If your garage door is disabled, your home will be disabled, especially if you have a connected garage. It may be possible that the adjoining rooms may not be pleasant. As a result, energy bills, security, and the value of your property can all be affected. There are many ways to improve energy efficiency, whether replacing your current garage door or installing a new one.
Consider insulation levels
Whether you’re installing a new door or reinstalling an old one, you can tell by looking at how well it is insulated:
U-factor: The U-factor tells how heat travels through any substance. The U-factor indicates how much heat is transferred through the door. The higher the U-factor, the more heat will transfer through the door. If you want your garage to stay warm in winter and cool in summer, go for a low U-factor (around 35 or less).
R-value: It describes the conductivity of the material from one surface to another; Materials with higher R-values are more resistant to conductive heat. The best R-value is determined by the climate in which you live. On the other hand, the most energy-efficient garage doors have an R-value of at least 12.
Choose a material wisely.
By itself, garage door materials are often not very insulating. Steel, for example, provides little insulation but can be highly effective when paired with an inner layer of polyurethane. High gauge steel is more insulating than low gauge steel.
Aluminum is lightweight and ineffective as an insulator, while wood is valued for its aesthetic value. You can achieve insulation by mixing composite wood garage doors with a layer of steel. If energy efficiency is a top goal, consider multilevel doors.
Check for air leakage.
If your garage door or the walls around it are leaking, no amount of insulation will help. Draft regularly and check the integrity of your hardware and weatherstripping. You must fit all components carefully to avoid leakage and energy loss. As a result, garage door maintenance is critical to increasing energy efficiency. For garage door repair in Decatur you can do this.
Use a weatherstripping
Invest in superior quality PVC weatherstripping. It will be more expensive, but it will make your investment in a more energy-efficient garage door even more rewarding. The all-weather strip between the door pieces should be in good condition.
It would help if you insulated the bottom and perimeter of the door. You must insert the thermal breaks between the parts and at the ends of the doors.
Smart garage door opener
If your garage door opener is wasting electricity, the overall efficiency of your garage will be affected. Electronic garage door openers exacerbate the situation because they are always drawing power in standby mode. According to one study, the average garage door opener uses 4.48 watts of standby power each year. Low-standby-power models can help solve this problem.
Improve garage ventilation
When it comes to maintaining a more consistent temperature inside your garage, improving ventilation can help. One low-cost ventilation option to consider is roof vents. Another option is to install a fan-powered ventilation system on the garage’s ground floor.
Garage ventilation can also be aided by properly constructed soft fit venting along the principal facade of your garage. Remember that trash in a garage hinders ventilation, so use storage options like slat walls, special storage racks, or garage cabinets to keep your space clean.
Use garage solar panels.
Is it necessary to heat your garage in winter and keep it cool in summer? If so, utility expenses can increase rapidly. One possibility is to install solar panels on the roof of your garage. Your hydro costs will go down if you use the sun’s energy to heat, cool, and power your garage and the rest of your home.
The solar panel option is not without its drawbacks, for sure. Depending on the scale of your system, this may require a large upfront cost. Another disadvantage is that this still-evolving technology will only improve in the coming years. Waiting, like any new technology, can be prudent.
