years with my insulation I have to say that my garage is much more people friendly now. Thanks for the shout out!

The thin reflective sheet could be mounted with an air gap. So they could have been mounted to the door frame rather than the door panels.

By the way, I've also installed a mini split AC in my garage. I used the 24,000 BTU unit from Senville for our 3-car garage, which is much cheaper than most units at $1250 US dollars at the time I purchased in Feb of 2023. A guy in my neighborhood installed one before me and he recommended it based on their price, and phone support. He called all of the main companies and Senville's support was the best. I can attest to the support because I ran into an issue with the AC drain pan connector leaking, and they sent me a whole new inside unit. I was initially considering the 18,000 BTU unit, but I'm glad I went bigger. I left unit going nonstop during the hot months and set to 76 degree, it felt really cool in there. It's so nice! One thing I'll warn you of is be thinking about what you'll do with the condensation. These units can fill a 5 gallon bucket in a day, and the ground will be saturated where the drain line drips. I ran PVC to a flowerbed about 10 feet away and the plants in that area love the extra water.

After watching this i was about to go get some OC Foamular boards for my garage but luckily did some quick research. Owens Corning warns against using their boards in this manner because they are combustible and require a thermal barrier. I hope you put up a disclaimer.

Very interesting! Thanks for the summary at the end - I love that the top two in performance didn't add too much weight, were economical, and one is pretty quick and easy to install. Could be interesting to add in the insulation installed by a garage door company to the test.

I did the 1" foam board on my door a few years ago and have had excellent results.

IR thermometers measurement is dependant upon the emissivity of the material. If you want accurate results then stick some black pvc tape on and ensure it completely covers the field of view ( touch it against the material or cover a much larger area than you're measuring.) This can completely change the readings.

I still haven't done the insulation because I was wondering what method to use from the different videos on Youtube but you did the work for me, now I know which one I'll use. Just EXCELLENT !!! Great video, Thank you !

Having the lower panels much hotter than the upper panels completely invalidates your test. The higher temperature on the outside will greatly increase the amount of heat radiated outward and thus a good part of your “greater” temperature differential inside to outside has nothing to do with the insulation on the inside, but is due to a faulty test. You need to test again ensuring that you have the exact same temperature on the outside of each panel.

Great video. However, please note that Owens Corning Foamular products are combustible and must be covered by a 15-minute thermal barrier I would not recommend using Foamular to insulate a garage door.

You could combine the Owen's Corning NGX with the lightweight double reflective insulation that is taped to the frame, and give you an air gap between them. That might be the best combination.

Awesome video as always! I live in London in a 1960s era apartment block with no insulation (it's crazy, I know). I'm on the 10th floor and have a wall of windows that are 80s-90s era but so drafty in the winter wind. I've done all the rubber strips and plastic sheeting stuff, but what really works is putting in foam panels in the windows! Yes it blocks the view, but when I wake up for work in winter it's dark outside and when I get home from work it's dark already, so it's no big deal. The foam is pretty easy to work with for beginners and is renter friendly.

The double reflective insulation is a radiant barrier and needs an air gap. If you install it on the inside ridges of the door with polyseamseal, it will seal the segments of door and have the highest R value with the least amount of weight.

As some one who lives in PA. It would be amazing to have this test done in the winter.

With those IR thermometers the further away you read, the more area you are getting the measure from... the laser dot seems to be the only point you are measuring but read the manual and it will tell you the area being read with distance...

I would think the dominant factors are flammability, durability in presence of moisture, and weight. The pink foam flammability is scary to me, I won't be doing that though it seems like best option otherwise. The eps (not xps extruded) styrofoam can absorb water I thought. Sealing it like Fred's method seems like asking for trouble. But maybe the foil faced foam options deal with water so those then stand out as best. That service call to adjust spring will cost more than the entire installation so there's that...

A few years ago I did an install using the owens corning kit and then went around the edges with foil tape. It was a literal night and day difference in the garage temps. I did have to have a local company come out and replace my springs due to the added weight on a double door, but it was completely worth it! I also want to add, you should have your door springs adjusted regularly, it’s cheap to have them come out and they do lose tension over time and tend to stabilize after about 2 years of daily use. It’s not really a one and done thing.

Awesome! We are about to do this with our garage due to a significant temperature difference between it and the living spaces, as well as it being under living spaces. Can't wait to see your winter comparison as well!

13:57 the Springs are considered a wear product that occasionally will require replacement. Tighter springs result in shorter life, so the cost of the added insulation could escalate