– Posted in: Garage Door Insulation, News, Residential Garage Doors In today’s economy people are looking at ways to save money and cut costs. One of the biggest costs homeowners face during the winter months is heating. It’s a delicate balance between keeping the thermostat high enough to be comfortable but low enough so you can still afford to pay the bills. Properly insulating your home goes a long way in reducing your energy bill and keeping your house warmer, but often the biggest cause of a cold home, the garage, is overlooked. An improperly insulated garage will become cold in the winter as temperatures drop. The cold garage siphons heat away from the adjacent rooms, causing those rooms to become colder and forcing your heating system to work harder and expend more energy. Don’t worry, you don’t need to rip apart your garage to fix this. Read on to quickly learn how you can insulate your garage door and reduce your heating costs. The first thing you want to do is check the weather stripping and bottom seal around the perimeter of the garage door.
From the inside of your garage, run your hand along the perimeter of the garage door and feel for drafts. Is the weather stripping and bottom seal cracked, or aging? Is there even any weather stripping or stop molding in place? Replacing or adding good weather stripping and bottom seal is one of the biggest improvements you can make to your garage door to keep the cold out. Just like an insulated window, it doesn’t matter how good it is if you leave it open. You can pick up weather strip and bottom seal at your local hardware store. Or you can call Precision and our certified technicians will winterize your garage door for you. Having taken care of the weather stripping and bottom seal around the garage door, you can take the next step of adding insulation onto the garage door itself. You can purchase a garage door insulation kit from your local hardware store. They sell for $50 – $150 depending upon the size and type of the door. We don’t recommend insulating the garage door itself as it adds weight to the door.
Garage doors are designed to be lifted with a counter balance spring system. The springs render the door weight neutral which allows the garage door opener to lift the door. If you add extra weight to the door we recommend changing the springs to maintain balance. The change in insulation is minimal for all this extra work though. If you really need to add extra insulation you should consider buying a new insulated garage door. These suggestions will only go so far, especially if you have an older door. If you want to make the biggest impact on stopping the cold consider buying a new insulated garage door. With the government still offering a 30% Energy Tax Credit on new energy efficient garage doors it’s never been a better time. A new insulated garage door can make a huge difference in your heating bill. To find our what the best insulated garage door is call your local Precision Door. Now that your garage door is sealed and insulated, it might be a good idea to look at the door that leads into the house from the garage.
Check to make sure that door is also properly sealed and insulated. In the end, anything you do to reduce the inflow of cold air to your garage will help reduce your heating bill each month. It’s hard to tell just how much money you’ll save, but as time goes on those savings will add up. You’ll appreciate the difference, in both your wallet and being in a warmer, more comfortable house.Weather stripping on windows and doors protects the home from air leaks while increasing comfort and saving energy. But as weather stripping ages, it loses its effectiveness.Stay ahead of the game by checking for worn-out weather stripping and replacing it.Weather stripping deteriorates due to age, friction, and exposure to the elements. It also can be damaged by people, pets, and pests. At least once each year, inspect your windows and doors to check for air leaks that indicate your weather stripping isn’t doing its job.For peel-and-stick-type weather stripping, simply pull the foam strips off the door or window by hand.
Stripping that is fastened in place with nails or screws requires a more tedious process of locating and removing all the fasteners.There’s no shortage of weather stripping options at hardware stores and home improvement centers. As is often the case, the cheaper and easier the product is to install, the less effective and durable it probably is over time.Adhesive-backed foam tape is inexpensive — costing less than a buck a foot — and peel-and-stick types are easy as pie to install. It works best where the bottom of a window sash closes against a sill, or a door closes against a doorframe. It’s the compression that produces the seal. Don’t expect this product to survive longer than 3 to 5 years.V-shaped weather stripping, sometimes called tension-seal weather stripping, is the best option for the side channels of a double-hung window or a tight-fitting door. This product springs open to close gaps and plug leaky windows and doors.Inexpensive peel-and-stick V-shaped vinyl (as little as $0.50 per foot) is easy to install but won’t last much longer than foam tape.
More expensive copper or bronze styles cost as much as $2 per foot and must be nailed into place, but they look better and will last decades.Tubular rubber or vinyl gaskets prove the most effective for sealing large and irregular gaps, such as around an old door. These hollow tubes are large enough to plug big gaps but soft enough to compress nearly flat. Types that are nailed in place last longer than peel-and-stick varieties. Prices range from less than $1 per foot for peel-and-stick to $1.25 per foot for nail-in-place.Before installing any new weather stripping, start with a smooth, clean, and dry surface. Remove all old adhesive using an adhesive cleaner and perhaps a light sanding. Fill and sand old nail holes. If old screw holes can’t be reused, fill and sand those as well.Adhesive-style weather stripping: Remove the backing and press firmly in place. Removing the backing as you go helps prevent the sticky part of the strip from accidentally adhering to something it shouldn’t.