Understanding Insulated Garage Doors: Everything You Need to Know
The cost of energy fluctuates over time, but the overall trend is always upward, so homeowners are constantly looking for new and improved ways to insulate their homes and reduce their heating and cooling expenses. The garage, and more specifically the garage door, is one area that is frequently examined. Evaluating the garage makes perfect sense because it is attached to the house and shares one or more common walls with the house itself, both of which can be sources of energy loss.
For good reason, the garage door on an attached garage is frequently considered a weak point in the thermal envelope of a home. The garage door opens frequently throughout the day in most homes, exposing a large portion of an entire wall to the outside air. This is how a garage door works, making it difficult to adequately seal and insulate the garage. If you try to fully insulate the garage, it usually costs more in materials than it saves in energy, unless you don’t use the garage door very often.
However, many people believe that adding insulation with an R-value to the garage door is justified and required. And in some cases, this might be the case.
How Much Does and Insulated Garage Door Cost?
Insulated garage doors typically cost between $900 and $1,800.00, with luxury models costing up to $2,600 per door. This will vary based on the size of the garage door. Of course a 2 car 16×7 garage door will cost a few hundred or thousands, depending also on the model and material, more than a single 1 car 8×7 garage door.
The Best Insulated Residential Garage Doors: The Top Six
There are many factors to consider when selecting or building the ideal garage door for your house. There are many choices to be made, including the window treatment and choice, color, and style. But there’s one query that always surfaces during the choice-making process: insulated garage door or not?
Clopay Garage Doors
Value of R: 6.5 to 20.4
Aluminum, steel (with a wood finish), and composite doors are available.
The best options are carriage, modern, and traditional.
All Clopay Garage Doors are made in the United States using their exclusive Intellicore® insulation technology. Your garage door is filled with a special polyurethane foam that is injected into it and then expands to fill the entire opening. The dense insulation has the added benefit of absorbing additional noise and vibrations.
Clopay is concerned about the environment and makes an effort to preserve natural resources with each garage door it constructs. It should come as no surprise that Clopay is supported by the Good Housekeeping Seal given that it has one of the highest R-values on the market.
Wayne Dalton Garage Doors
4.36 – 16.22 as the R-value
Steel carriage house doors, traditional steel doors, fiberglass doors, and aluminum doors today
Ideal for: Traditional, Ranch, and Carriage homes
Strong and fashionable garage doors are made by the dependable Wayne Dalton company, some of whose models offer an R-value of up to 16.22. Some of their models also allow you to add a bottom-weather seal, which prevents drafts and debris from entering your garage, in addition to offering impressive insulation options (or out). Finally, all of their garage doors have a polyester coating on top of hot-dipped galvanized steel. How does that affect you? No touch-up painting.
C.H.I. Overhead Doors
7.94 – 17.54 as the R-value
Types of doors include glass and steel, steel (with wood tones), and full-view aluminum.
Recommended for: Modern and Contemporary
The Quality Garage DoorTM is referred to as. CHI garage door demonstrates that quality structure need not come at the expense of meticulous design. These garage doors have insulation made of polystyrene and/or polyurethane, some models with up to two inches of insulation. Full-view aluminum doors manufactured by C.H.I. have also undergone a noise test and received a certified sound transmission class rating of 27.
Consult the professionals at your local Garage Door company for assistance in selecting the best insulated garage door for your house. To ensure that you invest in a door that not only looks good but also adds value and function, we carry the highest-quality brands. From there, our skilled technicians can guarantee a smooth installation procedure from beginning to end.
Amarr Garage Doors
Value range: 6.64 to 19.40
Steel doors (some with a real wood appearance!
Favorable for: Carriage homes
Amarr Garage Doors are made of incredibly durable, low-maintenance steel, making them incredibly strong and energy-efficient. The majority of models feature insulation made of vinyl-coated polystyrene and steel that is double or triple-layered. Your garage door will have a much more genuine carriage look and feel thanks to their creative designs, which are made with three sections rather than the conventional four.
Martin Garage Doors
8.0-14.0 as the R-value
Steel and 99.9% copper metal doors.
Ideal for: Classic, Modern, and Contemporary Homes
From style and design to colors and wood grains to smooth or embossed powder coat colors, Martin Garage Doors offers a staggering variety of garage door options. Additionally, all of their insulated garage doors have a steel backing for additional durability and noise reduction. But most importantly, it results in a garage door that requires incredibly little upkeep.
Northwest Door Garage Doors
9.0 – 16.0 as the R-value
Extruded aluminum, Modern Tech steel, Therma Tech steel, and Natural Wood are among the door types.
Ideal for: Classic, Modern, Carriage, and Contemporary Homes
Northwest Door is an expert in insulated garage doors thanks to its patented materials. Most models offer options such as polyvinyl honeycomb core panels, polystyrene or urethane insulated panels, allowing you to select your insulation type (and thickness). Some Northwest Door models use 25% recycled aluminum in the frame, which will further reduce your financial and environmental impact. They also recycle any remaining manufacturing waste.
The quick response is yes. Insulating your garage door has a lot more advantages than just offering one of the best returns on investment. The majority of these explanations are due to one key benefit: temperature control. Also consider the fact that an insulated garage door also tends to run smoother that a non insulated garage door. This will prevent less unpleasant sounds but also will vibrate less which is good for your garage structure.
Reasons To Think About Using An Insulated Garage Door
Your home uses a lot more energy to regulate the temperature in your garage because of Colorado’s hot summers, cold winters, and erratic temperature changes in between. But there are advantages to more insulation, including:
- improved energy effectiveness
- Additional safeguards for your possessions
- Fewer garage door repairs
- More durable garage doors
- improved noise isolation
Is Your Garage Door Not Protenting Your Home
It’s time to replace your drafty garage door with one that will do the job properly if your garage is well-insulated. The temperature in your garage will be controlled by a properly insulated garage door. An insulated garage door will aid in keeping extreme heat and cold outside, where they belong, similar to how insulating your home will.
Your garage door needs to be well insulated if you live somewhere with severe weather. Fortunately, manufacturers provide consumers with information about how much insulation their doors provide using a rating system called “R-value.” There are times when you can invest more on insulated garage doors than a premium garage door opener.
How Often Do You Use Your Garage Door?
Even if your garage door is the highest rated in the world, an open door has a zero R-value. This is why choosing a door should take into account factors other than R-value.
The benefits of a garage door with a high R-value are greatest if you don’t use it frequently. You will fully benefit from your garage door’s R-value because it will be closed the majority of the time. Your garage door becomes essentially a wall when it is closed.
R-value won’t be as important for you if, however, you frequently open your garage door or leave it open for long periods of time while working in your shop. Although it’s crucial, keep in mind that the R-value only applies to closed doors.
Garage Door Insulation Techniques
Garage doors frequently hinge or fold at several different points as they open and close. Some insulation techniques might not last as long as the door keeps working. Insulation could be separating or flaking. The following popular garage door insulation techniques are worth thinking about if you want to try an insulation method, perhaps as a short-term seasonal fix:
The walls, the ceiling, and the garage door should all be adequately insulated in your garage. Your garage can be insulated in a variety of ways to increase its energy efficiency.
Even though you might not spend much time in your garage, having it properly insulated guards against weather and temperature-related damage to your vehicles, tools, and stored items. Additionally, an insulated garage stops heat loss, which raises your energy costs on a monthly basis.
How Insulation Works in Garage Doors
Layers of polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, which comes in various densities, are typically used as insulation for garage doors. More insulation is provided by materials with higher densities.
The best garage doors use steel layers sandwiched between polyurethane. In a spray can, polyurethane resembles liquid Styrofoam. It is simple to use to seal doors and windows and spray into cracks. It quickly and completely fills the space because it is liquid.
A better insulation option is polyurethane. A 2005 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) study found that polyurethane insulation can cut energy use by up to 40% and air leakage by up to 83%.
A door’s thickness can also be increased by manufacturers to improve insulation, but even a door that is three inches thick won’t outperform one that is thinner and polyurethane-insulated.
Insulated Garage Doors with Windows
It’s great to have an insulated garage door, but what about adding windows? Regular windows significantly lower your door’s R-value, and insulated windows are expensive. Although it’s nice to have a view outside your garage, think about what you’ll be giving up.
Unless you can easily afford insulated windows, having a garage door with windows might not be the best choice if you frequently get snowed in. On the other hand, windows can enhance the appeal of your home if you reside in a mild climate where you can open your garage door in the winter without freezing.
When purchasing a new door, think beyond the R-value.
All garage doors have an R-value, and while you want a door with a higher value, other factors, like construction, should also be taken into account. When choosing your garage door, you should also take into account the weatherstripping, the bottom seal, and the sealing joints between the panels.
Energy Costs Can Be Reduced With The Aid Of Insulated Garage Doors.
It’s unlikely that your garage door installation includes a heater vent inside your garage unless you converted it into an extra bedroom. Even so, a poorly insulated garage door can allow heat from your house to enter the garage and then be sucked out. Your heater may need to run for a longer period of time due to this energy loss. The thermostat setting for the automatic shut off won’t be reached by the interior temperature.
The heat loss from your garage might not be enough to have a noticeable effect every month, but it will add up over time. Reducing your energy waste wherever you can will help you save money on energy costs because it does add up. You can save $120 per year by cutting your energy costs by just $10 per month. You could pay off debt, repair your house, or treat your family to a meal out with that cash.
Insulated Garage Doors Comparison
When looking for an insulated garage door, you might come across a few different numbers that indicate how effective the insulation is. Each is briefly defined below.
Insulating Garage Doors With Polyurethane Versus Polystyrene
The two most common materials used for garage door insulation are polystyrene and polyurethane. It is necessary to understand the distinctions between the two doors in order to compare them and determine which is best for your home.
Garage Door Insulation with Polystyrene
Many garage doors use polystyrene insulation, which is also the type of insulation offered in the aftermarket garage door insulation kits sold at well-known retailers. This insulation is provided by rigid polystyrene panels with a vinyl back that are either installed inside your single-layer garage door or inserted between the steel layers of your garage door.
Garage doors with polystyrene insulation sandwiched between two steel layers will operate more quietly and efficiently than doors without insulation, but they are not as energy-efficient as doors with foam-injected polyurethane.
Insulation For Polyurethane Garage Doors
The exclusive Intellicore® insulation technology from Clopay uses polyurethane, a material known for its high energy efficiency. The material used for this type of insulation is a polyurethane foam that is injected between the steel layers of the door and then expands to fill every crevice and crevice. In addition to increasing the door’s strength and making it less prone to dents, the foam bonds to the door’s frame as it expands.
If your garage door serves as the main entrance to your home and you live in an extremely cold or hot climate, garage doors with polyurethane insulation will offer the highest level of sound isolation and climate control.
What Does Garage Door R-Value Mean?
R-value is a term used frequently in the construction sector to describe how well insulation “stops heat flow opposite to conductance.”
The typical building, for instance, will have an R-value of 20. A 35 can be added to this rating by adding fiberglass insulation.
The R-value of a garage door won’t be exact, but it will be fairly accurate because different manufacturers use different techniques. Don’t just buy a garage door rated R-20 because another company is selling one that is similar but rated R-18, thinking you’re getting a better deal. The level of insulation provided by both doors might be the same. Find out what materials are used to build the doors, then base your choice on the information at hand.
R-Value
The R-value of a garage door indicates how well it can reduce the flow of heat. As heat is transmitted more slowly with a higher R-value, your garage will experience less heat in the summer and less cold air in the winter. The higher the R-value, the better it is for garage doors!
The most common way to gauge how energy-efficient a garage door is is through its R-value. To test the insulation of garage doors, Clopay® uses door section R-values in accordance with TDS-163 of the Door and Access Manufacturers Association. R-values for Clopay garage doors range from 6.3 to 20.4 and are based on the thickness, type, and material of the door. For options, see each collection or sell sheet.
U-Factor
You might also come across the U-factor when looking for a garage door, though it is not as frequently used as the R-value. The better the U-factor, which measures the rate at which heat moves through a material, the Since not all residential garage door manufacturers use these, R-value is the primary factor taken into account by Clopay when calculating energy efficiency.
Popular garage door sizes
When it comes to accommodating the needs of households with multiple vehicles, 2 car garage door sizes provide the perfect solution. These spacious options allow you to easily park two cars side by side, maximizing convenience and efficiency. Among the popular choices are the versatile garage door 16×7 and the expansive garage door 16×8. These sizes not only provide ample room for your vehicles but also offer the potential for added storage or workspace within your garage.
2 Car Garage Door Sizes:
Garage Door 16×7:
The garage door 16×7 is a prime example of a two-car garage door size that strikes the perfect balance between functionality and aesthetics. Measuring 16 feet in width and 7 feet in height, this size comfortably accommodates two standard vehicles while leaving room for additional storage or activities. Its versatility makes it a favored option among homeowners with multiple cars, ensuring easy access and efficient use of space. The garage door 16×7 seamlessly enhances the exterior of your home, contributing to its curb appeal. Find a local expert who can answer all your questions related to garage doors near you.
Garage Door 16×8:
For those seeking extra height and space, the garage door 16×8 offers an exceptional solution. With the same width as the 16×7 size but an additional foot in height, this size caters to taller vehicles and provides greater clearance. The 16×8 garage door offers opportunities for overhead storage, making it a popular choice for homeowners looking to maximize storage capacity. Whether you have an SUV, a truck, or simply desire added vertical space, the garage door 16×8 is a versatile option that enhances both functionality and visual appeal.
Single Car Garage Door Sizes:
Single car garage door sizes provide efficient solutions for homeowners with limited space or a single vehicle. These sizes, including the 10×7, 9×7, 8×7, and 8×8 garage doors, cater to the needs of those who value space optimization without compromising convenience. Ranging in width from 8 to 10 feet, and varying in height, these sizes offer flexibility for different vehicle types and property constraints. Whether you prioritize efficient use of space or seek a cozy and functional garage, these single car garage door sizes have you covered.
10×7 Garage Door:
The 10×7 garage door exemplifies space efficiency and smart design. With a width of 10 feet and a height of 7 feet, this size optimizes available space while accommodating compact cars and smaller SUVs. Ideal for homeowners with limited driveway space, the 10×7 garage door ensures efficient vehicle access without sacrificing functionality. Its compact dimensions make it a practical choice for properties where space is at a premium.
9×7 Garage Door:
Balancing compactness with usability, the 9×7 garage door offers versatility for various vehicle sizes. Measuring 9 feet in width and 7 feet in height, this size provides room for standard cars and SUVs while efficiently utilizing available space. It strikes a harmonious balance between accommodating your vehicle and leaving room for storage or other activities within your garage.
8×7 Garage Door:
Embracing minimalism and efficiency, the 8×7 garage door maximizes space conservation. With a width of 8 feet and a height of 7 feet, this size is ideal for compact cars and homeowners with limited property space. It’s a perfect solution for those who value simplicity and functionality, providing an unobtrusive entry point while optimizing the use of available space.
8×8 Garage Door:
Adding an extra foot of vertical clearance to the 8×7 size, the 8×8 garage door offers heightened possibilities. With the same width as its counterpart, this size accommodates a variety of vehicle sizes and provides opportunities for innovative storage solutions. The 8×8 garage door strikes a balance between compactness and versatility, making it an excellent choice for homeowners seeking functionality with a touch of customization.
Call your local expert who can answer all your questions related to garage door replacement or installation near you.