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How to Insulate Doors

Lowe's Editorial Team

By Lowe's Editorial Team
Published December 12, 2024

When installed correctly, blinds and doors can prevent heat from escaping during winter and penetrating rooms during summer. In this article, we’ll learn how to insulate the door to save energy and money during winter.

Tools and Materials

Tools

Materials

  • Insulation Material

  • Finish Nails

  • Insulation Sealant

Why Insulate Your Doors

Doors have many gaps and holes, allowing heat to flow out easily. Insulating a door ensures that these spaces are closed to retain warm or cool air inside the room. Some of the benefits of insulation are:

  • Keeps the temperature constant: It ensures that conditioned air does not escape, helping to minimize the expenditure incurred in heating and cooling.
  • Enhances comfort: The stable room temperature caused by insulation creates a more comfortable environment.
  • Minimizes noise: Insulation can also minimize noise to some extent and create a peaceful environment in the room.

Given the benefits of installing insulation, let’s learn how to insulate a door for winter.

Good to Know

Exterior doors and doors between heated and unheated spaces, such as the garage, hold the most potential for energy savings.

How to Insulate Doors: A Step-by-Step Guide for Interior and Exterior Doors

Before insulating a door, you’ll need to settle on the material used for insulation. Some common insulation materials for doors are:

  • Fiberglass batt insulation: One budget-friendly material is fiberglass batts. They are made from spun fiberglass and have a good heat flow resistance rating.
  • Foam board insulation: Foam board insulation is another budget-friendly option. It offers good insulation and is often used for its durability.
  • Sealants and Weather-strip Foams: Suitable for close spaces between the door and surrounding structure.
  • Draft stoppers: Draft stoppers are commonly used to stop airflow from beneath the door. They can also be a cost-effective solution.

How to Insulate Interior Doors

Interior door insulation is essential to conserve the temperature of a room. Follow these steps to insulate an interior door between rooms properly:

How to Insulate Your Exterior Doors

Wall and exterior doors require more insulation to prevent penetration from environmental factors. Follow these instructions to insulate your exterior doors.

Best Materials for Insulation of Exterior Doors

Along with the insulation materials, the material used for the door also plays an important role. For exterior entrances, use solid wood, fiberglass, metal or foam-filled doors. They possess a host of benefits, such as:

  • Solid wood is long-lasting and offers a beautiful touch to the doors. They are also great for insulation.
  • Metal and fiberglass cannot warp or hold moisture. They are also made with precision, which can prevent air from leaking.
  • Foam-filled doors strengthen insulation. They are also a budget-friendly option.

Correct insulation of all doors enhances the efficiency, comfort and acoustics of the house. Exterior doors should be the first to be insulated, followed by doors into unheated spaces such as garages. Weather strips, perimeter sealants, Insulation materials and draft stoppers should be used to ensure that doors are tightly sealed. With some simple materials and budget-friendly solutions, you can insulate your doors in a few simple steps.

Caution

Do not use hollow wood doors outside. Their cavities can trap water, which causes rot and mold.

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