The Benefits of an Insulated Garage Door

by Rachel Lyon, Editorial Director for Direct from the Designers™

You know how important it is to insulate your walls and your roof and to invest in windows with good seals, but have you thought about how other parts of your home could be improved with insulation? Imagine what it could do for your garage door; it’s like a wall when closed and operates like a giant window, so it must have some effect. Here are the three reasons why an insulated garage door would be an asset for your home!

Energy Efficiency

The most obvious advantage of insulation is that it reduces the rate of heat transfer. That means your interior can hold a steady temperature for longer, without the HVAC system having to run constantly to maintain it. Utility bills are reduced in turn, and in this way, insulation pays for itself while keeping your home more comfortable. But why would all of that matter for a garage?

Even the average, unheated attached garage can have an effect on living spaces, especially if you often open the door between the garage and the house. Maybe you have an overflow fridge or just need to make multiple trips to pack a car for holiday travel—whatever the reason, it can cause your heating or air conditioning to work harder. A garage is usually a few degrees more temperate than its surroundings simply because it’s not directly exposed to the elements, but an insulated door can improve on that by another twenty or so degrees. So, think of your car—why waste more time and gas backing it out to warm up in freezing conditions when your garage could do a better job of keeping it warm in the first place? An insulated garage door is good for your home and your car, and that improved energy efficiency is great for your wallet!

Durability

The construction of a garage door affects the kinds of stresses it can stand up to and how long it can be expected to last. While the most basic door only has a single layer of metal, it’s in your best interest to invest in more substantial construction, and that means insulation is an option. A thicker, multi-layered door is less likely to dent and be damaged because it is inherently stronger.

Insulation is usually the thickest component of the door, ranging from about one to two inches, and it provides a solid core for steel skins, wood, and/or any composite overlays and cladding. Sandwiching a good layer of insulation between these outer materials will give you a beautiful, durable door—that’s the making of an all-around winner in terms of quality.

Quieter Operation

While most people are primarily concerned with thermal insulation, another point to consider is that an insulated garage door is generally quieter. If you have an attached garage with bedrooms next to or above it and want to minimize the noise caused by the garage door opening and closing, choose a door with polyurethane foam insulation.

Denser insulation reduces the amount of noise produced when the door goes up and down because it is stiffer and less prone to shaking and rattling. Depending on where you live and the layout of your home, this could be an amazing advantage.

If you’ve been convinced that your home needs an insulated garage door, be sure to check out the wide variety available from Clopay®. Find a dealer to start discussing the best option for you!