Garage Door Opener & Insulation?
 

Phoenix is hot. Well, only for a few months. But it does get very hot. Hot enough to keep the air conditioning unit working. Hot enough to kill you in 20 seconds after you step out of your car. Or something like that...

My new house does not come with a garage door opener. Plus it is a very basic door, with absolutely no insulation.

Considering that I travel a lot, I plans on keeping my car inside the garage the vast majority of the time to keep it away from the brutal sun. I also want to ensure that my A/C doesn't work too hard while I'm on the road, and part of it have to do with keeping the heat (and the cold) out of the garage as much as I could.

After all, I read somewhere that the garage door can be the #1 cause of heat/cold leaks. The hot it is outside, the hotter it gets inside a contained space, and the hotter the rest of the house get (due to the lack of ventilation.)

So what should I do with the garage door? What type of insulation would work to keep the heat and the cold out from that door?

* * *

Garage Door Opener https://mechanicguides.com/best-gara...nsulation-kit/. I'm spoiled. I like the ability to zap a button, and watch the door open with fanfare. But I am also security-minded, and am very aware of the weakness of the garage door opener's signals. Some old garage doors are so simple, there's 9 distinct codes, and delivering the right one will open the door. Not good.

Have the technology improved to a reasonable level where it can easily prevent drive-by-"hey, open me" devices? What kind of features should I look for in a garage door opener other than this security feature? What kind of installation am I looking for here -- something an electrician can only do, or something that can be done following the direction on the kit?

Hive minds, have at it!

Re: Garage Door Opener & Insulation?
 

Just lock the door while you are out of town for piece of mind. I doubt your garage walls are insulated. They don't insulate them around here. I think a good ventilation system would help with the heat build-up. Better insulation between house and garage would help sheild one from the other. And insulated garage door is a good idea.

Re: Garage Door Opener & Insulation?
 

Not sure how yours is constructed but be sure to vent the attic above the garage...most are built with passive ventilation, (vented soffits and vented ridge)...adding even a small vent fan will help to reduce the heat

Re: Garage Door Opener & Insulation?
 

Dow foam comes in 4' x 8' sheets. Blue or pink...Get the thickness you need 1 1/2" maybe?. Probably won't be long enough but piece the ends, could do a 9' x 7' door for about $125. Cut it as tight to fit as possible, spray adhesive and or caulk. Razor knife and strait edge to cut....Also outside vinyl seal on sides and top....Welcome aboard...

Re: Garage Door Opener & Insulation?
 

Talk to a local garage door installer. When I bought a new roll up door, it came with insulation. You should be able to get pre-cut batts that can just be popped in. Or do as notsolo suggests. I live in southern California with a garage door that faces south, so I know about the heat. If you don't have a living space above the garage, you can insulate the ceiling of the garage with radiant barrier insulation stapled to the bottoms of the rafters. Coupled with a gable vent you should see a significant drop in temperature in the garage. Hopefully there are some screened vents low in the walls for cooler air to get in.

Radiant barrier insulation- here's one company http://www.radiantbarrier.com/about

I am not affiliated with this company, it is just the first one I came up with on a google search.

I insulated most of my roof under the rafters with this type of material and reduced my electric bill by about 10% (can't get to the whole roof because of vaulted ceilings) in the hot months.

Re: Garage Door Opener & Insulation?
 

My garage is not insulated either. The wall between the house and the garage is well insulated and the garage is vented. Used a heat gun in it last summer and when it was 110 deg. outside it was mid 90's inside. My 71 and the 54 stay in the garage and my wife's new Ram sits outside. Using the gun on the body, it stays in the mid 90's It stays out of the sun which is the killer. I hope this helps
mike