4 Reasons Why You Should Install Insulated Garage Doors

It’s not accidental that more and more people started investing in insulated residential garage doors. They provide more than one would expect from a garage door. On the other hand, they cost more. This might sound like the bad news now but wait till you read about the advantages of energy efficient doors. And the benefits are not limited only to the increased home value, which is also a very important factor to consider if you plan to sell in the near future.

4 reasons for installing insulated garage doors

1. You save money in the long since the temperature inside the garage will be ideal and this will affect the temperatures in the entire house. To prove this point, Clopay tested the temperatures in a garage with a single non insulated door and then with an insulated door. With the former, there were 30 degrees. With the latter there were 42 degrees.
2. These special doors are made of double or triple panels with the insulation materials sandwiched in between. They also have a sturdy steel or aluminum frame. So they are extremely strong. They are resistant to dents and hence long lasting. Although it sounds weird, due to their unique construction they are also lightweight.
3. Although noise is often caused by garage door springs, chain openers, rollers, and other parts, doors make a noise on their own. In fact, the lighter they weigh, the noisier they get. With insulated doors, you can forget about the noise. Not only will the door absorb vibrations but also isolate noise coming from the street.
4. Insulated doors can entirely transform the environment in the garage. And so:

• You can install them at commercial properties where goods must be kept at specified temperatures.
• You can use your garage at home to do laundry, exercise, read, or watch television without freezing.
• From the car to the clicker and any item you keep in the garage everything is protected since they are not exposed to cold temperatures.

How to choose the best energy efficient door

There are many variations among insulated doors and so trying to compare them is like comparing apples with oranges. Your selection should be based on your personal requirements. But there are some things you should know about energy efficient doors.

• Double layered doors usually have polystyrene insulation.
• Triple layered doors will either have polystyrene or polyurethane insulation.

Among the two, prefer the latter. Polyurethane is injected and thus distributed better among the door’s panels. And that’s important.

Let’s pause for a second to talk about:

 

The R-value factor

Traditionally, insulated doors are measured by their r-value. This is how people in the construction industry measure the thermal resistance of materials. As a rule of thumb, high r-value will provide more energy efficiency. But r-16 doors do not provide double energy efficiency than r-8 doors – just higher.

 

The U-factor

What makes a difference to the efficiency of the door is whether insulation is thicker at the center of the door or distributed evenly to the whole panel. The latter is definitely the best solution for higher efficiency. And that’s why polyurethane insulation is considered the best. On top of that, manufacturers started measuring energy efficiency by U-factors. In other words, they test the ratings of the whole assembly (frame, hardware, and panel). U-values work in a different way than R-values.  Their rating is measured from 0 to 1 with zero being more efficient.

But in order to get the best insulation possible, you must also install garage door weatherstripping, check the seals of the door’s windows, and make sure the door is repaired so that it won’t remain open.