Garage Doors that are Energy Efficient Are Becoming More Common
Garage doors account for more than 30% of a home’s exterior. It’s a large opening where heat can escape from. And with heating bills on the rise, anything a homeowner can do to save is helpful. Installing garage doors with insulation is a great way to save energy.
Look for the Following Qualities in Insulated Garage Doors:
- The higher R-value the better. Make sure when comparing R-values that you find out what the manufacturer is basing it on – their overall door or the center of a panel? You want to be comparing apples to apples.
- Steel doors with Polyurethane Foam Insulation injected inside have the highest insulation value.
- Garage doors with weather seals between the sections.
- Bottom seal to keep drafts out.
How do you know if a steel door is a quality door?
- By its thickness as well as the thickness of its cladding
- Premium steel door is 2 inches thick, filled with insulation and clad in 24-gauge steel
- A less expensive steel door is thinner and made of 28-gauge steel
- A quality steel door also has weather-stripping
- Best made garage doors have a full-width vinyl bubble weather-stripping along the bottom edge of the door that conforms to the floor. Also have a vinyl top cap, weather seals between each section, and rigid vinyl end caps along the sides of door
What to do if you Have a “Bonus Room” Over the Garage
- Really try to plan and budget for installing an insulated garage door.
- Noise consideration:
- Opt for nylon rollers versus steel rollers to cut down on noise
- Aluminum door to reduce the noise because they are lightweight
- Garage door openers with belt-driven drive rather than chain-drives are quieter. Screw-driven with plastic tracks also cut down on noise.