A question we are often asked is if insulated garage doors are worth the extra money compared to their non-insulated counterparts. The answer depends entirely on your needs – where you live, what kind of home you live in, what you have in your garage, and so on. Read this blog post to understand the pros and cons of insulated garage doors versus non-insulated ones.
The History of Insulated Garage Doors
Only a few decades or so ago, garage door insulation wasn’t even a thing. Garage doors were made of only panels, and they didn’t provide any kind of energy efficiency. Nowadays, people have become more interested in becoming green and being eco-friendly. The desire to use less energy also led to saving money, as insulating your home leads to more efficient use of the heating and cooling system. This cuts down on your energy bills and helps a little to save the environment at the same time – as energy emissions impact global warming.
As people started insulating their homes, they also started insulating their garage doors. Around the same time, homes started getting bigger and bigger. As homes got bigger, garage doors were then built attached to the home – so energy deficiencies can, therefore, impact the entire home. Insulated garage doors can help save electricity in the garage as well as the whole house.
Garage Door Repair Increases Energy Efficiency
If your garage door is reinforced the right way, it can also help increase the energy efficiency of your home. One of the most important parts of this is making sure that your worn-out weather seals are replaced at the right time. Additionally, if your pulleys or tracks are worn, damaged or broken, this can cause your door to not close properly. This allows warm or cool air to escape through your garage door – which costs you money in the end. This will occur even if there are small cracks shining through because of cracked or worn bottom seals. If you think your weather stripping needs to be replaced, give the garage door repair experts here at Garage Doors in My Area a call immediately.
How Are Insulated Garage Doors Different?
If you’ve made the good decision that you want an insulated garage door, there are different choices you can make. The two main materials that garage door insulation is made out of are polystyrene and polyurethane. Polystyrene is formed into sheets and is placed in between two panels. Polyurethane is a foam that is injected into between the panels. Garage doors that use polyurethane foam as insulation are advantageous because the foam covers the whole cavity, which means the insulation is better because it’s spaced throughout. R-value is how manufacturers and inspectors estimate thermal resistance, and doors that are insulated with polyurethane foam have a high R-value.
Even though insulated garage doors are more expensive and might need more maintenance and repair, they are worth it in the end and are a better choice than garage doors without insulation. Still not sure if you should go with insulation with your new garage door installation? Garage Doors in My Area are happy to help you with your decision, and we can offer you any more information you need to make the best, most informed decision when it comes to this important home project.