When it comes to improving the energy efficiency of your home, your garage is probably not the first place you think of. But if you have an attached garage, you could be leaking warm, or cool air from your home without even realizing it. Where there are a few ways to stop this, one of the most effective ways can be to install new garage doors.

Not all garage doors are created equal when it comes to improving energy efficiency. To help ensure you get the most for your money, let’s look at exactly how these new doors can help you save money.

Energy Efficiency and Your Garage

A lot of emphasis is usually put on windows and doors facing the outside when trying to optimize the energy efficiency of your home. Garage connecting doors (and even occasional windows from an attached garage added after the initial construction) can be often overlooked. Not nearly enough effort goes into protecting these connections from drafts and leaks, even though a garage without garage doors still has the same ‘outdoor air’ that you’ll find at any other door or window. This can be even more problematic if your home has garage access near the intake for your HVAC system; instead of circulating the air from within your home, your intake could be pulling outdoor air from a door and losing a bit of that internal temperature every time it kicks on.

This is where a good garage door becomes useful. Even though it’s unlikely that your garage door will be connected to your home’s heating and cooling system, having it as a mostly closed environment will stabilize the temperature and prevent at least some of the problems that can cause drafts and temperature leaks. With a new garage door installed, you might see a small but noticeable difference in your heating and cooling costs, especially if the garage access is near the HVAC intake.

Choosing the Right Door

If you’ve done any shopping for garage doors, you may have noticed the R value of the door which is much like insulation. While this can be useful, the segmented nature of the doors and the fact that such a large area opens and closes when the garage door is used makes the R value less useful than you might think. A good R value is nice to have, but don’t base your choice on just that factor.

Instead, look for a sturdy garage door that goes with the look of your home. Windowless doors, or those with a low emissivity coating will perform better in terms of efficiency. Wood doors are great for insulating the garage, though vinyl and even steel doors do a decent job while offering other benefits as well. There will likely be several options to choose from so find the door that not only insulates but also fits the overall feel of your house.

Garage Door Installation

While it’s possible to DIY your garage door installation, it can be a pretty big task to get your doors installed properly. Even being an inch or two off with some measurements can cause big problems including gaps that will affect the energy savings your doors provide and tension points that will cause undue wear and tear on your garage door system. This is why it is often recommended to bring in a professional to be sure everything is installed just right to get maximum life and savings out of your door.

We can help you find the professionals you need for this or any project you can think up. We have a network of all kinds of people from the ideas to the execution of your projects. Give us a call today! We are here to be your real estate resource for life!