How and with what to insulate garage doors with your own hands? Do-it-yourself garage door insulation

Modern insulating materials can be used to insulate any premises and surfaces. And if earlier we talked about how to insulate the house and its individual elements, now it's the turn of the garage.

If you do not isolate the gate from the cold in time, it does little to save the car from low temperatures. Moreover, the frozen condensate tightly seizes the gate and in the mornings you have to win back every centimeter with a fight. Yes, and it won’t work, as many motorists prefer - if it’s -15 on the street, then it’s not much more in the garage. We will tell you how to insulate the garage from the inside, what materials to use for this and, most importantly, how to do it yourself.

general information

We dedicate this section to those who doubt whether it is necessary to insulate the garage. The fact is that metal gates are the largest heat-releasing surface of this room. Thermal insulation is needed not only for winter, although this is natural. In summer, when it's hot outside, a comfortable temperature will be maintained indoors due to insulated gates.

Below in the figure you will see how and in what volume heat is lost.

And if self-awareness is a matter of personal priorities, then for a car, garage insulation is simply a necessary measure. With a sharp change in temperature, when the car drives in from the street, condensation forms. It accumulates on internal and external surfaces which greatly accelerates corrosion. And if we add to this the effect of reagents on the bottom of the car, which are sprinkled on the streets from ice, then average term operation is reduced to 5 years.

In an insulated garage, you can rinse the bottom of the car daily to reduce the negative effects of salt and other chemicals.

Indoor or outdoor work

If in a residential building internal insulation is practiced out of hopelessness (the ban of the authorities, the outer side goes into the mine, etc.), then for the garage this is the only right decision. The part that needs to be insulated must be mobile - open and close without any obstacles. If with outside to fix the material, it will not have any effect, but at the same time it will impede the movement of the valves.

Internal work in such premises is much more preferable. Firstly, they perfectly retain heat inside, but at the same time, condensate does not have time to accumulate due to constant ventilation. Secondly, at high-quality fastening they will not interfere with opening or closing in any way. Thirdly, modern insulating materials are very light, therefore they cannot load the entire structure and impede its movement.

The vast majority have swing structure, which is based on a supporting frame and metal sheets. This option is subject to mandatory insulation, since the metal itself is an excellent conductor of heat and, at the same time, condensate accumulates on it in large quantities. It is impossible to open them in the morning and close them in the evening, as frost sticks to the lower edge.

Ready-made sectional or lift-and-turn structures are already completed insulating material between the panels (in fact, this is a sandwich), and this is quite enough for high-quality preservation of heat inside.

A gate will help reduce losses. If it is available, there is no need to open the entire sash at once, losing temperature, it is enough to use the gate to get inside.

Which material to choose

The answer immediately suggests itself - one that is able to maintain a constant temperature in the room. The choice of material depends on the coefficient of thermal conductivity. With a huge variety of assortment, we will give only a few, which, on the one hand, are typical and therefore familiar, on the other hand, they do an excellent job with their tasks.

Mineral wool

It differs in the raw materials used. Slag wool is made from metallurgy waste, glass wool is made from cullet and quartz sand, stone - from clay, basalt or limestone. Which one to choose and how to sheathe the garage door from the inside depends only on personal preferences. The entire range is produced in rectangular slabs, easily mounted on a vertical surface and fixed with fungi. It does not rot, does not wrinkle, the minimum service life is 10 years with full preservation of quality characteristics.

If for insulation garage doors glass wool is used from the inside, in order to avoid injuries it must be covered with a panel. It can be a sheet of LSP or ICE, drywall or any other that will completely hide the insulation inside.

Styrofoam / Styrofoam

This is an improved type of foam, which, by the way, is also great for work. The main difference between expanded polystyrene and polystyrene foam is density and strength, but this parameter is very important for insulating houses and apartments where people are constantly. For the rest, there is no difference. And if you are looking for how to insulate garage doors from the inside with your own hands, then polystyrene foam / polystyrene foam will ideal option. Fastened with fungi, the seams are additionally closed with adhesive tape, can be used as finishing chipboard sheet, but this is optional.

Expanded polystyrene has a very low hygroscopic coefficient, which is ideal for garage boxes.

polyurethane foam

The most modern and expensive way to insulate walls, vertical and horizontal surfaces. It is a mixture of two liquid polymers, foamed carbon dioxide. It is applied to walls or gates with a spray gun, it expands already on the surface, filling all the pores and thereby providing the most high class protection.

But this method is not suitable for gates. Considering that this is initially a liquid composition, it has little adhesion and there will be no high-quality adhesion to the metal. For fixing, you will have to make a crate, on which it is already sprayed with a spray gun. It is impossible to call such work rational, since there are much more effective and simple options insulate the garage door from the inside. You can, of course, buy prefabricated panels from polyurethane foam, which are prepared in the factory, but at a price they will turn out to be 2.5 times more expensive than foam plastic, and the method of fixation and the principle of operation are identical.

Preparing for insulation

AT preliminary preparation needs not only metal, but also wood, but initially we will talk specifically about the metal structure.

1. The inner surface is cleaned of rust, paint residues and dirt. The easiest way to do this is with a metal brush or a drill with a brush attachment.

If there is a lot of rust, it is better to treat it with a special abrasive nozzle for the Piranha grinder. She cleans up completely. upper layer and does it very quickly. During operation, the gate should be watered with water; a dry brush does not scrape paint off well.

1. After the sashes have been cleaned, they should be treated with an anti-corrosion primer, which is recommended to be sprayed for an even coating. If the primer will be applied with a brush, then do it in 2 layers perpendicular to each other.
2. Under any material - mineral wool or polystyrene - waterproofing is laid to remove condensate and eliminate the risk of corrosion.

1. Mineral wool it tends to gradually cake and decrease in size, so it is laid very tightly into the crate, literally driving in corners.

1. When working with foam, make the minimum number of joints and also drive it very tightly into the cell. Mounting foam is excellent for fixing polystyrene or foam plastic.

VIDEO: How to cut foam with a knife

VIDEO: How to glue polystyrene foam with mounting foam

1. Before applying polyurethane foam, all hinges and locking mechanisms are closed with mounting tape. For work, overalls and a mask are used.

VIDEO: How to insulate with polyurethane foam

And the last thing you should pay attention to those who decide to insulate the garage door from the inside is the fit of the wings. More than 50% of heat is lost precisely because of their loose fit. It is enough to glue around the perimeter rubber compressor how the problem will be solved. On the bottom it is better to use a special brush seal.

And this is how the brush for the bottom edge of the gate looks like

VIDEO: How to properly insulate garage doors from the inside

An insulated garage is necessary in our climate so that your beloved four-wheeled friend does not suffer from temperature changes. In addition, often the garage is used by the owner as a workshop or a place for communication and “exchange of experience”. Therefore, thermal insulation important event in the arrangement of any garage.

Why you need to insulate your garage

According to SNiP 21-02-99, in winter optimum temperature in the garage should be + 5 ° С. At the same time, batteries will not deteriorate, and moisture will condense, causing corrosion. This can be achieved by installing in the garage heater and performing thermal insulation. But the main thing to do is to insulate the garage doors.

After all, heat from any room, as physics teaches, leaves in three main ways:

• Convection, or the transfer of heat by air currents. Air can escape from the garage when doors are opened, through ventilation, or through gaps in gates that do not fit snugly against the opening. The way to deal with this leak is to open not the gate, but the gate, and not for long; seal all cracks. And here ventilation holes should not be closed.
• Thermal conductivity, that is, the transfer of heat through the walls and material of the door to the outside air (or neighboring buildings);
• Radiation emitted in the infrared range by all heated objects.

The way to deal with the last two reasons is the same - you need to install thermal insulation. Let's see how to properly insulate garage doors, and why with foam plastic.

Some owners close the vents for the winter to save heat. It is not recommended to do this, as the storage conditions of the machine are deteriorating due to high humidity in the garage. And it's just life-threatening.

What is the best way to insulate a garage?

Most often, polystyrene or polypropylene is used to insulate garage doors.

Polyfoam has a number of advantages compared to other insulating materials:

1. First of all, it is a low price and availability. Styrofoam in sheets different density and sizes can be purchased at any building supermarket.
2. In addition, this material is easy to process. It is cut with an ordinary knife and glued with any glue or foam. The use of extruded polystyrene foam is even more convenient, since it does not crumble during processing.
3. Styrofoam - very lightweight material, and the weight of the gate (load on the hinges and difficulties with closing) after insulation will practically not change.
4. It is not afraid of moisture and does not absorb it, having an absorption rate of 3%.
5. It is not subject to rotting, damage by fungus and pests.
6. Service life of material - more than 50 years.
7. At normal conditions(not in case of fire) does not emit harmful substances.
8. And most importantly: it has a minimum thermal conductivity. If we compare the thermal conductivity of different building materials, then the foam will be in the first place. In physics, this indicator is denoted by the symbol "lambda" and shows how much heat will pass through the conditional cubic meter material at a temperature difference of 1 degree. In foam plastic, it is one and a half to two times less than that of mineral wool, ten times less than that of wood, fifty times less than that of brick, and almost 2000 times less than that of iron.

Sometimes other heaters are used. For example, mineral wool. However, using porous garage door insulation is a mistake. The gates are made of metal, and the dew point will almost certainly be inside the insulation layer. Since mineral wool is permeable to moisture and hygroscopic, condensation formed inside will lead to wetting and loss of thermal insulation properties.

Which gates need to be insulated on their own:

• Swing. Most often, standard swing gates. They represent two sashes, that is, frame hinges from a corner, sewn with outer side sheet metal 2-3 mm thick. It is they who need to be insulated with foam. It is best to carry out insulation at the manufacturing stage, since for some operations it is desirable to remove the sashes. And this is not always convenient.
• Rollback. They are not as common in garages as they require a lot of room for the door to move. However, in the general case, their insulation is similar to swing.
• Lifting and turning. To open, such gates rise up, simultaneously turning parallel to the floor. There are models and factory-made, and home-made. Their insulation should be carried out in the same way, taking into account that the weight of the sash does not increase significantly, as this will require re-adjusting the opening mechanism.
• Lifting sectional. Most often they are made in the factory, from sandwich panels with a layer of insulation of about 45 mm and sealing the gaps between the sections. Warming is usually not required.
• Roller blinds. They are thin lamellas that are wound on a special shaft. They do not provide sufficient insulation and cannot be additionally insulated.

The procedure for installing foam insulation

So we found best material for warming. Let's look at how to properly insulate garage doors with foam, and what is needed for this.

First of all, you need to collect a set of tools.

You will need:

1. drill with a set of drills;
2. screwdriver or a set of screwdrivers;
3. a hammer;
4. ruler, square and tape measure;
5. jigsaw or hacksaw;
6. construction knife;
7. a metal brush (a brush on a drill) for cleaning rust;
8. emery;
9. brush (roller);

Then you need to purchase the necessary materials:

1. wooden block 30x40;
2. wood screws;
3. foam plastic 40-50 mm thick;
4. construction foam;
5. antiseptic for wood;
6. waterproofing coating for foam;
7. facing material(best - OSB or waterproof plywood, 6-10 mm thick);

Now you can get to work:

• Prepare the gate - remove rust, clean peeling paint and clean the metal (with a brush and emery). Degrease the surface. Then coat the metal with an anti-corrosion primer.
• Cut the wooden bars for the crate into sizes and treat with an antiseptic.
• Perform waterproofing of the gate under the foam. Can cover the gate bituminous mastic, or stick a waterproofing membrane.
• Mark and drill holes with a diameter of 4 mm for self-tapping screws in the stiffening ribs and the door frame (in increments of 25-30 cm). Countersink them for flush heads. (Part of the bars will have to be fixed at the end).

Attention! When attaching the lower beam, a problem may arise, since it cannot be reached with a tool. In this case, the sash must be removed. Or it is enough to fix it only at the end, this beam remains practically unloaded.

• Attach the bars in place with self-tapping screws. So that they do not crack, you need to press them in place and drill thin drill(2 - 2.5 mm) hole for the length of the self-tapping screw.
• Lay pre-cut sheets of foam in the gaps between the bars. When cutting, you can make a sheet 2-3 mm wider than the cell so that it fits as tightly as possible. When cutting, you should monitor the perpendicular position of the knife and do not break the cut line.

Attention! You can simply fasten the sheets into a spacer, on glue such as "liquid nails" or on mounting foam.

• After laying all the sheets, blow out the seams and joints with mounting foam. After complete drying - cut off the excess.
• Carefully measure the cladding sheet (OSB), cut it to size. Leave allowances for the lock and bolts. Having previously marked the location of the lathing bars, fix the cladding from the inside with self-tapping screws. Holes are also pre-drilled with a thin drill so that the bars do not crack.

If desired, paint in your favorite color. If necessary, glue a rubber seal around the edges of the flaps.

Condensation forms when the room temperature changes, which contributes to the formation of corrosion. High humidity undesirable for electrical wiring, as well as car interior trim. Warming the garage, including the gate, will help keep the car in good condition for as long as possible.

Not in the best way moisture also affects the building itself: a fungus can start in its corners, plaster can crack and collapse. Condensation is especially dangerous for wood paneling or beams that are prone to rotting. In the cold season, it can accumulate on the walls and ceiling, which is why in the spring the humidity of the room rises sharply.

The choice of thermal insulation material

For the insulation of garage doors, a combination of materials is most often selected, one of which serves as a heat insulator, and the second prevents the penetration of cold air.
Important! Garage door insulators are subject to special requirements. Due to the increased fire hazard of the premises, they must have enough a high degree fire resistance. An undesirable factor is also water permeability, as well as the ability of the material to accumulate moisture, which can lead to the appearance of fungus.

As a heater can be used:
stone wool;
fiberglass materials;
non-combustible polymers (having the letter “C” in the marking, self-extinguishing).

For cladding cement-bonded, glass-magnesium or fire-resistant boards can be used wood boards with a special impregnation that reduces their flammability. If a waterproofing layer is not provided in the insulation, it is better to lay a non-combustible reinforced film or building foil between the insulation layer and the cladding.

Stone (basalt) wool
This is a fibrous fire-resistant material with sufficiently high sound and heat insulation properties and high wear resistance. It has a low degree of water absorption and is not able to absorb moisture. The high environmental friendliness of the material allows it to be used for finishing any kind of premises.

Basalt (stone) wool with foil waterproofing

Styrofoam
Styrofoam is a fairly strong and lightweight insulation with a low degree of vapor absorption, and when fire retardant additives are introduced into it, its ability to burn becomes minimal. It can be operated in a wide temperature range: from +60 to -50°C.


Styrofoam as a heater

Styrofoam
The material, in fact, is one of the types of foam and has a similar composition, but its density is higher, and the thermal conductivity is much lower. The degree of flammability of expanded polystyrene is indicated on the marking: for finishing the garage, it is advisable to choose material grades NG (non-flammable) or G1 (moderately combustible). The disadvantages of expanded polystyrene include a low degree of protection from ultraviolet radiation, so it must be reliably protected from sunlight.


Styrofoam

Liquid penoizol (carbamide foam)
Outwardly similar to expanded polystyrene, it belongs to the combustibility groups G-2 and G-1 and is made from thermosetting resins that do not support combustion. The manufacturers claim that it thermal insulation properties 1.5 times higher than expanded polystyrene. The foam coming out of the cylinder sleeve is able to fill all air gaps. After 10-15 min. it seizes, then hardens for about 3-4 hours. This material acquires its final strength only after 2-3 days.


Penoizol

Important! To insulate metal gates that quickly heat up in the sun, do not use self-igniting heaters made from natural fabrics and cotton wool, cheap types of foam, etc.

Dew point
The dew point is the temperature at which water vapor becomes most saturated and condenses.. It appears only at the border of hot-cold. When insulating, the position of the dew point shifts: if the thickness of the heat-insulating material is sufficient, then it will be inside it. The wall remains dry.
If it is heated, and the thickness of the walls is insufficient to retain heat, then it must also be insulated from the outside: in this case, the dew point moves to outer insulation. Naturally, when interior decoration garage second dew point will also appear indoors. However, with such an additional restriction of access to moisture and cold, the temperature difference will already be insignificant, therefore, if there is sufficient ventilation, the amount of condensate in the room will already be minimal.


Dew point in a heated room
The temperature difference will not be too large when finishing unheated premises: the insulation becomes a barrier that prevents the penetration of excess moisture into the room in the warm season and protects it from cold winds in winter.

Manufacturing of crates

For reliable fixation of the insulation and subsequent fastening of the skin, it is necessary to first make a crate. It is mounted to the power elements: stiffeners and the edge of the gate using self-tapping screws or screws. Can be used as a frame wooden blocks impregnated with flame retardant solution, or thin metal profiles.


Lathing installation

Insulation installation

To prevent condensation on the gate, it is better to work in dry and sunny weather. Before starting installation, clean and cover all cracks and process metal surface anti-corrosion primer. The gates, on which a layer of bituminous insulation is applied, will be ideally sealed.

insulation cut into so that its parts fit as tightly as possible between the bars of the crate. He fastened via liquid nails or special mounting adhesive. To exclude the possibility of condensation, the seal must be pressed as tightly as possible to the base and not have cavities. All joints between it are carefully filled with mounting foam, which, when expanded, will burst the insulation and give the structure additional strength.

Basalt wool is laid overlap. Laying waterproofing materials ( reinforced film or foil) is also produced with a 2 cm approach to the adjacent strip. To ensure ventilation in several places, a small air gap is left between it.

Right temperature regime- is a pledge long term car service. Therefore, it is important to properly insulate garage doors, which are the main source of cold. This manual describes a set of works on insulation iron gate but can be applied to other types as well.

In order to correctly and efficiently perform the insulation of the garage door with your own hands, you need to know what properties they have different types heaters, and follow the instructions for performing the work.

Making garage door insulation , most often used foam and cotton wool insulation, which are based on glass and basalt rocks. Each material has its own properties and characteristics.

• Cotton wool is made from glass waste. It is flame resistant but has low resistance to moisture. Therefore, you will have to make additional insulation from a film or foil. This material has a high inertness, which allows it to pass and retain heat inside the room without releasing it into external environment. Plus, it's an environmentally friendly product.
• Styrofoam is very water resistant and has low thermal conductivity. Previously, the manufacturing technology of these materials made them highly flammable, but today's production offers many grades that produce a refractory product. Polyfoam is available and able to serve for a long time.

Preparing for the process

Before you start insulating a metal garage door, you need to buy material.

Surface preparation includes the following steps:

1. Surface cleaning. To do this, you need to sand the gate from cracked paint and rust with an iron brush or a special power tool.
2. Primer. Prime the surface special paint which will protect the metal from corrosion. This work is done by hand with a wide brush.
3. After that, you need to seal the gaps between the door leaf and the opening. Special rubber for warming the gate is suitable. It is characterized by high frost resistance and hermetically adheres to the corners of the surfaces and allows the gate leaves to open freely. If the use of the gate for the winter is not expected, then mounting foam will do. Please note that the foam hardens from 6 to 24 hours and only in positive temperatures.

Foam insulation

If you decide to insulate the garage door with foam, then follow these recommendations:

• We apply the sheet to the surface of the gate, and slightly press.
• We take a ruler or bar and cut off everything superfluous with a clerical knife along the printed contour.
• For reliability, we make boards larger by 3-5 mm.
• Then we try again.

Make sure the surface to be insulated is damp. If yes, then everything is fine. When insulating garage doors with mounting foam, according to the instructions, slightly moisten the plane. This can be done with a spray gun.

Then we cover the insulation or gate with foam. This is up to you. Consider the fact that the foam tends to greatly increase in volume, so it should be applied evenly. Pay special attention to the corners.

You can use special glue or liquid nails.

After that, let the foam swell for a few seconds. We do not tighten it too much so that it does not seize. Now we apply the prepared sheets and press them tightly to the surface. After 10-20 minutes, repeat the manipulation. The foam expands for some time, so this needs to be done.

Glass wool insulation

Garage door insulation basalt wool is more laborious process. First of all, as in the case of polystyrene, it is necessary to clean the surface of exfoliated layers of paint, dirt, grease and everything superfluous.

• Will have to sheathe the surface wooden frame. It is necessary to make a frame of bars. Dimensions should correspond to the sides of the wool itself. Wrap the insulation itself in a vapor-permeable membrane or in a layer of foam foam. This will prevent condensation from forming.
• When this is done, we process the structure with an antifungal solution, apply the prepared plates and fix them on the sides with dowels - nails. To create an aesthetic look, you can hide it all behind a layer of plastic lining.

foam insulation

Another reliable option is to insulate the garage door with mounting foam. Unlike foam and glass wool, it is much more fire resistant and environmentally friendly. Buy several bottles of foam, the exact amount depends on the size of the insulated plane. For example, if the total surface of the gate is 7 sq.m, then 4-5 cans will be needed.

Now we can get to work:

• Polyurethane foam is applied in an even layer.
• After it has frozen, with a clerical knife we ​​cut off all the excess that has come out on the sides.

It's very simple and practical way. A real monolith is being created. With its help, the smallest cracks, joints and cracks are easily blown out. Moisture does not affect the foam, and such insulation can last up to 50 years. Plus, the use of mounting foam contributes to the additional strengthening of the insulated structure.

In all cases, you can cover insulation materials clapboard or fiberboard. This will create the finished look of the work and additional protection. Strongly heavy materials use is not recommended. They significantly increase the weight of the structure, which can lead to unnecessary consequences.

In general, all the methods described above are effective and very easy to implement. It is somewhat more profitable to use polyurethane foam and foam plastic when insulating the iron gates of the garage, since the process itself will be simpler.

Following the above tips, everyone can insulate the garage door with their own hands.

First of all, the insulation of garage doors is, of course, taking care of your “four-wheeled friend”. If a create good conditions for your car, it will last much longer. After all, a car can also “catch a cold” and “sick” from a too cold or damp room. And like every patient, he will require treatment, which costs a lot of money. Therefore, it is cheaper to prevent the "disease" in advance and prevent its occurrence.

The garage can be used not only as a parking lot, but also as a warehouse for old things or even a place for a man's personal space. There may be small workshop with set various tools to create various useful things or repair. And even just a lounge for spending your leisure time with friends. Therefore, you need to carefully consider the insulation of this room and garage doors, in particular. To keep it warm in winter and cool in summer, that is, to create the maximum comfortable conditions to be inside.

According to the laws of thermodynamics, heat will be transferred through the garage door in two ways, which we will discuss below:

• First way- this is actually the surface of the doors themselves (after all, we are considering gates that are closed by doors), by transferring heat from a warm body to a cold one. Cold means external Environment, and the gate surface is respectively warm.
• Second way is a convention warm air with cold, which occurs by opening and closing the valves. In doing so, it loses great amount heat. In places where the sashes do not fit snugly against the wall opening, there is also a significant loss of warm air.

Therefore, the solution of these two problems will minimize heat loss and create comfortable conditions for staying inside the garage at any time of the year. To solve this problem, one should set reliable barrier between heat and cold or vice versa depending on the season. building code SNiP 21-02-99 says that in winter period for optimal location of the car in the garage, the temperature should be maintained at +5 degrees Celsius. This will allow you to start the car without problems and moisture will not condense in its internal cavities.

What is the best way to insulate garage doors?

For high-quality insulation of garage doors modern market materials for heat preservation will give a wide field for selection. It is best to choose today's traditional heaters, such as Styrofoam, extruded polystyrene foam and foil polyethylene foam. These three thermal insulation material they do their job well. Below we will consider each option separately - properties and step by step process laying a heat insulator on the surface of the gate.

Some may wonder why it wasn't mentioned. mineral wool. Very simple, better not to use this material is for insulating garage doors, although many people do this. Mineral wool has the ability to absorb moisture well. And since the garage is a place where regularly the level of humidity will exceed the normal rate, thereby contributing to its concentration in this insulation, which loses its properties from this.