5 Best Garage Door Insulation Kits

​The Owens Corning ​kit has been designed for use on garage doors that are already insulated from manufacturers. It fits neatly into the channel that’s left. The fiberglass itself is rated at an R-8 insulation level. So, when that’s fixed to the door, it will give you between 4 – 6 times better thermal performance. It will also give you around a 20% reduction in noise. You’ll be able to go a bit later with your work without complaints from the neighbors.

​Fitting the kit is straightforward enough. Occasionally you may find that one of the plastic clips doesn’t hold that well. Ensure that the surface of the door is cleaned fully before sticking the clip to it. Try using something like rubbing alcohol to remove any residue.

​The only tools you need to fit this kit are a utility knife, tape measure and straight edge​. The manufacturer says fitting takes around an hour, but it’s usually much quicker. Be sure to read everything properly and don’t just have at it. Taking a little extra time to make it look neater will pay off.

​The Matador kit has a lower R-value than some of the competition, just 4.8 at 75 degrees, but nonetheless, it works well when installed correctly. This kit doesn’t use any stick-on clips or fasteners, and it’s better for it. It relies purely on being installed between the door rails makes it look neater and it won’t (can’t) come unstuck.

​Fitting is easy once you’ve measured up. Cut the foam tile to be a snug fit in the channel. Then, simply bend the tile into place. It will take an enormous amount of bend to actually break it. The whole door can be done in less than an hour.

​The whole kit weighs in at just 10 lbs., so there will be no need for adjusting the spring or putting any further strain on the opener. Although if you’re doing a double-sized door (with twice the weight), you may need some adjustment.

​Bright white and easily cleanable – these tiles make for great insulation to keep the hot and cold out.

​This kit is rated at R-7.5, the R-8 rating is with the existing garage door. While that doesn’t make a huge difference, it’s worth knowing if you’re after maximum insulation. It doesn’t look as thick as some of the other kits, but the technology incorporated works. It’s a foam core that sits between two layers of a foil barrier. So, it’s more about reflecting the heat or cold, rather than straight-up insulation.

​For maximum benefit, it’s recommended that you leave a gap between the material itself and the garage door. Doing this should result in a 95% reduction of passive heat transference between the door and material. This, in turn, should allow for a more comfortable experience in the garage itself.

​The kit has been designed for the garage doors with 4 panels (which the makers claim to be around 90% of all garage doors), so it should fit. But you can specify other sizes or dimensions if you have an odd-sized door, and as a small bonus, there is a telephone helpline to help you get the right product. It sounds simple, but in this day and age, talking to another human about the product can make a big difference.

​Simple yet very effective, the Reach kit uses two layers of a ‘bubble barrier’ – think along the lines of bubble wrap, sandwiched between a layer of radiant reflective coating to block around 95% of reflected heat (be that hot or cold).

​The panels are easily cut and fitted, you just need a utility knife and a straight edge. Once cut, you place five of the supplied sticky pads on the door panel and then place the bubble barrier on to the pads – they are ultra-lightweight (no need to adjust the spring or opener) and very pliable. A complete door should take less than thirty minutes in total.

​Typically, you’ll see a 10-degree difference in ambient temperatures between an unprotected garage door and one fitted with the Reach 3009 kit, and better yet, they comply with all building and fire code regulations.

​Although it’s pretty heavy on the price, the premium kit from Anco has the highest R-value at 9. This means that temperature differentials are pretty vast. On a cold day, you could expect to see 20 -25 degrees difference, but if it’s the heat you’re trying to avoid, you’ll see around 15 – 20 degrees difference.

​What you’re essentially getting is a long fiberglass wool roll – just over 36 ft in length, a bit under two feet in width and 2″ thick, backed with a white coating. Due to the material, it’s fully GREENGUARD Children and School Certified, so it also adheres to the latest building codes.

The kit is big enough for a single door and is easily fitted in about twenty minutes. However, it’s made from fiberglass, so you should wear long sleeves, gloves, and a mask when fitting (unless you like itching).

​This is the highest performing garage door insulation kit. But, with that said, any of these five kits will make a noticeable difference.