The garage door is a significant contributor to your home’s energy efficiency. Hence, it is important to choose doors that are more energy efficient. This reduces the need for regular garage maintenance and minimizes energy consumption, reducing utility bills and creating a more comfortable indoor atmosphere.
There are several ways to make your garage door more energy efficient. For example, adding insulated doors or weather stripping works well. This blog has discussed the benefits and several other ways to make the garage door more energy-efficient.
Benefits of Energy-Efficient Garage Doors
Here are some major benefits that an energy-efficient garage door offers:
Increased Durability
Insulated garage doors are made with thick and heavy-gauge steel, which makes them sturdy and less prone to damage. Also, with proper insulation, the doors become resistant to warping, which makes them last longer.
Noise Reduction
An insulated garage door ensures no outside noise can enter the premises. It acts as a sound buffer that minimizes the door's opening and closing noise. With good insulation, the door will make less racket, which reduces disruptions.
Reduced Electricity Bills
An energy-efficient garage door can reduce electricity bills by minimizing heat transfers and improving insulation. The HVAC doesn’t have to work harder with an insulated garage door, as the temperature inside is maintained. This cuts down on energy waste and saves on electric bills.
5 Ways to Make Your Garage Door More Energy-Efficient
Here are five ways you can make your garage door energy-efficient -
Insulate the Garage Door
Even if the garage wall is insulated, it is important to insulate the door. It regulates the temperature inside the garage, reduces heat loss in winter, and lets cold air in during summer. The fluctuating temperature can affect the rest of the area, especially if the garage is attached to the house. The higher the R-value of the insulation, the better it is!
Adding insulation is an easy DIY task. However, contact a professional if you’re not well-versed in the installation process. Also, several custom door options are available, which means they are made with proper insulation, such as polystyrene boards or polyurethane spray foam. It improves efficiency, reduces noise from the neighbor, and strengthens the door.
Add Seals Between the Door and the Floor
Even though the garage door is properly installed, checking for leaks and sealing them is important. This reduces airflow, air leaks, and humidity. It also ensures that the door fits properly in the frame, which prevents air from escaping or entering. Hence, it ensures the stability of the temperature in the enclosed space.
Seal any gaps with weather stripping or spray foam insulation. Also, remember to check the gap between the door opener and the door—that’s where most of the air leaks.
Fix Your Garages’ Interior Access Door
Check the access door between the garage and the house. If you have an old door, replace it with a modern one that is more energy efficient. These doors are made with energy-saving features in mind.
They help seal the air leaks and reduce heat transfers between the garage and the rest of the house. They also have weather stripping and sealing, which means they keep the garage and the home comfortable all year round.
Get a New Garage Door Opener
An old garage door also reduces the energy efficiency of the door. Today, several garage doors are available that consume less power when in standby mode. Also, modern garage door openers are quieter, so you don’t have to worry about waking up the entire neighborhood early in the morning.
It also has high-technology features, allowing you to operate the door from anywhere. Hence, you can handle it from a distance in your car. This reduces the hassle of manually getting down the vehicle to open the garage door.
Add Aluminum Capping to the Garage Door Frame
Aluminum capping covers the garage’s wooden doorframe with an aluminum sheet. It acts as a resistant barrier between the garage’s exterior and interior, decreasing drafts and improving garage energy efficiency.
It also gives the garage door a cleaner, finished look and improves its curb appeal. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about future maintenance anytime soon.
Metrics to Assess Energy Efficiency
When buying an insulated garage door, here are a few factors to keep in mind -
R-Value
As mentioned earlier, “the higher the R-value, the better it is.” R-values ranging from R-6 to R-18 are considered the best for garage doors. It is advisable to pick the highest R-value available.
U-Factor
Opt for garage doors with a low U-factor. The U-factor measures the resistance to heat flow and is exactly the opposite of the R-value. A lower U-factor means less heat will be transferred.
Air Leaking Rate
If there is a leak, even a well-insulated door can lose efficiency. Hence, it is advisable to pick a door from a reputed manufacturer. They offer an air leakage rating, which indicates better sealing.
Conclusion
An energy-efficient garage door helps create a better indoor environment. Investing in the best quality garage door offers long-term benefits such as cost savings, energy savings, and improved space functionality. To make the old garage door more energy-efficient, you can either replace it with a modern one or add insulation to the existing one and necessary accessories and equipment, such as insulated panels, garage exhaust fans, etc.
