Why It Is a Good Idea to Insulate Your Garage Door

Insulation of a Garage Door Increases Home Comfort and Lowers Energy Bills

A garage door being insulatedIt should come as little surprise to homeowners that the monthly cost of utilities can add rather quickly or, considered from the opposite perspective, subtract dollars quite quickly from their bank account. Even with a monthly home maintenance plan/budget in place, there can be times of the year when these expenses will place a strain on one’s finances.

Therefore, it should also not be surprising that homeowners will look for ways to reduce utility costs in order to stretch their budget/finances just a little bit further every month. However, one aspect of cost reduction that can be especially challenging in this regard is that related to energy consumption, since winter weather/temperatures in Whitby and the surrounding region necessitate regular heating of a home for the family’s comfort as well as their personal health and safety.

On the subject of comfort, the following all-too-familiar complaint might strike a chord with many homeowners: is the living space above and/or adjacent to the garage always too cold in winter? And does this circumstance require either raising the thermostat or using an additional heat source, thereby increasing the cost of running the home during this season? If the answer to these questions is ‘yes’, the situation might be attributable to the fact that their garage doors are not insulated, thus allowing cold air to penetrate the garage area essentially at will and subsequently affect/lower the temperatures in the neighbouring rooms of the home.

Non-insulated garage doors are usually constructed of wood, either flat-surfaced or with recessed panels, or from a single layer of steel, with an open frame on the interior side. Of course, an immediate way to improve energy efficiency and lower heating costs would be to replace these types of garage doors with a newer, insulated model, but this might not be financially feasible for some/many homeowners.

Fortunately, there are less costly ways to upgrade garage door insulation without the installation an entirely new door; this can be done rather easily by affixing one of these materials to the back of an existing door:

• Batt insulation – best choice for steel doors
  • Usually made of fiberglass, backed by paper or foil
  • Material acts as an air barrier and a vapour barrier
• Reflective foil – for steel doors or flat-surface wood doors
  • Insulation is either cardboard or polyethylene bubbles
  • This has highly-reflective aluminum foil on one/both sides
• Foam board – can be used with steel or wooden doors
  • Thin rigid polystyrene panels with high insulating value
  • Material usually has either a vinyl or aluminum facing

In addition to improving the thermal performance/energy efficiency of the garage door, the layer of insulation can also provide benefits in terms of noise reduction. This muffles street noise and can be advantageous to family members who are watching television or reading/studying in the rooms over or adjacent to the garage.

One important point for Whitby homeowners to note when adding insulation to the back of their garage doors would be to determine whether the garage door springs or garage door opener would need any adjustment to compensate for the extra weight of the door.

Indeed, due to the extreme winds and cold temperatures that can be part of the winter in Whitby and surrounding areas, installing garage door insulation can be very effective in improving energy efficiencies as part of good overall home maintenance practices. Homeowners looking for the immediate advantages of insulating their garage door, but who may be limited by time or other priorities, can count on the expert technicians from Whitby Garage Doors to complete the installation in a quick and competent manner.

Whitby Homeowners Can Realize Many Benefits from an Insulated Garage Door

A closed garage with an insulated wooden garage door. Should homeowners decide that installing a new, insulated garage door would in fact be the best course of action, they can once again bank on the skills and expertise of Whitby Garage Doors. The technicians from Whitby Garage Doors are trained in the installation of garage doors distributed by the leading North American manufacturers, including:

• Amarr
• C.H.I.
• Clopay
• Equal
• Haas
• Steel-Craft
• Wayne Dalton

Further to their improvement of energy efficiency, insulated garage doors offer other benefits over non-insulated doors, such as:

• A more quiet operation
• Improved noise reduction
• Greater resistance to dents
• Enhanced aesthetics/curb appeal

As a result, Whitby homeowners may want to capitalize on the full range of operational advantages and improved visual appeal afforded by installing a new insulated garage door from Whitby Garage Doors.

If you are interested in insulating your current garage door or want to upgrade to a new insulated door, call the expert technicians at Whitby Garage Doors at (289) 316-2997 to schedule a complimentary consultation today!