Each car enthusiast has repeatedly asked himself the question of how to insulate garage walls and gates so that the problem is solved qualitatively and for a long time. This is especially acute for owners whose garages are made entirely of metal. Corrosion spares nothing here, including the car. Since the gates are often the main source of cold and dampness, they must be insulated first.
The construction industry has a large number of types of thermal protection that can reliably keep heat in the garage. In our case, the following four materials will be of interest:
- Polyurethane foam (PPU);
- Expanded polystyrene or foam boards;
- Mineral or stone wool;
- Foamed polyethylene.
Very often, the main criterion for choosing a heat insulator is its cost and quality. This approach is correct and fully justified from an economic point of view. However, do not neglect the main characteristics of the insulation. If one of them is cheaper, this does not mean that it is bad. It just has its own individual properties, which must be taken into account during installation.
Styrofoam
Insulating the garage door with polystyrene panels is the most common and common way. In addition to the fact that the material is inexpensive and lightweight, it has the following advantages:
- easy to cut;
- moisture resistant;
- not subject to the action of mold and fungi;
- has a long service life.
Recently, flame retardants have been added to many brands of foam plastic, which gave it a high degree of fire safety.
polyurethane foam
The technological qualities of this material allows you to quickly conduct insulation. Working with it does not require professional training and special handling skills. It is enough to strictly follow the rules prescribed on the aerosol can so that everything works out the first time. The advantages of this substance include:
- fire resistance;
- low weight with high strength;
- low thermal conductivity and resistance to temperature fluctuations;
- chemical and biological resistance to various reagents, mold and fungi.
It remains to add a long service life (up to 70 years), health safety and the ability to form a monolithic layer that fills all the cracks and sinks on the surface. Polyurethane foam is the most effective material. It has one drawback: high price. But the insulation is excellent.
Mineral wool
Cotton wool is a fibrous material. Produced by processing basalt rocks or glass production waste. It is produced in the form of plates and rolls. The material has absolute resistance to fire, is inert to aggressive environments, retains heat well, is non-toxic and is an environmentally friendly product.
Mineral wool is cheaper than polyurethane foam, but the heat-shielding properties are not lower. The only negative is its ability to condense moisture. Therefore, it is always necessary to insulate garage doors with cotton wool using a vapor and waterproofing film.
After you have made a choice in favor of a particular insulation, you need to calculate how much material will be used for insulation work. To do this, take measurements of the gate and determine their area, as well as purchase related consumables that are used in the installation technology of a particular heat insulator.
Foamed polyethylene
This material is an elastic sheet of polyethylene with many voids. It is produced in different thicknesses, there are grades covered with aluminum foil on one side. Foamed polyethylene is more expensive than polystyrene, but has almost the same thermal conductivity. In addition, it is difficult to glue it, you need a special glue, so it is not advisable to use it for insulation of garage doors.
Thermal insulation using polyurethane foam
Thermal insulation with polyurethane foam is carried out by spraying. In order for the layer to be of high quality, it is necessary to adhere to a clear sequence in work:
- Pay due attention to the surface. It should be degreased and cleaned of dirt and traces of corrosion.
- Before applying PPU, make sure that the door surface temperature is not lower than +10 degrees.
- In order for the adhesion and polymerization process to proceed faster, the surface is slightly moistened.
- Using an aerosol can, the material is sprayed with a layer of about 60 mm thick.
- Excess and uneven insulation is carefully cut off with a knife.
- For the final finish, plaster, paint and other facing materials are used.
Polyurethane foam after hardening is a harmless substance, but anyway, spraying work is recommended to be carried out in protective clothing, a respirator and goggles.
Foam based thermal insulation
Despite the fact that there are several designs of garage doors, the concept of their insulation with expanded polystyrene foam is the same for everyone. Therefore, the step-by-step installation instructions are general and acceptable for swing, sliding and overhead gates.
First of all, it is necessary to clean the surface to be insulated from rust and the old layer of paint. Then the metal is primed. Then everything is done in the following sequence:
- First, the crate is attached. They make it from wooden slats in such a way that the distances between them correspond to the dimensions of the foam sheet. The sheet should be trimmed and easily inserted between the slats, forming a gap of 1.5-2 cm with them.
- After that, the insulation is smeared with glue, inserted into the cell of the wooden frame and pressed, and the gaps between the rails and the end of the sheet are filled with mounting foam. Expanding, it bursts the structure and gives it additional strength.
- To protect the insulating layer from mechanical damage, use oriented strand board, boards, plywood. They are fastened with screws to the crate, primed and painted.
When insulating garage doors, you can use different brands of glue. The main requirement for them is moisture resistance and high adhesion. Liquid nails are better suited for fastening the crate. As for the thickness of the foam, its recommended value of 60 cm can be drawn from thinner sheets, after gluing them together.
Individual citizens glue polystyrene foam on metal without a crate. At first glance, this significantly speeds up the process, but the foam surface is very fragile and will quickly crumble without protection. Without a crate, there is nothing to attach lining, plywood or other facing material to.
Mineral wool insulation
As in the case of insulation with polystyrene foam, and when lining with mineral wool, a crate is installed. The surface of the gate is prepared in a similar way. Then proceed as follows:
- A layer of basalt wool is pre-wrapped in a vapor barrier material, which is covered on both sides with an aluminum film. This prevents the formation of condensate and the metal is reliably protected from corrosion.
- Then the finished block or roll is treated with an antifungal agent, inserted between the slats of the wooden frame, pressed against the gate leaf and fixed with dowel-nails.
- After sheathing the entire surface with wool, the remaining gaps, joints and cracks are blown out with polyurethane foam.
gate trim
You can give an aesthetic appearance to the insulated surface using any finishing material. In this case, plastic siding, galvanized iron, lining, plywood, OSB, laminate (pictured), etc. will do. It is attached to the rails of the crate. Then the joints are covered with a silicone-based sealant. Apply primer and paint if necessary.
To all the recommendations on how to make garage doors resistant to the penetration of cold and moisture, you need to add one significant point. It often happens that the joints of the gate with the wall remain without insulation, and the mutual contact of the leaves has a gap. In this case, a rubber tape with heat-shielding properties is used, and the joints are insulated with a self-adhesive rubber seal of optimal thickness.
