When it comes to energy efficiency, there are several simple
tasks a homeowner can perform to boost efficiency and lower the electric
bill. Although many homeowners may
overlook the garage door as a main source of energy loss, it can be one of the
largest culprits of heat loss in the home, especially if the garage is attached
directly to the home.
When a garage door is older or made of wood materials, it
can be clear just by looking at the door that it is need of insulation. If small cracks or splits in the wood allow
light to travel through them, quality wood epoxy is needed to fill in the
cracks followed by a refinish of the door using paint. However, if the garage door appears to be in
good shape, an easy way to tell if the doors are inefficient is by taping a
facial tissue to a wire hanger and holding it against the bottom and sides of
the door. If the tissue flutters or
moves at all, air is freely flowing in and out of cracks along the edges of the
door and it is time for some insulation.
One of the simplest
approaches to making a garage more energy efficient is by weather stripping the
bottom of the garage door itself. By
adding a weather strip the door not only keeps out those wintry drafts, but it
also becomes quieter as the strip adds a bit of cushion to the bottom of the
door. There are several weather
stripping kits available that are designed specifically for standard garage
door sizes. As well as custom kits for doors that are of different proportions.
Once the bottom of the garage door is insulated, the next
step is to insulate the sides of the door.
There are a few different types of self-sticking weather stripping tapes
to choose from depending on the level of protection desired.
The four main types of weather stripping tapes:
- Open
cell foam is the cheapest and most user-friendly of the tapes. It is highly compressed foam that can be
used to seal small openings around the sides of the garage door. - Closed
cell foam is a waterproof tape that is a little denser and firmer than
open cell foam. - High-density
sponge foam is very firm foam that can be used to insulate automobiles and
boats as well as indoor areas. - Premium
weather strip costs the most but will not crack or harden even when the temperature
reaches far below zero.
Due to the availability of these simple, self-stick weather
stripping tapes, creating an energy efficient garage door is made
straightforward and easy. Within an
afternoon and with the slightest of ease, the garage door is transformed from a
drafty energy drain into an air-tight and efficient part of the home.