Insulating Your Garage Door
The large amount of publicity around the ENERGYWISETM funding to install insulation and /or heating in homes and a winter of extremes has made insulation a front-of-mind topic for many homeowners.
So you may be wondering about the benefits of insulating your garage door.
There are definitely positive results to be had, but they will vary depending on your particular situation - let us explain;
Existing Homes
Existing homes will tend to have existing garage doors - no surprises there, but the type of door may impact on how you go about insulating your garage.
If you have an old Tilt door you may not have enough room to be able to replace it with an insulated sectional door, but you could fit one of our new Flex-A-Door's which at the very least will cut down on the drafts are inherent with tilting doors.
Again, replacing an old Roller Door with an insulated sectional door may not be feasible if room is restricted but a Flex-A-Door will go a long way to making your garage space useable.
Your local Dominator Dealer will be more than happy to come round and provide a FREE no-obligation assessment of your situation.
Having an existing sectional door can make the process of insulating your garage far simpler and give you two options to consider; work with the door you have or upgrade it completely.
Working with your existing door, you could look at adding after-market insulation to the back of it. This will generally give ok results but a word of warning, the additional weight of the insulation will mean your door will require new springs to operate correctly.
As a result the newly insulated door will need to be weighed and new springs ordered to suit. This is best left to your local Dominator Dealer as replacing and adjusting springs on any garage door can be extremely dangerous, especially to those who have not been trained in the correct procedure.
Note: An automated door may appear to continue to operate correctly, however the life of the opener will be severely reduced due to the additional strain it will now be under and the safety reverse systems may fail to work as expected.
Doom and gloom aside, if you choose to take this option, make sure you know the entire cost up front and please make sure the work is carried out by a professional - find your local Dominator Dealer here...
Choosing to replace your sectional door gives you the same options as a New Home so read on.
New Homes
When designing your new home there is plenty to think about when trying to create an energy efficient one. But that doesn't mean that you should gloss over your garage door as it is probably one of the largest openings in your home and most prone to heat transfer.
Double Glazed Windows are now a standard requirement as they are far more efficient at reducing heat transfer by creating a Thermal Break between the two sheets of glass. So it is easy to see that single and double glazed windows are at the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to their insulating qualities because of this thermal break.
The reason we highlight this fact is to make you aware that not all designs of insulated garage doors are created equal. Once you decide to insulate your garage and therefor your garage door, you need to pay attention to the design and construction of each door available to you.
The following are aspects you should investigate when considering an insulated garage door;
Thermal Break between Internal & External Skins
Even the best insulation in the world is wasted if the outside steel skin of your garage door is allowing heat transfer to and from the inside steel surface - just think about the Double Glazing example.
Draft Seal between Panels
Air Migration will also quickly negate any insulation you may have. (As the saying goes "a fridge is only as good as the quality of its seals.) While you can't normally see any gaps between panels due to the "Tongue & Groove" nature of the sections, they are there on most doors.
Jamb Edge Seal Top & Sides
Most garage door openings are prepared with a strip of "Mohair" (fine brush strip) around their edges that the door is installed against. This reduces drafts but the addition of a Jamb Edge Seal goes a step further in restricting air migration.
Bottom Weather Seal
Attached to the bottom panel to seal gaps between the door and a floor that is possibly uneven across the opening.
Well-known Trusted Brand
Importing and distributing insulated garage door panels and getting them installed is one thing. Standing behind the product in years to come is another, especially important when the product becomes an integral entry point to your home - will the company still be around?
Comprehensive Warranty
A garage door is generally the largest moving object in your home so the inherent stresses during the open/close cycles and sun loading can severely reduce the performance of inferior insulation over its lifespan.
So when it comes to Insulating your garage door it really pays to stop and think about the outcome you are after so by all means use the points above to create a check-list to help you make your decision.
Find your local Dominator Dealer and talk to them about your options, remember they can come round and provide a FREE no-obligation assessment of your situation.
You may like to read more about our Therma Tech II range of Insulated Sectional Garage Doors here...
