Insulating shop doors?

[The Heretic]

During the summer I can really tell how much heat gain comes from the roll up doors which are not insulated. I am sure there is probably a lot of heat loss too - although the shop is not heated.

I am thinking of getting rock wool insulation with a radiant barrier to insulate the shop doors. The rest of the shop is insulated with fiberglass matts (batts with a vapor barrier?) like you often see in shops. It isn't horrendous in the summer due to the wall and roof insulation, but it is pretty warm in there. My freezer is in there so I imagine I do pay a few dollars more during the summer to keep the food frozen.

I may add rock wool insulation on the south/sw facing side too (the side that is the warmest and also gets the most wind during the winter). I don't spend a lot of time in the shop, but I think this wouldn't hurt anything, and would improve the value for when I sell in two years.

Am I approaching this right?

Read More

 

[308]

Rockwool is a decent choice but you will need to cover that nasty shedding crap with sheetrock or it will just fall apart over time. It works good for fire protection and sound absorbtion as well. It also holds its position between the studs over time even if it gets a bit wet unlike FG insulation which will sag and start transfering heat.

S/SW exposures are always an issue for heat transfer and a light colored or reflective exterior surface will reflect heat back into the ether better than a dark surface which does just the opposite.

Not sure if this helps

 

[Lilhigbee]

I put 1 1/2" foil-faced foam sheets in my rollup door. Works wonders!! Spend a little time making it fit as good as you can. You will still have some conductive heat loss through the frame, but it's minor by comparison. Keep in mind you will have to readjust the counterbalance spring and may even have to replace it if it can't offset the extra weight of the insulation.
The panels are cut in half to make it possible to tuck them into the framework at the top and bottom.
1 1/2" foam is approximately R-12.

 

[HenryJ]

I added the foam sheet kit to my doors: Homedepot insulation kit. Makes a huge difference. Mine are north facing so direct sun is not an issue.

 

[The Heretic]

Rockwool is a decent choice but you will need to cover that nasty shedding crap with sheetrock or it will just fall apart over time. It works good for fire protection and sound absorbtion as well. It also holds its position between the studs over time even if it gets a bit wet unlike FG insulation which will sag and start transfering heat.

This is the inside of the shop:



As you can see the insulation is held in place by boards. The shop is over 20 years old. The only real problem with the insulation that I have noticed is that the mice get into it at a couple of places. Also, it is fiberglass, so if I wanted to do welding near it, and a spark got into it, I assume that it could catch fire.

There is space for about 6 inches of more insulation so I could add rock wool with a flame resistant sheet, rock wool being flame resistant itself. That said, since I intend to sell in two years, I am thinking I won't bother. I am not sure buyers would recognize the value enough to be commensurate with the cost and effort. The most efficient thing to do heat wise would be to add the rock wool to the inside of the roof, then add it to the walls. But adding it to the doors would provide the most ROI.

This is the south/sw side of the shop showing the doors:

 

[Joe13]

I put 1 1/2" foil-faced foam sheets in my rollup door. Works wonders!! Spend a little time making it fit as good as you can. You will still have some conductive heat loss through the frame, but it's minor by comparison. Keep in mind you will have to readjust the counterbalance spring and may even have to replace it if it can't offset the extra weight of the insulation.
The panels are cut in half to make it possible to tuck them into the framework at the top and bottom.
1 1/2" foam is approximately R-12.

View attachment 476520 View attachment 476521 View attachment 476522

That's exactly what I was going to suggest.

Mine face North but let in a lot of cold in the winter.

Time and money just haven't merged quite yet