Energy efficiency inside the home isn’t just limited to interior rooms and living spaces. In fact, a home’s garage can play a big role in the overall carbon footprint of a home. Additionally, ensuring that a home’s garage is more energy efficient can also save on energy costs like heating in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. Homeowners who wish to benefit the environment – as well as their checkbooks – should consider energy efficient garage door options.
Garage Doors and Energy Use
The energy efficiency of a garage door can impact a home’s overall energy efficiency, although it may not seem like it. For garages that are attached to homes, the air from the garage can travel into the home. In cases where the garage’s air is extremely hot in the summer or cold in the winter, this can work against the air conditioning or heating inside the home. Likewise, air conditioned or heated air can escape into the garage, thus causing homes to lose energy. As a result, more controlled air will be needed, which increases energy bills.
Garage Work Space
Those who use a garage as a work space should pay special attention to garage door insulation. An insulated garage door will help to keep the garage’s temperature stable. This helps to maintain comfortable working conditions regardless of the temperature or weather conditions outside.
Garage Door Insulation
There are many types of garage doors that can help to improve home energy efficiency. Garage door insulation is an important component of an energy efficient garage door. Garage door insulation may use materials such as polyurethane or polystyrene between two layers of heavy duty material, such as steel. Insulated garage doors may also feature weather seals between sections to ensure that the conditions of the garage are stabilized and not affected by outside weather conditions.
R-values
When shopping for quality garage door insulation, homeowners should consider the R-value of the garage door. R-value is a construction industry term used to measure an item’s resistance to heat flow. The R-value is calculated using the chemical properties of the material, as well as the thickness of its insulation. These values are used by many manufacturing companies to indicate energy efficiency of their products.
Choosing an R-value
Generally speaking, the higher the R-value, the better the product can provide insulation. Therefore, the higher the R-value, the more energy efficient the garage door will be. Homeowners who live in temperate or moderate climates may benefit from an R-value or 3 or more. Homeowners in areas with harsher climates may benefit from an R-value of up to 10. Garage door customers should speak with a garage door professional to discuss the best and most appropriate insulation options.
