Top 5 Ways to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Your Garage Doors

"Tanya Mayer – Contributing Writer”

 

 

Posted on Monday 16th July 2018

Improving the energy efficiency of your garage is not only a matter of lower utility bills. This is something you ought to do for the health of your whole family, too. For instance, if your garage isn’t properly insulated, the exhaust fumes from the car are very much likely to end up inside your home, penetrating your children’s lungs.

As for some other reasons, considering the fact that the whole world, and especially Australians, is increasingly paying attention to energy efficiency and how “green” a home is, this is definitely an investment for the future since it’s increasing the value of your home on the market. Hence, let’s take a look at some practical tips.

Insulate the walls

Before you start picturing it, let us remind you of one thing. The ceiling also belongs here. A lot of people completely oversee the fact, which is a huge mistake. Roofs get very hot during summer, but if you take care of this, you won’t need any AC for the garage. This is also useful if some day you plan on making this your home office (or you can stress the possibility when talking to potential buyers).

One of the easiest ways around this is to roll the insulation of suitable R-value between the joists. It can also be blown in trough a small hole in the drywall for the effect.

Insulate the garage door

In case you haven’t bought quality energy efficient doors, you can try to do what you can with the ones you have. Double bubble radiant insulation should be applied on the inside of your door, or try using foam board insulation for the same purpose.

Basically, you can purchase door insulation kits at almost any hardware store for around $100, but you should definitely consider buying new doors at some point.

Replace the windows

Even though they are rather small, garage windows are of great importance for energy efficiency. If they aren’t sealed properly, the cold will be creeping in during winter, while the heat shall invade your home in summer. Even though a garage is considered as an addition to your home, basically, its walls are also the walls of your abode, so when they become heated, so does the whole residence.

Check the caulking and seal, or completely replace the windows for their updated energy efficient version.

Declutter the place

You probably did not see this one coming, but it could be said keeping your garage neat and tidy is probably the crucial factor for energy efficiency. In short, if everything is in its place, you’ll be able to notice if anything is disrupting the energy saving process.

For instance, perhaps there are some cracks in the concrete floor that have been draining the energy by making the space cooler than it should be. Or perhaps you need to renew the caulk connection between the walls and the concrete floor so as not to let the outside air in. This is all easily fixable, as long as you react timely.

Seal the door

While homeowners pay special attention to the front door and all the others inside the house, the garage door is often left neglected. Usually, the only criterion for it is that it is well secured against breaking into. However, it represents a major problem if it’s not sealed properly. Do a simple test with light or smoke. If they are showing in the house while the door is closed, you have a problem.

First, ensure that the weatherstripping around the door is intact and applied all around the door frame. Next, take a look at the threshold. If it’s not sealing the bottom or the door right, try either replacing it or using a draft stopper.  Finally, caulk the trim both inside and outside your door for the final touch.

As you can see, most of these are very simple DIY projects. It only takes a bit of time and effort, but the consequences are more than rewarding. Forget about all the excuses and commit yourself to properly insulating the place. You will quickly see how the temperature in your home is easier to maintain. Your wallet and your family will both appreciate it.

 

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