4 Benefits of Installing an Insulated Garage Door
Your garage door may not be the first thing you think of when you consider home upgrades, but a new garage door presents new opportunities. An insulated garage door is a particularly valuable upgrade for homes in any climate. Unfortunately, many homeowners aren’t aware of the advantages an insulated garage door can bring. This guide will introduce four benefits of installing an insulated garage door.
1. Save Money and Energy
Improving your home’s energy efficiency is the primary goal of installing an insulated garage door. If you have an attached garage and your garage door is poorly insulated, your home is slowly leaking heated air in the winter and cool air in the summer. Your HVAC system has to work harder to overcome this constant energy loss, and you will see that reflected in your monthly energy bill.
The most common solution for insulating garage doors is to use layers of polyurethane foam or polystyrene sandwiched between two panels. These panels are often made of vinyl in more economical installations or steel in premium insulated doors.
The materials used in any insulated garage door will determine the R-value of the door. R-value is a metric that describes how well insulation can resist the transfer of heat; a higher R-value means better insulation. You can compare the R-values of different garage doors to get an idea of how well they will perform for your home.
2. Block Sound and Reduce Dents
The extra layers added to an insulated garage door block more than just heat. Insulated garage doors significantly reduce the amount of outside noise that can reach your garage. While you could add acoustic panels to your current garage door, an insulated garage door may be an even better choice to cut down the noise from a bustling street or highway near your home.
Layers of insulation inside a garage door also make it more resistant to dents and other physical damage. This is especially true of polyurethane foam because it expands and fuses with the frame of the door to greatly increase the amount of force required to create a dent. Installing an insulated door now can help you save on garage door maintenance and repairs down the road.
3. Make Your Garage an Extra Room
If you’d like to use your garage as an extension of your living space, an insulated door can do wonders to make it more comfortable. With an insulated door, it will be much easier to keep your garage at the same temperature as the rest of your home. Also, you won’t have to worry about drafts from your garage dragging down the temperature in the rest of your home if you enter and exit frequently.
However else you use your garage, keeping it warm with an insulated door is worthwhile because it can add years of life to your vehicle. Long-term exposure to frigid temperatures can have several negative effects on your vehicle. Cold weather can cause your tires to lose pressure, reduce your vehicle’s battery capacity, and even cause fluids to freeze.
4. Increase the Value of Your Home
In addition to the direct benefits of an insulated garage door, you will likely thank yourself for making the upgrade if you decide to sell your home. Recent studies found that garage door replacement was the single most lucrative home upgrade with an average ROI of 93.8 percent. Homebuyers are naturally interested in the curb appeal and potential energy savings of a new garage door.
As you can see, the benefits of an insulated garage door go well beyond what many people initially expect. Whether your home is ready for a new garage door installation or you need quality service for your current door, call the friendly team at Beacon Garage Doors.
